NASA has announced the selection of six companies to conduct studies aimed at developing more cost-effective methods for launching and delivering spacecraft of varying sizes to challenging orbital destinations. This initiative, part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to enhance space exploration capabilities, involves nine studies with a combined value of approximately $1.4 million.
The awarded companies are:
- Arrow Science and Technology LLC, Webster, Texas
- Blue Origin LLC, Merritt Island, Florida
- Firefly Aerospace Inc., Cedar Park, Texas
- Impulse Space Inc., Redondo Beach, California
- Rocket Lab, Long Beach, California
- United Launch Services LLC, Centennial, Colorado
“With the increasing maturity of commercial space delivery capabilities, we’re asking companies to demonstrate how they can meet NASA’s need for multi-spacecraft and multi-orbit delivery to difficult-to-reach orbits beyond current launch service offerings,” said Joe Dant, orbital transfer vehicle strategic initiative owner for NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This will increase unique science capability and lower the agency’s overall mission costs.
Exploring New Horizons: Company Contributions
Arrow Science and Technology
Arrow will collaborate with Quantum Space to explore the capabilities of Quantum’s Ranger, a multi-mission spacecraft designed for rapid maneuverability and adaptability. This partnership aims to enable multi-destination delivery for missions ranging from low Earth orbit to lunar orbit.
Blue Origin’s Ambitious Studies
Blue Origin will undertake two studies, including one focused on Blue Ring, a versatile space platform offering payload delivery, on-board edge computing, and end-to-end mission operations. This platform utilizes hybrid solar-electric and chemical propulsion to reach destinations such as geostationary, cislunar, Mars, and interplanetary locations. The second study will explore the New Glenn upper stage.
Firefly Aerospace’s Elytra Vehicles
Firefly Aerospace will examine its Elytra line of orbital vehicles, which provide on-demand payload delivery, imaging, and long-haul communications across cislunar space. Notably, the Elytra Dark vehicle is equipped to function as a transfer vehicle, supporting operations in lunar orbit for over five years.
Impulse Space’s Mobility Solutions
Impulse Space will conduct two studies focusing on its in-space mobility vehicles, Mira and Helios. Mira is a high-thrust spacecraft for payload hosting and deployment, while Helios serves as a high-energy kick stage for rapid payload delivery from low Earth to medium Earth orbits, geostationary orbits, and beyond.
Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Explorer
Rocket Lab will explore the capabilities of the Neutron rocket’s upper stage and a long-life orbital transfer vehicle based on its Explorer spacecraft. These vehicles are designed for missions to medium Earth and geosynchronous orbits, as well as deep space destinations like the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.
United Launch Services’ Centaur V
United Launch Services will assess the cislunar mission capabilities of an extended-duration Centaur V upper stage. This stage aims to deliver multiple rideshare spacecraft to two different orbital destinations in cislunar space without the need for an additional rocket stage or orbital transfer vehicle.
Strategic Implications and Future Prospects
The studies, expected to conclude by mid-September, will provide critical insights for NASA’s mission design, planning, and commercial launch acquisition strategies. These findings could pave the way for expanding delivery services to accommodate larger payloads and missions with lower risk tolerance.
NASA’s Launch Services Program selected these providers through the agency’s VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare Launch Services) contract. This initiative supports the growth of the U.S. commercial launch market, facilitating more affordable access to space for science and technology missions.
As the commercial space sector continues to evolve, NASA’s collaboration with these companies represents a significant step toward achieving more efficient and cost-effective space exploration. The results of these studies could redefine how spacecraft are delivered to some of the most challenging orbits, ultimately enhancing the scope and capability of future missions.
