Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
NASA has selected more than 30 companies to develop innovative technologies through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, investing approximately $16.3 million in seed funding to support agency goals and the space economy.
According to Jason L. Kessler, program executive for NASA’s SBIR/STTR program, this support aids early-stage technologies and businesses contributing to NASA’s missions, including sustaining a presence on the Moon, advancing human exploration of Mars, and improving life on Earth.
The SBIR Ignite initiative offers Phase I contracts of up to $150,000 to 15 firms from 10 states to validate their innovations with commercialization potential. STTR Phase II awards, totaling 17 contracts of up to $850,000 each, support partnerships between small businesses and research institutions to demonstrate and deliver technologies.
Selected projects address challenges such as in-space manufacturing, advanced battery systems, lunar landing technologies, and propulsion for air and spacecraft.
Highlighted efforts include a sprayable dry adhesive developed by Nanoscale Labs in Austin, Texas, inspired by geckos to give robots a strong, self-cleaning grip suitable for complex shapes and space debris, funded under SBIR Ignite Phase I.
Another example is QuesTek Innovations LLC of Evanston, Illinois, working on welding technologies that could allow astronauts to repair and replace components in microgravity, a critical capability for long-duration space missions.