Low Earth Orbit Platform Utilization and Microgravity Research

The Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) provides mission critical space operations services to both NASA customers and to other partners within the U.S. and throughout the world: operating the International Space Station (ISS); ensuring safe and reliable access to space; and ensuring the health and safety of astronauts. Additionally, the HEOMD is chartered with enabling the development of a robust commercial economy in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by enabling technologies that will provide the foundation for the future of American leadership in space. In this topic area, NASA is seeking technologies that utilize the ISS National Lab as a platform for commercial in-space production for terrestrial applications. NASA seeks to accomplish these objectives by achieving following goal: Enabling development of advanced manufacturing technologies and materials that benefit from use of the unique space environment of the ISS to make products for terrestrial use that benefit the nation, humanity, and the LEO economy. It is expected that these projects will lead to a commercially viable and scalable production enterprise operating in a future LEO commercial platform or destination (i.e. private space station) Through the potential projects spurred by this topic, NASA hopes to incorporate SBIR-developed technologies into current and future commercial in space manufacturing and production efforts to contribute to the development of the low-Earth orbit economy, with a high standard of safety, reliability, and affordability. References: Space Station Research & Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer ISS National Lab Research Opportunities: Solicitations for ISS National Lab Research Opportunities: https://www.issnationallab.org/research-on-the-iss/solicitations/ Low-Earth Orbit Economy: https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy/low-earth-orbit-economy/ NASA Research Announcement for In Space Production: LEO Opportunities: In-Space Production Applications | NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-outlines-areas-of-interest-announces-research-opportunities-for-in-space-production