Loft Orbital Federal, LLC of Golden, Colorado, is among the 15 companies recently selected by NASA to provide flight and payload integration services. This marks a significant step forward in advancing technological and procedural operations in space, including high-altitude testing, reduced gravity and other relevant environments.
The selection, which also includes companies like Blue Origin Texas and Astrobotic Technology, is part of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity base contract award. These firm-fixed-price contracts boast a combined value of $45 million and stretch over a performance period of five years. The services covered by these contracts will be utilized by NASA and other government agencies.
Various platforms, including suborbital rockets, high-altitude balloons, orbital spacecraft, and satellites, will be used for testing. In certain instances, suborbital rockets that can accommodate human passengers may also be used. The payloads for these platforms will comprise NASA science instruments or technology demonstrations.
Among the chosen companies, in addition to Loft Orbital Federal, are Aerostar International, Angstrom Designs, Astro Digital US, Galactic Enterprises, Momentus Space, Near Space Corp., Rocket Lab USA, Space Exploration Technologies, Spire Global Subsidiary, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Varda Space Industries, and World View Enterprises.
These contracts support the NASA’s Flight Opportunities and Small Spacecraft Technology programs — components of the NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency’s Washington headquarters. The goal of these programs is to speed up space exploration, discovery, and commerce through technological advancement and innovative missions.
For more information about the flight platforms available through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, you can visit their official website.
Source: Press Release