Space Technology Mission Directorate

General

Ames Research Center

CubeSats

Low-Earth Orbit Economy

Small Satellite Missions

Small Spacecraft Technology Program

SmallSats Program

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Tech Demo Missions

Follow NASA’s Starling Swarm in Real Time

NASA’s Starling CubeSats are zipping through low Earth orbit in the agency’s latest test of robotic swarm technologies for space. The four Starling spacecraft, launched in July 2023, are testing a group of small satellites ability to coordinate and cooperate independently without real-time updates from mission control.

Posted October 24, 2023

Technology Transfer & Spinoffs

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Technology

NASA Makes It Easier to Find Assistive Technologies for Licensing

NASA develops a variety of technologies to explore space and beyond for the benefit of humanity. One measure of its success is the impact on the daily lives of millions of people with injuries and disabilities who are assisted with innovative treatments and products developed from NASA-derived technology. After all, it was thanks to NASA’s […]

Posted October 17, 2023

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Space Technology Research Grants

Technology

Technology Research

More than Grants: Perspectives from Past NASA-funded Researchers

Each year, researchers nationwide embark on journeys of discovery facilitated by funding from NASA’s Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) program. They uncover innovations that benefit future research and their careers after graduation.

Posted October 17, 2023

Flight Opportunities Program

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Prizes, Challenges & Crowdsourcing

Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA Seeks Development of Universal Payload Interface

NASA is calling on innovators to help solve some of the challenges in rapidly testing technology payloads across a wide range of commercial flight vehicles and test environments. As NASA explores the unknown in air and space, the agency is making increased use of commercial suborbital vehicles, spacecraft, and lunar landers to help advance new […]

Posted October 16, 2023

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Technology Demonstration Missions Program

5 Things to Know About NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications

Slated to launch on Oct. 12 with the Psyche mission, DSOC will demonstrate technologies enabling the agency to transmit higher data rates from deep space. NASA’s pioneering Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment will be the first demonstration of laser, or optical, communications from as far away as Mars.

Posted October 10, 2023

ISS Research

Ames Research Center

Astronauts

General

International Space Station (ISS)

Robotics

Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA’s Honey Astrobee Robot Returns to Space

The International Space Station is abuzz with the return of one of NASA’s Astrobee smart robots. The yellow Honey Astrobee, one of three free-flying robots, was unboxed in space after spending nearly a year at its home base, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Honey had returned to Earth in September 2022 for […]

Posted October 5, 2023

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program

NASA Prize Targets Inclusive Community Building for Tech Development

Revolutionary space technology research and development relies on novel ideas across America. To that end, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is rolling out an innovative engagement strategy to help enhance outreach efforts, reduce barriers to entry, and attract high-quality proposals from a diverse pool of researchers.

Posted September 29, 2023