NASA has announced collaborations with 12 space technology companies as part of their Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) that will give a thrust to developing advanced machinery making even a short journey of 39 days to Mars a possibility. The program is part of the US agency’s deep-space destination mission that is aimed at increasing human presence in the cis-lunar (between moon and earth) space and also on the red planet.
The partnerships publicized this week involve million dollar funding that will be on fixed-contract basis and paid as milestone achievement installments. 3 companies namely Ad Astra Rocket, Aeroject Rocketdyne and MSNW LLC, have been assigned the objective of developing state-of-the-art propulsion engines that can produce outputs of 50kW to 300kW. NASA’s current technology has only below 5kW capacity.
According to the Daily Mail, out of these 3 firms, the Ad Astra Rocket claims its plasma fueled Vasimr (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) engine has the potential of reducing traveling time to Mars to only 39 days. The Texas-based company will be receiving a $10 million grant with which it hopes to successfully test the propulsion system for a 100-hour operation time. The Vasimr has already completed 10000 rounds of short firing sequences.
Also see: Ancient Mars lake in Jerezo Crater records two water-related events
Apart from manufacturing advanced engines, 7 companies have been selected for developing habitat- and life-supporting environments for the astronauts. The Orion spacecraft that will kick-start NASA’s human exploration out of Earth’s low orbit currently can sustain a 4-crew group for only 21 days from and back to Earth. The US space agency wants the firms to create innovative habitat systems that can provide resources that will increase the 4-crew members’ expected stay from 21 days to 60 days.
NASA has also roped in 2 space technology firms to develop small satellites called payloads that will be aboard the Orion during its Exploration Mission-1 flight that is part of the Space Launch System. Named the CubeSat project, it is designed to gather important data that will decrease the risk and enhance the future endeavors of deep-space exploration.