PALO ALTO, Calif. (NASA PR) — NASA is one step closer to robotically refueling a satellite and demonstrating in-space assembly and manufacturing thanks to the completion of an important milestone.
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“MakerSat”
Tethers Unlimited has been selected to receive up to $750,000 in NASA funding to demonstration technology that would allow small satellites to grow after they are launched into orbit.
The company’s MakerSat project was one of 128 proposals selected by NASA for phase II funding under the space agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The contracts last two years.
Tethers Unlimited (TUI) will being developing a small satellite capable of growing itself in orbit and a metal press and milling system capable of creating precision parts in microgravity with the help of NASA funding.
The projects were among four TUI proposals the space agency selected under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I program. The contracts are worth up to $125,000 apiece over six months.
The selected proposals include:
- MakerSat
- Metal Advanced Manufacturing Bot-Assisted Assembly (MAMBA) Process
- COBRA-Bee Carpal-Wrist Gimbal for Astrobee
- The Automated X-Link for Orbital Networking (AXON) Connector