NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the United States government agency responsible for space exploration, space technology, and aeronautics research. As a space agency, NASA leads both crewed and robotic missions, develops new space technologies, and conducts research in space science. NASA is known for its partnerships with organizations like ESA and its work on programs like the International Space Station (ISS), the Artemis Program, and the Space Launch System (SLS). Associated keywords include: space exploration, aeronautics, space technology, and scientific discovery.
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NASA ACO 2025 selected 41 proposals from 37 U.S. companies.
The SBIC-NASA Initiative is designed to address production bottlenecks and expand commercial manufacturing throughput within the domestic space industrial base.
Katalyst completed Link’s environmental testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in early May.
NASA has supported more than 110 projects through the ACO program since the first solicitation in 2015.
NASA spent $98.8 million on Hubble in fiscal year 2025.
NASA restricted the Link mission to successfully executing the orbital boost while avoiding structural impact or sensor contamination.
NASA ACO agreements are collaboration agreements with no direct transfer of funds.
The SBIC-NASA Initiative merges NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital with the SBA’s Small Business Investment Company program.
NASA and the U.S. Small Business Administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement on June 29, 2026, establishing the Small Business Investment Company-NASA Initiative.
NASA awarded Katalyst Space a $30 million contract through the Small Business Innovation Research program to develop the Swift reboost mission.
Rocket Lab secured a NASA contract for three dedicated Electron launches in 2027.
NASA awarded Katalyst Space Technologies an expedited $30 million firm-fixed-price contract in September 2025 to develop and manufacture the servicing payload.
Katalyst Space Technologies developed Link, a 425-kilogram spacecraft designed to attach to a NASA spacecraft in decaying orbit and raise it to a higher altitude.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman leads NASA during the SBIC-NASA Initiative launch period.
NASA kept the original Commercial LEO Destinations plan and planned a draft RFP for this month on June 1.
NASA’s resources provided under ACO are valued at about $30 million, and the participating companies have invested $32 million directly.
NASA ACO 2025 selected proposals in transportation, planetary surface operations, in-orbit assembly and maintenance, power management, guidance and navigation, and landing systems.
The SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation will host the operational framework for the SBIC-NASA Initiative.
In March, NASA proposed a government-owned module for commercial companies to attach rooms to as part of the Commercial LEO Destinations program.
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies are scheduled to launch an orbital servicing mission for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory on June 30, 2026.