Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) is a NASA program employing a public-private partnership model to foster commercial development of capabilities for deep space exploration. It seeks to support extensive human spaceflight missions beyond low Earth orbit, particularly around the Moon (cislunar space) and potentially for Mars missions. NASA uses NextSTEP to stimulate the commercial space industry, enabling them to develop technologies like deep space habitats and lunar landers while sharing resources and expertise. Key partners include various U.S. commercial entities, with the program contributing to NASA's Artemis program and long-term goals for human space exploration.
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Both Blue Origin and Dynetics received funding from NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix N effort in September 2021 to mature technologies such as engines for their landers.
Blue Origin and Dynetics each received awards in September 2021 from NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Appendix N effort to support work on future lunar landers.
Northrop Grumman won $34,800,000 in September 2021 to support work on sustainable lunar lander concepts through NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix N.
Janet Kavandi, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s executive vice president for space systems, showed an illustration of a space station incorporating inflatable modules developed under NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program.
NASA announced a set of 'angel investments' on 2020-04-07 through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program to companies developing technologies to stimulate demand for commercial LEO activities.
NASA selected Axiom Space on 2020-01-27 to use an ISS docking port through its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program.
NASA issued a draft solicitation on 2019-10-03 for Commercial Destination Development in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Free Flyer under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program.
Northrop Grumman was one of six companies working on habitation module designs under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships 2 program and was the only company NASA concluded could deliver a module in time to support a 2024 human mission to the lunar surface.
NASA published a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition document on 2019-07-19 linking to a 2019-05-30 special notice about procuring a habitation module under Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships 2 (NextSTEP-2).
The Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) series of broad agency announcements provides public-private partnership awards to develop technologies for NASA exploration plans.
NASA modified a broad agency announcement within its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships program to seek proposals for integrated lunar lander concepts.
NASA plans to solicit proposals for studies of Flexible Lunar Explorer landers as part of its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program.