NASA is inviting applications from start-ups to take part in a three-month pilot programme to develop new technologies for space.
Applications will be accepted till April 7 and a total of 10companies will be selected for the programme, the US space agency said.
The accelerator programme will focus on technologies thatcan be applied to space — including geospatial analytics, digital designcoupled to advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, applied ArtificialIntelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
“We want to assist these companies in developing theirown technologies and becoming commercial successes. NASA will also benefit bycollaborating with these companies,” said Tom Cwik, Manager of the SpaceTechnology Office at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
Based in Los Angeles, the accelerator programme begins onJuly 15. After developing their concepts and business plans over a three-monthperiod, the teams will then pitch their results to the NASA community,co-sponsors and private investors at a demo day in October, NASA said.
“Industry is developing new technologies rapidly, using new tools and methods in software development and other areas,” said Cwik.