EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS FOR IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ESI26-ISRU)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released a solicitation for Early Stage Innovations for In Situ Resource Utilization (ESI26-ISRU). The solicitation seeks proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education for innovative, early-stage space technology research of high priority to NASA, specifically for Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Water Purification. Key points to consider: • Proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative. • Proposals are being solicited via a two-step process where preliminary proposals are mandatory and only those invited may submit a full proposal. • The Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a tenured faculty member or an untenured faculty member on the tenure track from the proposing IHE. • Teaming and collaboration are permitted, subject to the restrictions described in the solicitation. • Awards are planned to start in June 2027, and NASA plans to make approximately 3 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation.