NASA EC

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Following up on the success of the 2020 NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Entrepreneurs Challenge, NASA has once again partnered with the global aerospace hub, Starburst, to renew the Entrepreneurs Challenge (EC) for 2021!

The Entrepreneurs Challenge seeks to invite fresh ideas and new participants in supporting development of instruments and technologies with the potential to advance the agency’s science mission goals.

The challenge will take place in two rounds:

In Round One, applicants will submit a short white paper outlining a technology concept that addresses one of the technology focus areas below. A panel of judges will then select up to twenty (20) companies to receive an invitation to Round Two along with $10,000 in prize funding.

In Round Two, participants will submit a more comprehensive white paper detailing their technological solutions and will also participate in a live pitch event that will be open to the public to present their ideas to a panel of judges who will score the white paper and the presentation. Industry representatives, venture capitalists, and NASA program managers will also be invited to the pitch event. Up to ten (10) winning participants will be awarded an additional $80,000 in prize funding to mature their concepts further.

The 2021 edition of the Entrepreneurs Challenge will focus on identifying new approaches to advancing NASA’s capabilities in the following focus areas:

SmallSat science technologies

Metamaterials-based sensors

Biomarker detection

Learn More

About Astra

Starburst, the world’s first and only global aviation and space accelerator, has partnered with the Israel Aerospace Industries and Shenkar Space Lab to launch the ASTRA incubator program, which aims to support startups and research that develop innovative technologies in the Space Industry. By launching next-generation space technology ventures, ASTRA will transform Israel from a startup nation to a spacetech nation.rnrnThis early-stage incubator is designed to support startups in several verticals with space technologies applications. The program will create an innovation hub nurtured by key players in the industry, both locally and globally.rnrnThe selected startups in the program will have the opportunity to engage with Starburst and its partners to form deliverable commercial benefits as well as invaluable connections that contribute to their growth and advancement.rnrnASTRA is calling innovators and entrepreneurs to take part in this exciting venture that will progress human exploration into the heavens. Successful candidates await support in the form of direct investments, help with securing proof-of-concept, memorandums of understanding, coaching, mentoring, and much more!

Two cohorts per year

Expert mentors and advisors

Space Earth Economy

ASTRA focuses on technologies solving global challenges for the space-earth economy and looks for dual application solutions that have massive markets here on earth and are also critical to space missions.

Space Exploration

ASTRA seeks to progress and develop ideas and technologies that tackle the difficulties in transportation to and within space, all for the sake of providing stronger connectivity to off-planet activities.

Space Commercialization

ASTRA will support companies that target commercialization of services and operations that take place in space, from situational awareness to in-space servicing & other Infrastructure for frontier space economy.

The Entrepreneurs Challenge is a NASA innovation program.

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WHAT IS THE ENTREPRENEURS CHALLENGE?

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