This Government Contract opportunity from National Aeronautics And Space Administration was posted on September 8, 2025. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System (KSC-TOPS-73)
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Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
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NASA is seeking commercial partners interested in licensing a technology designed to improve plant growth in microgravity environments. The technology, known as the Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System (KSC-TOPS-73), addresses the significant challenge of delivering adequate air, water, and nutrients to plant roots under conditions where natural convection is absent. Existing methods on the International Space Station, such as the Veggie system, require active pumping and frequent manual intervention by astronauts to maintain plant hydration, which can lead to inconsistent and labor-intensive plant care. The new system enables a more passive, reliable, and potentially less maintenance-intensive way of supporting plant life in space. Organizations interested in commercializing, manufacturing, or marketing this NASA-developed technology can apply for license rights, which may be granted on either an exclusive or nonexclusive basis with potential limitations to specific fields of use. Importantly, no NASA funding is attached to these licenses, and the primary goal is to promote technology transfer and gauge market interest, rather than to initiate procurement or contracting opportunities. Interested parties must submit their applications through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System, and inquiries can be directed to NASA’s Technology Transfer Program. The announcement is open until July 17, 2026, and serves as part of NASA’s broader effort to facilitate public awareness and commercial adoption of its innovations.
General Info
Place of Performance
ALSet-Aside
Documents
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Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.
THE TECHNOLOGY:
A primary challenge to growing plants in microgravity is the delivery of adequate air, water and nutrients to a plant's roots. Microgravity alters convection and thus the behavior of root zone aeration which plants are evolutionarily reliant upon to grow. Current nutrient delivery techniques proposed for space involve the use of a medium for the roots to penetrate, such as arcilite, and power or frequent astronaut intervention is typically required to actively pump water to the roots. When water is actively pumped to the roots, the user must carefully calibrate the amount of water and nutrients being pumped in order to prevent over- or under watering that could inhibit plant growth. The current watering technique on the International Space Station using the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) frequently requires astronauts to manually pump water into the pillows with a syringe to sustain the plants.
To express interest in this licensing opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/KSC-TOPS-73
If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at contact@example.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/.
These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.
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