80HQTR21NOA01-21LUSTR-B5: Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) Opportunites
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II (NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2). Status: Rolling or no fixed deadline. It is in our archive of NASA Headquarters notices from 2021.
NASA Headquarters offered grants of up to $2.0 million to any type of organization. It expected to make about 4 awards. Applications closed on September 17, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed July 22, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$2.0 million
- Expected awards4
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | July 22, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | September 17, 2021 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | October 17, 2021 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to any type of organization.
- Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
Accredited U.S. universities are eligible to submit proposals; teaming and collaboration are permitted as per section 3.0 of the solicitation. NASA centers and JPL are not permitted to participate on proposals submitted to this Appendix. Other government agencies and non-NASA FFRDCs are permitted to collaborate only (i.e., not funded through the proposed effort - see additional information in the solicitation).
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Space Technology awards averaged $347,956; this notice allows up to $2.0 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (39% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released a solicitation, titled Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) Opportunities, as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA), titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2021 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2021), on July 22, 2021. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting "Solicitations" then selecting "Open" and, finally, selecting "Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) Opportunities." The goal of LuSTR, part of the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII), is to accelerate the development of groundbreaking technologies that support and enable lunar surface activities to be conducted under Artemis - the core of NASA’s exploration and human spaceflight plans for the next decade. As part of the LSII portfolio, LuSTR solicits ideas from universities that can be integrated into Artemis’ sequence of missions that start with the near-term development of enabling infrastructure and lay the foundation for a sustained human and robotic presence. Only accredited U.S. universities are eligible to submit proposals. Teaming is permitted - see solicitation for complete eligibility requirements as well as teaming restrictions. A PI (see solicitation for restrictions) or Co-I may participate in no more than two proposals in response to this appendix. NASA encourages submission of LuSTR proposals on behalf of women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities. The LuSTR Appendix exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to two LSII focus areas: Extreme Environments and Excavation and Construction. Under these focus areas, LuSTR solicits proposals in response to the following four topics: Autonomous Systems for Excavation and Site Preparation Lunar Regolith Mineral Beneficiation Cold-Temperature Analog Integrated Circuits Novel Heat Transfer Fluids NASA anticipates featuring additional topics, including those in other LSII focus areas, in future Appendix releases. The financial and programmatic support for LuSTR comes from the Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. The STRG Program within STMD is fostering the development of innovative technologies for advanced space systems. Awards are planned to start in May 2022.
Who has won Space Technology grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Space Technology (43.012) awarded $327 million across 939 grant awards, an average of $347,956 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech Research Corp | Georgia | 40 | $25.2 million |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Colorado | 47 | $22.3 million |
| University of Texas at Austin | Texas | 24 | $18.1 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 52 | $17.9 million |
| Purdue University | Indiana | 36 | $16.8 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is 80HQTR21NOA01-21LUSTR-B5 still open?
No. It closed on September 17, 2021. A newer notice is open: NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, rolling or no fixed deadline.
Who can apply for Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) Opportunites?
NASA Headquarters accepted applications from any type of organization. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) Opportunites?
Closed September 17, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $2.0 million each.
Who has won Space Technology grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Georgia Tech Research Corp, The Regents of the University of Colorado, University of Texas at Austin. The program made 939 awards worth $327 million in that time.