Space Operations (43.007)
Space Operations (Assistance Listing 43.007) is run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It awarded $108 million in 165 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $655,072 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $150,000. Half of the 165 awards fell between $75,000 and $281,104, and they ranged from $5,608 to $61.8 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$108 million
- Grant awards165
- Typical award$150,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$19.4 million
- Size rank792 of 1824
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements, cooperative agreements (discretionary grants), project grants, project grants (cooperative agreements or contracts), project grants (cooperative agreements), project grants (discretionary), project grants (fellowships), project grants (for collaborative design of curriculum, production of, project grants (for specified projects), project grants (including individual awards), project grants (including travel grants)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $22.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $19.4 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 792nd largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 85% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 35 states and territories.
What the program funds
NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate ensures continued American leadership in low Earth orbit, encourages economic growth of the commercial space sector, enables continued and successful access to space, and provides a foundation for deep space exploration.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Categories of organizations that may be eligible for NASA grants and cooperative agreements include: • Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) – A two- or four-year university or college (including U.S. community colleges), public or private, accredited to confer degrees beyond that of the K-12 grade levels. 29 • Educational Institutions – Non-higher-education entities, such as K-12 education groups or institutions of informal education, are classified as Educational Institutions.2 • Non-profit Organization – An organization that: o Is operated primarily for scientific, engineering, educational, research, or similar purposes in the public interest; o Is not organized primarily for profit; o Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the organization’s operations; and o Is not an IHE. Non-profit organizations generally exclude (i) colleges and universities; (ii) hospitals; and (iii) state, local, and Federally recognized Indian tribal governments. • For-profit Entity – An organization of any size that is organized primarily for profit. • Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) – FFRDCs are under a broad charter by a Government agency for performing, analyzing, or conducting research for the United States Government. NASA sponsors JPL as the Agency’s sole FFRDC, and JPL is not an eligible applicant to receive a NASA-funded grant or cooperative agreement as a recipient or subrecipient3 .
What the money can and cannot pay for
Grant funding may be used to support basic research, educational outreach, and training opportunities related to space operations Applicants should carefully review the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for detailed information on allowable activities, program priorities, eligibility requirements, funding restrictions, and any limitations or conditions that may apply to the use of funds. Review funding opportunity announcement for additional information.;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. A cost-sharing percentage is displayed to satisfy a system requirement that necessitates selection of a value. Cost-sharing requirements, including any applicable percentages, may apply under this listing and, if applicable, will be specified in the NOFO. Applicants should refer to the NOFO for detailed cost-sharing requirements.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Review funding opportunity announcement for specific deadlines and other key dates.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
The range in award value depends on the research opportunity’s objectives and the number of meritorious proposals accepted.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2021: Ground and Flight investigations within applied research and development; technology readiness level maturation; and technology demonstrations to be performed on the International Space Station.Fiscal Year2022: Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) NASA Research Announcements: Solicits applied research in support of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP). The research falls into one or more categories corresponding to HRP’s five Elements: Space Radiation, Human Health Countermeasures, Exploration Medical Capability, Human Factors and Behavioral Performance, and Research Operations and Integration. Solicitation covers all aspects of research to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. Ground and Flight investigations within applied research and development; technology readiness level maturation; and technology demonstrations.Fiscal Year2024: Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) NASA Research Announcements: Solicits applied research in support of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP). The research falls into one or more categories corresponding to HRP’s five Elements: Space Radiation, Human Health Countermeasures, Exploration Medical Capability, Human Factors and Behavioral Performance, and Research Operations and Integration.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Space Operations (43.007) awarded$108 million across 165 grant awards, an average of $655,072 per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 75% of the money, state and local governments 9.8% and businesses 9.2%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 70 | $81.3 million | 75% |
| State and local governments | 49 | $10.6 million | 9.8% |
| Businesses | 9 | $10.0 million | 9.2% |
| Colleges and universities | 32 | $5.7 million | 5.3% |
| Small businesses | 3 | $467,645 | 0.4% |
| Other | 2 | $79,794 | less than 0.1% |
By state
14 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 14 | $64.2 million |
| Alabama | 4 | $8.6 million |
| Delaware | 1 | $4.6 million |
| California | 22 | $4.2 million |
| Texas | 14 | $3.0 million |
| Massachusetts | 11 | $2.6 million |
| Colorado | 8 | $2.6 million |
| Illinois | 5 | $2.4 million |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $2.0 million |
| New York | 9 | $1.9 million |
| North Carolina | 10 | $1.4 million |
| Arizona | 4 | $1.4 million |
| Ohio | 7 | $1.2 million |
| Maryland | 8 | $1.0 million |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | $951,843 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | $820,649 |
| Indiana | 3 | $805,037 |
| Washington | 3 | $742,357 |
| Mississippi | 2 | $496,859 |
| New Jersey | 4 | $353,997 |
| Kentucky | 1 | $346,324 |
| Kansas | 2 | $330,275 |
| Michigan | 2 | $265,295 |
| Alaska | 2 | $253,997 |
| Iowa | 2 | $249,250 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $213,100 |
| Virginia | 1 | $200,000 |
| Connecticut | 1 | $176,316 |
| Missouri | 1 | $142,356 |
| Nevada | 1 | $113,455 |
| Georgia | 1 | $111,999 |
| Montana | 2 | $110,000 |
| Oregon | 2 | $105,631 |
| New Mexico | 2 | $79,840 |
| Louisiana | 1 | $64,056 |