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OpenFederal SBIR/STTROpen to for-profit businessesDPA26TZ06-DV005

Fuel-Flexible Spacecraft Electric Propulsion System

Department of War, DARPACloses Oct 21, 2026(1 day left)

Does this fit your business?

This is a DARPA STTR contract topic for US small businesses with 500 or fewer employees that partner with a US nonprofit research institution or university to develop a fuel-flexible spacecraft electric propulsion system. It is for propulsion and space hardware R&D firms, not general tech or service businesses. Nonprofits and companies without a research institution partner should not bother applying.

Best for
US for-profit small businesses with 500 or fewer employees, Spacecraft propulsion and space hardware developers, Small businesses partnered with a US nonprofit research institution or university
Not for
Nonprofit organizations, Businesses with more than 500 employees, Small businesses without a research institution partner
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (technology, tech, sbir, sttr)
79
Strong Match
Energy & Clean TechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
54
Possible Match
Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
54
Possible Match
Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
48
Possible Match
Food & BeverageLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
45
Possible Match
Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Show all 15 industries
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Housing & Real EstateLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
ManufacturingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
43
Possible Match
Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
41
Possible Match
Finance & BankingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
40
Possible Match
Arts & CultureLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Education & TrainingLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Environment & ConservationLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Social Services & NonprofitLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring

These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.

What this funds

Money can be used for
R&D, Research, Prototype
Who can apply
Small businesses

Questions about this grant

Who can apply for this grant?
For-profit US small businesses with 500 or fewer employees including affiliates, more than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent residents, and registered in SAM.gov before submitting. Because this is an STTR topic, the business must partner with a US nonprofit research institution or university, which performs at least 30% of the work. Note this is awarded as a contract, not a grant.
Can a sole proprietor or single-member LLC apply?
The facts do not specifically address sole proprietors or single-member LLCs. The stated eligibility is a for-profit US business with 500 or fewer employees that meets the ownership requirements, and as an STTR topic it must partner with a US nonprofit research institution or university. Check the official solicitation for its own conditions.
Can a nonprofit apply?
No. Only small businesses may apply. A nonprofit research institution or university can participate, but only as the required STTR partner doing at least 30% of the work, not as the applicant.

Summary

STTR Phase I/II contract topic for US small businesses (≤500 employees) partnering with a US nonprofit research institution or university. Funds development of a fuel-flexible spacecraft electric propulsion system able to operate on air, water, CO2 mixtures, or ammonia/hydrazine-derived propellants, bridging lab demonstration to fieldable technology.

About this grant

Spacecraft electric propulsion (EP) systems typically rely on noble gas fuels (xenon, krypton, argon) stored in high pressure tanks. These fuels are unattractive for sustained ambient-air operation in very Low Earth Orbit (vLEO), or for liquid refueling operations in higher orbits using water or chemical rocket fuels as output propellants. Furthermore, thruster development to date has been highly specific to individual fuels, requiring costly development of entirely new systems for new propellants—for example, optimizing for air in a vLEO environment versus water in a possible future higher orbit refueling architecture. These dependencies limit total propulsive capability and overall mission flexibility and responsiveness. This topic seeks a system able to operate on air (20-50% O2, balance N2), water (H2O), mixtures of water and carbon dioxide (CO2) derived from combusted hydrocarbons, or nitrogen-hydrogen mixtures derived from decomposed NH3 (ammonia) or N2H4 (hydrazine), using as much shared componentry as possible. Developing a flexible fuel EP system capable of accepting a variety of molecular propellants offers a unique capability for a single product line to serve a significantly larger mission space and total addressable market. This STTR topic seeks to develop a complete, integrated fuel-flexible propulsion system that bridges the gap between laboratory demonstration and fieldable spacecraft technology capable of utilizing in-situ resources.

Program: STTR, Phase I and Phase II Agency: Department of War, DARPA Topic number: DPA26TZ06-DV005 Solicitation: 26.TZ Released September 2, 2026; proposals accepted from September 23, 2026 Closes October 21, 2026. Check the official solicitation for the exact due time. Award type: contract, not a grant. Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ Listed on SBIR.gov: https://www.sbir.gov/topics/13001. SBIR.gov copies agency solicitations and can lag behind them; the official solicitation is the final word.

Who can apply

Small businesses only: a for-profit US business with 500 or fewer employees, including affiliates.

More than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent residents (some agencies also accept majority ownership by venture capital, hedge fund or private equity firms; the solicitation says).

SBIR: the principal investigator is primarily employed by the business. STTR: the business partners with a US nonprofit research institution or university, which does at least 30% of the work.

Registered in SAM.gov before submitting.

Check the official solicitation for its own conditions, proposal limits and security review.

Topics and uses of funds

Topics

  • Defense
  • Space
  • Technology
  • R&D

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