AXIS: Advancing X-ray Instrumentation in Space

NASA is dramatically increasing its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) cadence as part of the Ignition initiative to support a permanent Moon Base. NASA is looking for low-cost, high-TRL instruments to fly on these CLPS landers. This IRAD project advances the TRL of a COTS X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) through testing components under lunar-relevant thermal and pressure conditions, as well as shock and vibration to ensure launch survival.

This project creates a low-cost flight-ready XRF spectrometer that would benefit Moon Base and Artemis engineering and science goals. XRF enables dust quantification on EVA suits and tools, providing necessary information to mitigate damaging effects. XRF also provides quantitative geochemistry (elemental abundances) useful in identifying resources on the lunar surface and classifying scientific samples of interest for return to Earth.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.