Outpost to Develop Cargo Spacecraft Under NASA SBIR Contract

NASA has awarded Outpost Technologies a Phase 2 Ignite Small Business Innovative Research to advance the development of a spacecraft designed to transport cargo and payloads from the International Space Station back to Earth.

The spacecraft, called Cargo Ferry, is expected to offer a quick and reliable transportation service for scientists to receive, process and study the payloads immediately, particularly those with limited shelf life, and free up storage space in the orbiting laboratory, Outpost Technologies said. 

NASA has an existing contract with SpaceX to retrieve scientific investigations and equipment from the ISS. However, due to the limited capacity of the Dragon spacecraft, there is a backlog of payloads at ISS awaiting for return.

According to Outpost, using a Cargo Ferry to provide a similar service would prevent any potential loss of cargo once the ISS retires. The spacecraft can also serve as a return system for future commercial space stations. 

Jason Dunn, Outpost founder and CEO, said the spaceship offers “the most precise landing capability.” Cargo Ferry boasts a 5-meter landing target accuracy for a safe and efficient payload retrieval.