The “key facts” mode pulls structured fields directly from the official source posting (amount, deadline, eligibility tags). The AI mode adds a short plain-English narrative on top, generated from the same source. Always verify with the agency before applying.
AI-generated. Always verify with the official source.
Who can apply — at a glance
Eligible applicants:
see the Eligibility tab for the criteria from the official announcement.
Where:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia.
Award:
amount not specified by the source.
Matching funds:
not required.
Deadline type: Fixed.
Compiled from the official listing's structured fields — always verify with the funder before applying.
Topic Funding Opportunities Back to Funding Opportunities Search Fuel-Flexible Spacecraft Electric Propulsion System Funding Agency DOW DARPA Year: 2026 Topic Number: DPA26TZ06-DV005 Solicitation Number: 26.TZ Tagged as: STTR BOTH Solicitation Status: Open NOTE: The Solicitations and topics listed on this site are copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should use the agency link listed below which will take you directly to the appropriate agency server where you can read the official version of this solicitation and download the appropriate forms and rules. View Official Solicitation Release Schedule Release Date September 2, 2026 Open Date September 23, 2026 Due Date(s) October 21, 2026 Close Date October 21, 2026 Description 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.
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Who can apply
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) eligibility: applicant must be a small business concern (<= 500 employees) partnered with a non-profit research institution (university or federally-funded R&D center). Small business performs at least 40% of the work; research institution performs at least 30%. | eligibility Apply Find Topics and Solicitations Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Lab to Market Hub Program Tutorials Community Stay connected with our innovation ecosystem Community Event Spotlight News and Events Newsletter Sign-up Federal and State Technology (FAST) Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) Topic Funding Opportunities Back to Funding Opportunities Search Fuel-Flexible Spacecraft Electric Propulsion System Funding Agency DOW DARPA Year: 2026 Topic Number: DPA26TZ06-DV005 Solicitation Number: 26.TZ Tagged as: STTR BOTH Solicitation Status: Open NOTE: The Solicitations and topics listed on this site are copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should use the agency link listed below which
Geographic eligibility
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
District of Columbia
How to apply
We don't have application instructions on file yet — head straight to the official source.
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