FUNDING RESOURCES FOR 

LAUNCH VEHICLE AND SPACEPORT TECHNOLOGY

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

OCTOBER 2006
HQ-037906.qxd

NOTICE

Use of trade names, services, or images associated with corporate entities 

in this document does not constitute official endorsement of such products,

services, or corporate entities, either expressed or implied, by 

the Federal Aviation Administration.

Available from

Federal Aviation Administration

Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Rm. 331

Washington, D.C. 20591

http://ast.faa.gov

About the Office of Commercial Space Transportation

The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, licenses

and regulates U.S. commercial space launch and reentry activity as well as the operation of

non-federal launch and reentry sites as authorized by Executive Order 12465 and Title 49

United States Code, Subtitle IX, Chapter 701 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act).

The Office’s mission is to ensure public health and safety and the safety of property while

protecting the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry operations. In addition, the Office is directed to encourage, promote, and facilitate commercial space launches and reentries. Additional information concerning commercial space transportation can be found at http://ast.faa.gov.
Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Funding Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Contact Information for Funding Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Space Grant Consortia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Venture Capital Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Appendix – Organizations Consulted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

iii

Introduction

The Funding Resources for Launch Vehicle and Spaceport Technology Research and Development document is

a tool designed to assist launch vehicle developers and launch sites operators identify potential sources of government and private sector funding to support their efforts. This report lists a wide range of funding sources,

ranging from grants to private investment opportunities, available from state and federal governments, private

foundations, and venture capital (VC) firms.

This report consists of four sections. The Funding Sources section provides details about each funding opportunity, including the activities funded, purpose of grant, amount offered, funding schedule, eligibility, deadlines,

recurrence, and any additional comments. Opportunities are grouped by type of funding: federal, state, and foundation. The Contact Information for Funding Sources section provides telephone, email, and other contact information for the funding sources listed in the previous section. The Space Grant Consortia section lists all 52

Space Grant Consortia in the United States. These consortia represent over 550 affiliated organizations, including more than 350 colleges and universities, which administer NASA funding for research, education, and public

service. The Venture Capital Resources section offers information on VC search services and any associated

fees.

The number of funding resources specifically devoted to launch vehicle and spaceport technology development

efforts is limited, so broader opportunities whose scope may include launch vehicle and launch site projects are

included in this report. This list of resources should not be considered exhaustive. Additional funding sources

may exist that exceed the scope of this document. 

The funding resources listed in this report and the information provided for each of them is current as of October

4, 2006. The Appendix provides a complete list of organizations consulted for this report. 

1
2

Federal Funding

Funding Sources
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

State Funding

Foundation Funding
15
16

Federal Funding

Contact Information for Funding Sources
17

State Funding

Foundation Funding
18

Space Grant Consortia
19
20
21
22
23
24

Venture Capital Resources
25

Appendix – Organizations Consulted

FEDERAL

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center

Defense Advance Research Projects National Aeronautics and Space 

Agency (DARPA) Administration (NASA)

Department of Energy (DoE) National Science Foundation (NSF)

Department of Transportation (DoT) National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR Resource Center Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

DoD SBIR/STTR/Fast Track Small Business Administration (SBA)

FOUNDATIONS AND UNIVERSITIES

National 

Space Grant Foundation/Space Grant Consortium

Venture capital databases 

Alabama

Alabama Development Office

Alabama State University

Huntsville Chamber of Commerce

University of Alabama

California

Alliant International University

California Institute of Technology

California Space Enterprise Competitive Grant Program

California State University System

California Technology Investment Partnership

Stanford University

University of California System

Tamkin Foundation of L.A.

W.M. Keck Foundation 

Colorado

Colorado.gov

Colorado Office of Economic Development

Colorado Space Grant Consortium

Colorado State University

University of Colorado

Florida

Florida High Tech Corridor Council

Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI)

Florida State University

Spaceport Research and Technology Institute (SRTI)

University of Central Florida 

University of South Florida

University of Florida

University-Affiliated Spaceport Technology 

Development Contract (USTDC)

Montana

Montana State University

University of Montana

New Mexico

New Mexico State Economic Development

Department

New Mexico State University

University of New Mexico

North Dakota

North Dakota State University

University of North Dakota

Texas

Texas Aerospace Commission

Texas State University System

University of Texas System

Virginia

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

TGCI Directory of Grant Resources for Virginia

University of Virginia

Virginia State University

Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin