Overview
- NASA awarded three-year, fixed-price contracts to seven companies to mature technologies for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, including extreme optical stability, next-generation coronagraphs, coatings, microthrusters and on-orbit servicing.
- The minibus appropriations bill released Jan. 5 would provide $150 million for HWO, up from a $3.3 million request, which project leaders say would allow work to accelerate.
- The mission remains in pre-formulation as teams study architectures and science priorities, with active trades between a six-meter and an eight-meter primary mirror.
- Officials aim to raise technology readiness by the end of the decade to curb the cost and schedule risks that affected previous flagships such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
- The selected firms are Astroscale U.S., BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, Busek, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Zecoat.