Bridging the gap. That's the mission of NASA's Technology Demonstration Missions: to bridge the gap between need and means, between scientific and engineering challenges and the technological innovations needed to overcome them, between laboratory development and demonstration in space.

Charged with proving revolutionary, crosscutting technologies -- ones that could radically advance NASA's mission in space and reap untold benefits for science and industry here on Earth -- the Technology Demonstration Missions program seeks to mature laboratory-proven technologies to flight-ready status.

Once a technology is proven in the laboratory environment, the program becomes its bridge from ground to flight testing. System-level technology solutions are given the opportunity to operate in the actual space environment -- where they gain operational heritage, reduce risks to future missions by eliminating the need to fly unproven hardware and continue NASA's long history as a technological innovator. These cutting-edge technologies will allow future NASA missions to pursue bolder and more sophisticated science, enable safe and rewarding human missions beyond low-Earth orbit and enable entirely new approaches to U.S. space operations.

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