Langley Partnership FAQs
Learn more about how to partner with NASA Langley Research Center
NASA uses the term “partnership” to loosely describe a wide variety of relationships it has with various external entities. For example, a provider of contracted services, a licensee of NASA-patented technology, or a company performing collaborative research with NASA are all referred to as “partners” in a NASA “partnership.”
Partnerships can be in the form of:
NASA engages in partnerships to meet the following objectives:
- Facilitate collaborative opportunities with domestic and international partners
- Resolve gaps in technical capabilities that are important to meeting NASA mission objectives
- Support U.S. economic innovation and industrial competitiveness
- Serve as a tool for meeting NASA’s mandate under the Space Act of encouraging the “fullest commercial use of space”
- Maintain essential NASA expertise and facilities
- Advance NASA’s STEM education and outreach goals
NASA partners with the following:
- U.S. industry (large and small)
- Other federal agencies
- Research institutions
- Public outreach organizations (e.g., museums)
- State and local governments
- Colleges and universities
- Foreign entities (e.g., businesses, academia, research institutions, governments)
- Professional associations and non-profits
Space Act Agreements are legally-binding documents that formalize partnerships between NASA and external entities. NASA is authorized by Congress to enter into these kinds of agreement per its “Other Transactions Authority (OTA)” under the National Aeronautics and Space Act (51 U.S.C. § 20113(e)). Space Act Agreements are the most common mechanism for partnerships and can be nonreimbursable or reimbursable.
- Nonreimbursable SAAs are collaborative agreements in which NASA and an external party each contribute resources—which can include personnel, facilities, expertise, equipment, or technology—toward the accomplishment of a mutual goal. There is no transfer of funds between the parties. Each party agrees to fund its own participation in the partnership.
- Reimbursable SAAs involve the payment of funds from the partner to NASA in exchange for access to, or the use of, unique NASA resources for purposes that are clearly related to NASA’s capabilities. Such resources may include personnel, facilities, expertise, equipment, or technology. The terms, conditions, and schedules are negotiable, but NASA must be paid in advance for each stage of the effort. NASA is prohibited from competing with the private sector, so NASA may not provide services which are reasonably available from the private sector.
