NASA’s “Flyover State” Space Grants Fuel a New Wave of Orbital R&D

As NASA lays the groundwork for the next chapter of human spaceflight – an era of commercial space stations and deep-space exploration – an unlikely cadre of players is stepping onto the stage: researchers from America’s “flyover” states and lesser-known universities. In an announcement on June 2, NASA revealed the latest awards under its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), directing federal research dollars to institutions far from the usual space industry hubs. These grants, though modest in size, are catalyzing cutting-edge R&D in states like Oklahoma, Montana, Mississippi, and Delaware, expanding the geographic footprint of U.S. space innovation.

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