Arlington, Va. – Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning praised the creation of the NASA Office of Strategic Capital (NOSC) and the new partnership between NASA and the Small Business Administration. As part of the initiative, the Office will provide financial support for companies looking to expand manufacturing in areas of strategic interest in the space industrial base.
“The new partnership between NASA and the Small Business Administration and the launch of NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital are exactly the kinds of effort needed to maintain America’s leadership in space and to scale space manufacturing to meet this moment,” Fanning said. “This initiative will reinforce the industrial base needed to take us back to the Moon and unlock new discoveries — down to the smallest components. As our recent supply chain study found, demand for space capabilities is growing and now is the time to scale. We’re glad to see the U.S. government take action, and we are ready to collaborate with NASA to tackle our biggest challenges and shape the future of space exploration.”
In a joint study with PricewaterhouseCoopers released in March, AIA found that the rapidly growing sector is facing capacity restraints and needs significant resources to help meet demand. The study specifically focused on the importance of investing in components and specialized materials — an area the NOSC has highlighted as an Investment Focus Area.
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