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. More strategically, they are preparing a nationwide network of talent and technology suppliers for the forthcoming wave of commercial space stations (such as Axiom Space’s station and the Starlab outpost) that will replace the International Space Station later this decade.

Leveling the Playing Field: Why EPSCoR Matters

NASA’s EPSCoR was created by Congress in 1992 with a clear mission: to boost the research capacity of U.S. states and territories that historically receive disproportionately low shares of federal R&D funding. Today, 28 jurisdictions (25 states plus Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam) are eligible – a list including many rural or mid-America states such as Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The stark imbalance that prompted EPSCoR’s creation persists: in the late 1990s, just six powerhouse states (California, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas) took in over half of U.S. research funding, and “today, that percentage has changed very little,” notes Jeppie Compton, NASA’s EPSCoR project manager. EPSCoR is an engine to change that narrative by seeding advanced research in the other half of the country – places often overlooked in the high-tech economy.

The program provides competitive grants (typically ~$750,000 over 3 years for standard research awards, or smaller ~$100,000 grants for special projects) to universities in eligible states. The research must align with NASA’s mission needs, but also is meant to build local expertise and economic development. It’s a two-fold win: NASA diversifies its talent pool and ideas, and the states get a foothold in the lucrative aerospace sector. As NASA’s Kennedy Space Center wrote, EPSCoR grants help universities “conduct research aimed at developing long-term, competitive capabilities in aerospace” while strengthening their overall R&D infrastructure.

The June 2, 2025 announcement continues a recent trend of EPSCoR funding focusing on spaceflight-related research – particularly experiments and technologies for orbital platforms. NASA awarded roughly $1.4 million split among nine universities across the country. Each grant supports a distinct project, selected through a rigorous merit review. These projects are not parochial backwater science; they are tackling some of the most pressing technical challenges for living and working in space – and doing so at institutions outside the usual NASA contractor circles.

From Montana to Puerto Rico: Breakthrough Research in Unlikely Places

A look at the awardees and their projects reveals the breadth of innovation sprouting nationwide. According to NASA, the latest EPSCoR selections include six projects that will fly experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) and three that will utilize suborbital flight platforms, such as high-altitude balloons or reusable suborbital rockets. Among them:

• Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) – Radiation Dosimetry for Space Crews: Researchers are developing an Enhanced Active Tissue-Equivalent Dosimeter (eATED) to measure radiation exposure for astronauts. With two projects selected (one for ISS, one suborbital), Oklahoma State is examining radiation levels in both low Earth orbit and high-altitude flight. This work will directly inform how future station crews monitor and mitigate cosmic radiation – a key concern for long-term habitation.
• Montana State University (Bozeman) – In-Space Food Production: A team is demonstrating a novel way to grow high-protein food in microgravity using a fungus-based fermentation process. The fungus, originally sourced from Yellowstone hot springs, can produce meat-like protein with minimal resources. If successful on the ISS, this technology could revolutionize food supplies for deep-space missions and remote bases, addressing the challenge of feeding astronauts on long voyages or on lunar/Martian surface habitats. Montana’s project highlights how even states without a major NASA center can contribute to life-support breakthroughs.
• University of Delaware (Newark) – Advanced Communications Tech: Delaware’s project will fly an experiment to evaluate the reliability of integrated photonic receivers with all-optical signal processing in space. In plain terms, they are testing cutting-edge optical communication components (likely for high-bandwidth laser communications) under microgravity and radiation conditions. Such tech could be pivotal for future high-speed links between Earth, satellites, and stations – enabling the massive data transfers that next-gen stations and instruments will require.
• University of Puerto Rico (San Juan) – Asteroid Regolith Dynamics: In an imaginative physics experiment, UPR’s team will measure the speed of sound through simulated asteroid regolith (dust) in microgravity. This experiment (nicknamed MESSAR) on the ISS could yield insights into how granular materials behave in low gravity – knowledge useful for asteroid mining or planetary landings. It’s a reminder that fundamental science for space exploration is happening in places like San Juan, not just Pasadena or Houston.
• University of Kentucky (Lexington) – Materials Testing on ISS: Kentucky’s project is succinctly described as an “ISS flight for instrument testing,” suggesting they are sending up a new sensor or material to assess performance in orbit. Past Kentucky EPSCoR projects have included spacecraft thermal management experiments, so this could be a continuation. Small-scale ISS tests like this prep technologies for later operational use on spacecraft or stations.
• Iowa State University (Ames) – Manufacturing in Microgravity: Iowa State will investigate the properties and performance of solder joints made in reduced gravity on the ISS. Soldering (joining electronic components) is ubiquitous in spacecraft manufacturing; understanding how microgravity affects joint integrity could inform in-orbit manufacturing or repair techniques. As future stations consider on-orbit assembly or maintenance, this research is directly relevant.

Meanwhile, on the suborbital side:

• University of Alabama – Huntsville is studying rocket plume interactions with lunar soil by performing a reduced-gravity experiment on regolith cratering. Essentially, how does a landing rocket’s exhaust stir up and blast lunar soil in low gravity? This is critical for designing Moon landers (to avoid sandblasting nearby equipment). It’s fitting that Alabama (home of Marshall Space Flight Center) contributes here, but through an academic lens.
• University of Mississippi (Oxford) is examining thermal transport in phase-change materials with metal foam under microgravity. This highly technical engineering study could improve heat storage and dissipation systems – useful for spacecraft thermal control or energy storage. Mississippi is developing expertise that could feed into advanced thermal management systems for stations or landers.
• Oklahoma State University’s second project sends radiation dosimeters on a suborbital flight (likely on a high-altitude balloon or Blue Origin’s New Shepard) to characterize the upper atmosphere radiation environment. This complements their ISS dosimeter work and could yield a vertical profile of radiation exposure from aviation altitudes up to space – valuable for both aircraft crew safety and suborbital space tourism considerations.

Collectively, these nine projects span biological life support, materials science, radiation protection, propulsion effects, and communications – many of the same hurdles NASA faces as it pushes human presence deeper into space. But crucially, the work is being done at universities in states not usually front-and-center in space headlines. The University of Delaware’s photonics research, for instance, plugs into NASA’s need for advanced space communications (vital for networking multiple commercial stations or relaying high-bandwidth science data) – and establishes Delaware as a player in that niche. Montana’s food production experiment, if successful, could position Montana State and local industry to supply biotech solutions for space habitats. Each success story helps these states build a narrative (and an economic cluster) around space tech.

Prepping Partners for Commercial Space Stations

NASA’s vision for the late 2020s is to transition low-Earth orbit operations from the government-run ISS to privately developed stations. Through its Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, NASA has funded several companies to design and deploy free-flying stations by as early as 2027-2028. Among the frontrunners:

• Axiom Space, which is attaching modules to the ISS starting in 2025 to later form its own Axiom Station.
• Starlab, a station concept by Nanoracks/Lockheed Martin, targeting launch around 2028.
• Orbital Reef, led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, also aiming for late 2020s.
• Northrop Grumman’s station concept (yet to be named publicly) derived from its Cygnus spacecraft.

These stations will need a robust ecosystem of suppliers, experiments, and skilled workforce to thrive. NASA doesn’t want all of that concentrated in a few states or a few legacy companies; it wants a broad, competitive landscape to drive down costs and increase innovation. That’s where EPSCoR investments pay dividends.

First, EPSCoR is training the next generation of space researchers and engineers across the country. A grad student in Montana working on fungus-based bioreactors or an Oklahoma student building radiation sensors will gain hands-on experience directly relevant to space station operations. When commercial stations come online, these individuals could be among the experts staffing the programs, leading experiments, or founding startups that supply the stations. NASA’s June 2025 announcement explicitly notes that EPSCoR helps awardees establish “long-term academic research enterprises” that can be self-sustaining and contribute to local economies. In plain terms, NASA is seeding aerospace R&D centers in these states.

Second, the technologies being developed via EPSCoR might become critical components or services for the new stations. Consider Montana’s food production tech – commercial station operators like Axiom will need life support solutions, and a compact system to grow protein-rich food with minimal inputs would be a selling point (imagine advertising to space tourists or international astronauts that the station can grow fresh “astronaut meat” sustainably on board). If Montana State’s process works, NASA or industry could contract with them (or a spinoff company) to implement it on long-duration missions. That’s a pipeline from EPSCoR lab to real space utilization.

Similarly, Oklahoma State’s radiation detectors could be standard issue on commercial stations or deep-space habitats, protecting crew by monitoring radiation in real time. Delaware’s photonics experiment could lead to resilient optical comms hardware that Axiom or Starlab uses for high-speed links to Earth (perhaps enabling broadband internet for those stations or inter-station communication). Mississippi’s thermal materials might shape how stations store energy or regulate temperature.

In essence, EPSCoR projects are feeding the technology supply chain that future stations will draw from. NASA Administrator statements have emphasized that as the agency moves to buying services from commercial providers (like station crew time, cargo, etc.), it still has a role in fostering the underlying research that makes those services possible. By dispersing that research geographically, NASA ensures a wider array of companies and institutions can compete to provide pieces of the commercial space ecosystem.

Moreover, many EPSCoR projects involve partnerships with NASA centers or industry, cementing relationships for the future. For example, the University of Alabama’s plume experiment likely involves NASA Marshall (which is in Huntsville) expertise in propulsion. Those relationships might turn into contracts when Artemis program or commercial lunar lander developers need advanced plume modeling. The University of Kentucky’s ISS instrument flight could be in collaboration with NASA’s Glenn Research Center (just an example) if it’s an electronics test – building ties between Kentucky and a NASA lab.

There’s also a workforce development angle: EPSCoR often works hand-in-hand with Space Grant (a NASA education program) to encourage students in those states to pursue aerospace careers. When Axiom or Blue Origin go hiring for their station programs, they may find talent already experienced with space experiments thanks to EPSCoR-funded university labs. That mitigates the current skew where much of the space workforce is clustered in a few states (California, Texas, Florida, etc.). A more distributed workforce means the economic benefits of the new space economy are shared – a political selling point for NASA in maintaining broad support.

Bridging to the ISS Successor and Beyond

Timing is critical. The ISS is slated to retire by 2030, and NASA hopes to have at least one commercial station operational well before then to avoid a gap in LEO research. EPSCoR projects awarded in 2025 will conclude by roughly 2028, just when new stations might come online. This creates a handoff: some of those projects can extend or find new life aboard the commercial platforms. For instance, if Montana’s bioreactor shows promise on ISS now, the next step might be to trial a scaled-up version on Starlab’s inaugural flights. If Iowa’s soldering study yields interesting results, perhaps a follow-on experiment could be done on a private station to test in-situ repair methods in microgravity, with NASA as a customer.

EPSCoR is also supporting deep-space ambitions tied to Artemis and Mars, not just LEO stations. But there’s overlap: many ISS-based technologies will feed forward to lunar missions, and vice versa. The Montana food tech could help lunar bases grow food; Oklahoma’s radiation data helps design better shielding for Artemis moon habitats or Gateway (the lunar orbiting station). By investing in these now, NASA is ensuring those states have a stake in Artemis as well. It’s notable that an EPSCoR state, Alabama, is deeply involved in Artemis (via Marshall’s role), but EPSCoR ensures even states without a NASA center still contribute pieces – e.g., the University of New Mexico had a recent project on lunar dust mitigation, West Virginia on autonomous assembly, etc., in past solicitations.

Politically, spreading the wealth has always been a tactic to secure program support. As we approach the era of ISS replacement, NASA will likely seek funding from Congress to help get commercial stations up (through public-private partnerships). Having a broad coalition of states benefit from the precursor research builds goodwill. It’s harder for Congress to cut funding for commercial LEO development if universities in, say, Kentucky or Iowa can show they are part of it and their local economies will gain. The EPSCoR awards often total only a few million per year – tiny in NASA’s budget – but they pack a punch in advocacy because they touch many constituencies.

The geographic and institutional spread of the 2025 awards is indeed coast-to-coast: from Delaware in the East to Montana in the West, Alabama in the South to Iowa in the Midwest, plus a Pacific territory (Puerto Rico). This diversity is deliberate. And it pays off: for example, Oklahoma’s earlier EPSCoR work on radiation detectors in 2007 blossomed into the current project now flying in space, showing sustained capability growth. EPSCoR investments made years ago are bearing fruit now.

Flyover Country’s Ascent

In years past, advanced space research happening at a Montana or Mississippi university might have seemed an odd curiosity. Today, it is part of the plan. NASA’s push for inclusive innovation means the map of American space expertise is being redrawn. No coast or valley owns a monopoly on cosmic creativity.

These EPSCoR researchers are, in a sense, space pioneers on the frontier of their states’ economies. They are building labs and spin-off companies where none existed, inspiring students who might have thought aerospace was an out-of-state dream. When commercial space stations launch, the experiments on board might carry logos from a dozen different state universities, not just the usual suspects. A space station module might one day be built with an advanced alloy or polymer that came out of a university lab in Kentucky or Alabama, tested first on the ISS via EPSCoR. We may see astronaut meals featuring protein cultivated with tech from Montana, or station astronauts wearing radiation badges designed in Oklahoma.

If the International Space Station symbolized global cooperation, the next generation of stations might symbolize nationwide cooperation – a true 50-state space endeavor. NASA’s EPSCoR grants are planting seeds in fertile but underutilized soil, and the harvest could be a stronger, more resilient U.S. space program with contributions from all corners. As one Montana professor involved in the food project put it, this program enables technology to be developed “at a very exciting time in space exploration” and shows the “far-reaching impact of fundamental research” for national goals. In other words, great ideas can come from anywhere, and now more than ever, they are.

When the ISS’s orbit finally decays, it will mark the end of an era. But thanks to EPSCoR and similar efforts, dozens of labs across “flyover” America are already working to ensure that its successors – those private stations glinting in the sunlight – have the innovations and brainpower they need. Flyover states are fast becoming fly-to states in the realm of space R&D, proving that the space community’s tent can indeed expand. With each grant and each breakthrough, the center of gravity of American space research shifts a little – not away from the established hubs, but spreading out to include Mississippi machinists, Vermont engineers, Nebraska biologists, and more. In doing so, NASA is building not just new space stations, but a truly national coalition to support humanity’s next steps into orbit and beyond.