NASA has solidified its long-term fuel supply for America’s next era of exploration, awarding significant contracts to Plug Power and Air Products and Chemicals to deliver liquid hydrogen. These strategic awards, valued at a combined $147.2 million, ensure a steady supply of this essential cryogenic fuel for the agency’s rocket engines and research programs.
The contracts, structured as firm-fixed-price requirements agreements, were activated on December 1. Each features a two-year base period, with options to extend annually through November 2030. This framework provides NASA with critical stability and predictability in its supply chain for a commodity vital to its core missions.
Air Products and Chemicals secured the larger portion of the work, with a maximum contract value of approximately $144.4 million. The company is tasked with supplying up to 36.5 million pounds of liquid hydrogen to key launch and development complexes across the Southeastern United States. Their deliveries will support operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, and the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Plug Power, Inc., was also selected under a separate award to contribute to the agency-wide supply, rounding out the total projected procurement to nearly 37 million pounds.
Liquid hydrogen is a cornerstone of NASA’s propulsion technology. When combined with liquid oxygen, it creates a high-efficiency, clean-burning fuel for the cryogenic rocket engines that will power the Space Launch System (SLS) and other launch vehicles. Beyond launchpads, hydrogen’s unique properties also make it indispensable for cutting-edge aeronautics research, including development programs for sustainable aviation technologies.
By securing this multi-year supply from two established industry leaders, NASA is proactively supporting the ambitious slate of Artemis missions to the Moon, while also fueling the terrestrial research needed to pioneer the future of flight.
