TransAstra
Los Angeles-area company (headquarters stated as Pacoima, California) developing asteroid-capture bags, solar-thermal propulsion, and 'optical mining' concepts; NASA selected its Mini Bee optical-mining flight-demonstration concept for a NIAC Phase III study in 2019. Its only flown resource-related hardware is a 1-meter inflatable Capture Bag evaluated inside an ISS airlock in 2025, and no asteroid mission has been flown or manifested; a 2026 feasibility study of relocating a roughly 100-ton asteroid is company-announced only.
Resources and evidence
Each resource shows the highest step primary sources support. How the ladder works.
| Resource | Evidence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Volatiles | Claimed | says it will |
| Metals (general) | Claimed | says it will |
Facts
- Headquarters
- United States
- Type
- Company
- Founded
- 2015
- Status
- Activeas of 2026-05-14. Company press release dated 14 May 2026 announcing a two-year CRADA with the US Air Force Academy.
- Roles
- Prospecting, Extraction, Processing / ISRU
- Targets
- Near-Earth asteroid
- Also known as
- Trans Astronautica Corporation
- Website
- www.transastra.com/
Missions
1 records| Mission | Role | Launch | Phase | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TransAstra 1-meter Capture Bag ISS demonstrationPayload | Operator | 2025-09 | Ended | Success |
Dated events
Amounts are shown one at a time as each source states them. They are never added together.
- 2026-05-14
TransAstra CRADA with the US Air Force Academy
TransAstra announced a two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the US Air Force Academy to advance technologies for finding, capturing, and processing asteroids.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1) and evidence gaps
announced the execution of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Air Force Academy Dean of Faculty (USAFA/DF)
- Air Force Academy confirmation of the CRADA.
- US Air Force Academy has no entity record; counterparty named in summary only.
- 2025-09-23
NASA CCRPP contract to scale TransAstra Capture Bag to 10 meters
TransAstra announced a $2.5 million NASA Civil Commercial Research and Products Program contract, matched by $2.5 million in private investment, to scale its Capture Bag from 1 to 10 meters; the company says the 10-meter bag could enclose small asteroids for mining.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (2) and evidence gaps
has been awarded a $2.5 million contract by NASA's Civil Commercial Research and Products Program (CCRPP) to scale its inflatable Capture Bag system from 1 to 10 meters in diameter
This CCRPP award is matched by $2.5 million in private investment
- NASA-side record of the award (company announcement only).
- 2019-06-11
NASA NIAC Phase III selection for TransAstra Mini Bee
NASA selected TransAstra's Mini Bee optical-mining flight-demonstration concept as one of two inaugural NIAC Phase III studies, each eligible for up to $2 million over two years.
Sources (2) and evidence gaps
Mini Bee Prototype to Demonstrate the Apis Mission Architecture and Optical Mining Technology
Each selection will receive as much as $2 million.
- Amount is a ceiling ('as much as'), not a confirmed obligated value.
Open evidence gaps
- No primary source discloses TransAstra's cumulative private equity funding.
- transastra.com is a JavaScript-only application; its page text cannot be fetched for quote checking, so company claims rely on wire-service copies of its releases.
- NASA-side record of the 2025 CCRPP award not retrieved.
Sources
6 sourcesOptical mining is an approach for excavating an asteroid and extracting water and other volatiles into an inflatable bag.
The two-year agreement establishes a joint research program to advance technologies for finding, capturing, and processing asteroids
TransAstra is headquartered in Pacoima, California.
Founded in 2015, the company has secured multiple NASA and Space Force contracts to advance sustainable space operations.
Asteroids will also provide the metals, shielding, and semiconductors necessary to build structures and spacecraft
TransAstra is performing a study, funded by investors and customers, to explore the technical feasibility of moving a 100-metric-ton asteroid to a stable near-Earth orbit.