Air Products gets over $130M in NASA supply contracts

Allentown-based Air Products was awarded supply contracts from NASA totaling more than $130 million to provide liquid hydrogen for several NASA locations, including the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

In a release, Air Products describes itself as the world’s largest producer of hydrogen and a first-mover in energy transition projects.

Under one public contract, which is already in effect and includes a maximum value of approximately $75 million, the company will supply NASA liquid hydrogen to support operations at the Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA also awarded Air Products a separate public contract, with a maximum value of over $57 million, to supply liquid hydrogen to facilities across the agency, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

NASA uses liquid hydrogen, combined with liquid oxygen, as fuel in cryogenic rocket engines because its unique properties support the development of aeronautics.

“Air Products has a long history of working with NASA, stretching from the very beginning of the United States’ space program, to the Apollo 11 moon landing, and to the more recent missions to study Mars,” Francesco Maione, Air Products’ president, Americas said in the release. “We are proud to provide NASA with the industrial gases they need for their important work and look forward to continuing our many decades-long working relationship with the U.S. space program.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer