HEliophysics Strategic Technology Office (HESTO)

The HEliophysics Strategic Technology Office (HESTO), hosted at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is led by an experienced program management team tasked with facilitating NASA’s Heliophysics Technology Program (HTP) technology investments, nurturing project maturation, and promoting technology infusion toward the greatest science community benefit. HTP solicits and invests in technologies through an open and competitive solicitation process that provides grants to universities, corporations, and other institutions to explore new instrument designs and technologies, laboratory investigations, and mission concepts.

Our Vision is to Enable New Realms of Heliophysics Knowledge and Capability.

Our Mission is to Enable novel and transformative capabilities and mission concepts. Advance science by expanding the limits of what is measurable, observable, and achievable in Heliophysics. Enable science and missions that are not conceivable or achievable today.

From 2018 to 2023, technology investments have exceeded $50M. In support of HTP’s mission of investment, advancement, maturation, and infusion of Heliophysics-funded technologies, HESTO will:

Invest in the Right Technologies

Conduct regular assessments of technology gaps to guide strategic investments. Incentivize bold technologies.

Increase Likelihood
of Success

Nurture technology project maturation throughout the project lifecycle.

Promote Infusion

Identify and facilitate flight opportunities for application of new technologies and mission concepts to enable and expand science for the benefit of all.

Facilitate Collaboration

Provide community events, forums, and tools to bring scientists and technologists together to develop new and transformative technologies and mission concepts, and their applications.