Air Products secures over $140 million in NASA contracts to supply liquid hydrogen for major U.S. space facilities and missions.
Air Products, a global leader in hydrogen and industrial gas supply, has announced that it has secured new contracts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) valued at more than $140 million. These contracts involve the supply of liquid hydrogen to multiple NASA facilities, including the iconic Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and several other key NASA locations across the United States. A significant portion of this supply will support the world’s largest liquid hydrogen storage sphere, located at the Kennedy Space Center.
Francesco Maione, President of Air Products for the Americas, emphasized the long-standing collaboration between the company and NASA. He highlighted that Air Products has been a trusted partner since the earliest days of the U.S. space program, providing essential industrial gases for landmark missions such as the Apollo 11 moon landing and continuing through to NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission. According to Maione, Air Products’ decades of experience and its robust, reliable supply chain enable the company to deliver world-scale quantities of liquid hydrogen safely and consistently. He expressed pride in supporting NASA’s ongoing efforts to advance space exploration with confidence and reliability.
Under the terms of the newly awarded contracts, Air Products will supply approximately 36.5 million pounds of liquid hydrogen. This hydrogen will be delivered to several strategic NASA facilities, including the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. These facilities play a critical role in launch operations, propulsion research, and engine testing for current and future space missions.
The relationship between Air Products and NASA dates back to 1957, marking nearly seven decades of collaboration. Throughout this period, Air Products has supplied liquid hydrogen and other essential industrial gases to support major U.S. space programs, including Apollo, the Space Shuttle program, and the Orion spacecraft. Beyond launch support, the company has maintained long-term involvement in NASA’s engine testing and research initiatives at facilities such as Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Johnson Space Center in Texas, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
In 2025, Air Products reached another milestone in its partnership with NASA by completing the first fill of the world’s largest liquid hydrogen sphere at the Kennedy Space Center. This complex operation required the delivery of more than 50 trailer loads of liquid hydrogen, totaling over 730,000 gallons. The hydrogen sphere itself is a remarkable engineering achievement, standing 90 feet tall and measuring 83 feet in diameter, making it the largest liquid hydrogen storage tank of its kind anywhere in the world.
Supporting astronautics remains a core business area for Air Products. In addition to its work with NASA, the company is increasingly involved in servicing the rapidly expanding commercial space sector. Air Products supplies industrial gases required for rocket and satellite manufacturing, component testing, and large-scale launch operations for a growing number of private space companies. Through these efforts, Air Products continues to play a vital role in enabling both government-led and commercial space missions worldwide.
