NASA has announced a new procurement strategy that will let U.S. companies transport astronauts into space instead of outsourcing the job to foreign governments, providing momentum to America's commercial space program.

Under the modified competitive procurement strategy, NASA will use multiple, competitively awarded Space Act Agreements instead of contracts. This will allow the agency to maintain a larger number of partners, while keeping the flexibility to adjust programs.

According to NASA, this flexibility is important during a period of high budget uncertainty when it is receiving less funding for the commercial space program.

"NASA is committed to ensuring that U.S. companies are sending American astronauts into space," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "This new acquisition strategy will allow us to preserve competition as we maintain our momentum to provide a U.S.-based commercial crew launch capability at the earliest possible time."

The Space Acts will be followed by a competitively awarded contract for the certification phase which will ensure that the designs fully meet safety and performance standards, NASA said.

Meanwhile, with the retirement of the space shuttle program, the Johnson Space Center in Houston, NASA's center for human space flight training, research and flight control, has reached a deal to open its facilities and resources to outside projects.

JSC has partnered with the Houston Technology Center to support emerging technology companies in the area. The deal is expected to promote entrepreneurial opportunities to the transitioning workforce in the area, including a venture that will focus on small satellites and increasing student experiments on the International Space Station.