The technologies the New Millennium Program validates fall within two categories: system and subsystem.

System Validation Projects

These are suites of new technologies to enable new system capabilities by performing critical system-level functions in a flight validation project. The projects are a balanced mix of small and medium size.

Small (the normal) — $50-$100M-class project with shared launches (examples: Space Technology 5, Space Technology 7) Medium (occasional) — $100-$150M-class project (examples: Deep Space 1, Space Technology 5)

Subsystem Validation Project

These are subsets or components of systems that are flight validated as "stand-alone" technology subsystem experiments. There are yearly flight-validation opportunities for multiple subsystems as technology items.

$25M-$40M-class technology subsystem projects (examples: Space Technology 6 and Space Technology 8)