Award Data

Reducing the allowable concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in spacecraft is a critical need for NASA. The system now used on the International Space Station (ISS) is the carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA). While it has performed well on the ISS, managers have concluded that using the device to reach the new ppCO2 limit of 2.0 mm Hg is not practical and a new method is needed.In this projec ...

Opterus Research and Development, Inc. proposes to develop and validate multi-scale thin-ply High Strain Composites (HSCs) constitutive modeling tools for incorporation into commercial finite element analysis codes. The constitutive models will capture the time-temperature-load-deformation viscoelastic characteristics common to HSCs as well as the yielding or permanent deformation associated with ...

This body of research focuses on developing fundamental engineering qualification methods for Thin-Ply High Strain Composites (TP-HSCs). Roccor will collaborate with NASA and Dr. Kwok of the University of Central Florida to develop and validate a robust framework for engineering the viscoelastic behavior of highly strained thin-ply composites. The material systems studied will be highly focused on ...

UAS have proven to be quite useful for low-altitude observations of atmospheric and terrestrial properties, however, the difficulties associated with areas containing obstacles or rugged terrain has greatly restricted the operational area to relatively level locations with limited trees, towers or other obstacles that could intersect the intended flight path. Although tedious manual piloting of m ...

Exhaust emissions from civil subsonic aircraft are the most significant source of pollution in the higher troposphere and lower stratosphere. However, reducing NOx emissions is at odds with turbine engine efficiency and performance: increasing thermal efficiency by boosting the pressure ratio in an engine by 30% leads to a 5% decrease in fuel consumption, but a 100% increase in NOx emissions. Acco ...

Hypersonic aircraft, especially reusable hypersonic aircraft, require advancements in high temperature materials because of the extreme temperatures resulting from frictional heating. One aspect of this problem is making seals that can function through a very large temperature range, perhaps up to 1000 C or higher. Metallic springs essentially lose their ability to function at 600 C or below. Cera ...

Silver and its compounds are of significant appeal for long-duration space missions, as they are capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, algae, molds and yeast, while exhibiting low toxicity to humans. The general pharmacological properties of silver are based upon the affinity of silver ion for biologically important moieties such as sulfhydry ...

The Advanced Organic Waste Gasifier (AOWG) is a novel technology to convert organic wastes from space exploration outposts into clean water and gases suitable for venting with the overall goal of minimizing vehicle mass for Mars transit and return missions. The AOWG integrates steam reformation, and electrolysis to convert organic waste into water and a small amount of inorganic matter and oxygen ...

In response to NASA’s need for a compact, low-cost and autonomous deployable solar array system to support Martian surface exploration, Roccor proposes to enhance the Mars Compact Telescoping Surface Array (CTSA) baseline design by incorporating an Articulating Solar Panel Energy System (ASPEN). The Mars CTSA was established in 2017 as the culmination of an extensive trade performed at NASA’s ...

The future of secure ground-space and space-space communications relies on development of quantum secure communications (QSC) systems. ColdQuanta proposes to develop QSC devices based on compact, robust vacuum systems containing dense ensembles of cold, trapped rubidium atoms. In particular, we propose to develop a source of high-flux, high-coherence entangled photon pairs (biphotons). These biph ...