Award Data

Future MDA space missions will utilize small spacecraft with correspondingly small, advanced sensor systems. Cooling of these sensors is required to decrease detector noise and increase detector sensitivity by maintaining the detector at a reduced operating temperature. The cooling system comprises a mechanical cryocooler and its control electronics, both of which are critical technologies to enab ...

Diode-Pumped Alkali Lasers (DPALs) have great potential for high-energy lasers. Proper design of these systems is challenging because many interrelated processes impact their performance, and critical kinetic rate coefficients are not well known. In response, our team is developing a comprehensive physics-based analysis/design tool, and experimentally determining key kinetic rate coefficients. The ...

Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser Systems (DPALS) have great potential for missile defense and other applications. These systems require a uniform, steady, flowing mixture of helium and rubidium vapor at elevated pressure and temperature. Significant challenges exist because rubidium is a very reactive material. In response, our team proposes to develop a contamination-free, all-metal, hermetic, circul ...

To address the issue of heat transfer from the rocket motor nozzle exit cone into the metal support housing MSI proposes to apply a well-developed, highly insulating interlayer material, quartz polysiloxane Qz/Ps, between the exit cone surface and the metal substructure surface to maintain that surface below 150 degrees F. MSI has tested this material for fabrication of a number of high performan ...

Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser Systems (DPALS) have great potential for missile defense and other applications. Proper design of these systems is challenging because many interrelated processes impact their performance and critical kinetic rate coefficients are not well known. In response, our team proposes to develop a comprehensive physics-based analysis/design tool, and determine key kinetic rate ...

This Statement of Work (SOW) defines the support required for a multi-task effort related to the design and fabrication of a ceramic resin matrix composite nosecone to fulfill Block IIB mission requirements. MSI will develop composite material component designs that fulfill the aerothermal and structural requirements established by Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) and the SM3 Program Office, an ...

We propose to develop a large-format 1Kx1K longwave infrared focal plane array (FPA) from Type-II InAs/(In)GaSb strained layer superlattice (SLS) photodiodes. In Phase I, we will develop small pixels with the goals of ~ 10 micron cutoff wavelength, quantum efficiency>60%, and dark current density

We propose to bandgap engineer the InAs/GaSb/AlSb material system to realize a dualband focal plane array (FPA) made up of stacked multi-barrier Type-II strained layer superlattice (SLS) photodiodes. Two longwave infrared spectral bands will be imaged in alternate frames by using a readout multiplexer that flips the voltage bias across the FPA from frame to frame. In Phase I, we will develop and ...

The objective of this program is to develop and produce a prototype SM-3, Block IIB nosecone that can achieve all of the performance requirements specified for the IIB interceptor, but at a considerably lower cost and weight than has been achieved previously with SM-3 nosecones. This is achievable with technologies developed at Mentis Sciences, Inc., and is being applied to a number of other inte ...

Thermal batteries are a power source for most MDA weapons systems. Some of these systems have severe constraints on weight and size, and for this reason, advanced thermal batteries are needed that can provide greater power in smaller and lighter packages. The key components of conventional thermal battery cells are made by hydraulically pressing powders. Such components must be greater than a m ...