Award Data

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 ...

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 ...

Infrasound and seismic measurements are used by DTRA and the DoD for nuclear test monitoring, terrorist blast forensics, battle damage assessment, and environmental monitoring. However, these long wavelength physical signals are typically recorded through single-point sensors or sparse low density arrays. As a result, the critical signals of interest are often corrupted or masked by noise or inter ...

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE II PROJECT IS TO EXPERIMENTALLY DEMONSTRATE THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL STIRLING CYCLE CRYOCOOLER WITH INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES. THE EFFORT ENTAILS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMPONENTS, INTEGRATION INTO AN ENGINEERING MODEL CRYOCOOLER, AND TESTING OF THE CRYOCOOLER FOR PERFORMANCE AND ENDURANCE. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN INCLUDE FIVE ...

A CONCEPT FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A SATELLITE-BASED OPTICAL-INFRARED DISTURBED ATMOSPHERE SIGNATURE PROGRAM IS PROPOSED. THE INITIAL CONCEPT IS FOR A POLAR-ORBITING OPTICAL-INFRARED ANALOG TO THE HILAT SATELLITE WHERE-IN A HIGH PROBABILITY OF AURORAL ACQUISITION IS ANTICIPATED. INITIAL TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES OF CRYOGENIC OPERATION AND EXPECTED LIFETIME ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF THE IRAS SUCCESS. THE ...

THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL DEVELOP MATERIALS AND SUPPORTING THERMAL TECHNOLOGY LEADING TO DESIGN OF HIGH POWER PULSE CONDUCTORS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS. IN PHSE I WE WILL EVALUATE AN EM GUN SYSTEM, IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AND THERMAL APPROACHES FOR SELECTED COMPONENTS, AND IDENTIFY TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS. COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT FEASIBILITY AND BENEFITS WILL BE DEFINED.

THE NEED FOR INCREASING THE SENSITIVITY OF SPACE-BORNE SENSORS WILL REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF LONG-LIFE, HIGHLY EFFICIENT HELIUM LIQUIFIERS. CONVENTIONAL HELIUM LIQUIFIERS EMPLOY A JOULE-THOMSON EXPANSION VALVE TO EXPAND THE HELIUM AT TEMPERATURES BELOW ABOUT 10 DEG K. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT GAINS OF UP TO 30% IN OVERALL CYCLE EFFICIENCY CAN BE OBTAINED IF THE JOULE-THOMSON VALVE IS REPLACED BY AN EX ...

N/A