Award Data

An integrated computational environment for multidisciplinary, physics-based simulation and analyses of airbreathing hypersonic flight vehicles will be developed. These vehicles are among the most promising alternatives for the next generation of Highly Reliable Reusable Launch Systems (HRRLS). The proposed work will enable development of models with varying fidelity, incorporating the coupled dyn ...

In this proposal, we describe a program to develop a high-performance, cost-effective and robust microwave receiver prototype for multi-purpose Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE). Currently, NDE of space transportation vehicles is primarily carried out on the ground, between missions. For future space missions, as duration and frequency increases, more inspection will need to be performed in space ...

Long-term exposure to microgravity and radiation during space exploration can pose a critical threat to the health of a flight crew. Real-time monitoring of urine protein levels is an effective way to follow the onset and progress of many diseases and guide the prompt selection of proper therapy. The success of such diagnostic tasks, which is strongly desired for flight missions, critically depend ...

Accurate CFD modeling of fuel/oxidizer injection and combustion is needed to design and analyze liquid rocket engines. Currently, however, there is no mature modeling capability for liquid fuel/oxidizer injectors in LOCI-Chem, used by NASA and its contractors to analyze rocket engines. In this STTR, an innovative, high fidelity injection module will be developed that features the Level Set (LS) i ...

Rocket plume impingement can cause significant damage and contaminate co-landing spacecraft and surrounding habitat structures during lunar landing operations. CFDRC and the University of Florida will develop an innovative simulation system for predicting surface erosion and debris transport caused by lunar surface rocket plume impingement. This simulation system combines 1) a unified continuum-ra ...

The proposed innovation is to use the refrigerant capabilities of nitrous oxide (N2O) to provide the cooling required for reusable operation of an aerospike nozzle in conjunction with an N2O-HTPB† hybrid rocket motor. The phase change cooling as liquid N2O is flashed into a vapor is crucial to limiting to acceptable levels the erosion of both the nozzle throat and spike, thereby enabling reusabl ...

Advanced liquid rocket propulsion systems must achieve longer burn times without performance degradation to allow the lowest cost per kilogram access to space. Ablative thrust chambers have an extensive heritage and are the low cost approach to fabricating rocket thrust chambers. However, composite ablative chambers suffer from erosion that typically limits performance of the engine in terms of bu ...

This Phase I STTR project will develop a highly reflecting, broadband, radiation resistant, low-stress and lightweight, membrane integrated into an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device for wavefront control applications in space telescopes. The underlying technology builds on nanomaterial coatings and electro-optical modeling competency of the company. InnoSense ...

This STTR project aims to develop a process-hardened, simple and low cost multi-analyte sensor for detecting components of rocket engine plumes. The sensor will be constructed with materials for operating continuously at 550 OK. It will also withstand temperatures as high as 2100 OK for at least five seconds. NASA roadmaps point towards new hydrocarbon fueled engines. A non-intrusive instrument s ...

The objective of the proposed SBIR Phase II program is to develop, deploy and deliver novel laser-based instruments that provide rapid, in situ, simultaneous measurements of gas temperature, velocity and mole fractions of several important species in rocket plume exhaust flows at NASA Stennis Space Center. Based on proven laser absorption spectroscopy techniques and successful demonstrations in P ...