Award Data

Solar Particle Events (SPEs) represent a major hazard for extravehicular maneuvers by astronauts in Earth orbit, and for eventual manned interplanetary space travel. They can also harm aircraft avionics, communication and navigation. We propose to develop a system to aid forecasters in the prediction of such events, and in the identification/lengthening of "all clear" time periods when there is ...

In the Phase I effort, Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC (GTL) verified the feasibility of generating power from space particle radiation. This effort successfully demonstrated electrical power production from a particle radiation source using an initial proof-of-concept device. The effort also identified a second approach that has the potential for even better power generation and offers enhanced ...

The gas sensor in the PLSS of the ISS EMU will meet its projected life in 2020, and NASA is planning to replace it. At present, only high TRL devices based on infrared absorption are candidate replacements, because of their proven long-term stability, despite their size and power consumption and failures in the presence of liquid water. No current compact sensor has the tolerance for liquid water ...

The proposed innovation is a membrane bioreactor system to produce a biopolymer from methane gas that is applicable in outer space environments. This new methane fermentation process will expand and advance current gas delivery techniques to create affordable fermentation methods on Earth and beyond. Mango Materials is currently working to scale up and commercialize the production of polyhydroxyal ...

Parabilis Space Technologies, Inc (Parabilis), in collaboration with Utah State University (USU), proposes further development of a low-cost, high-performance launch vehicle upper stage that uses a high density, storable oxidizer and a polymer fuel grain as propellants in response to solicitation T1.01, Affordable Nano/Micro Launch Propulsion Stages. This effort will build upon the successful opti ...

High-energy space radiation from Galactic Cosmic Rays and Solar Particle Events (SPEs) pose significant risks to equipment and astronaut health in NASA missions. Energetic particles from SPEs associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may adversely affect not only beyond-Low-Earth-Orbit missions, but also aircraft avionics, communications, and airline crew/passenger health. It is cru ...

We propose the development of a novel aerodynamic modeling approach making use of fully unstructured grids for unsteady panel aerodynamic models for aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic analysis. The unsteady aerodynamic code will be integrated with an existing suite of aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic analysis tools making it possible to perform aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic analysis of complex v ...

American GNC Corporation (AGNC) and Louisiana Tech University (LaTECH) are proposing a significant breakthrough technology, the Integrated Monitoring AWAReness Environment (IM-AWARE) consisting of an Enterprise Infrastructure with closely coupled smart sensor networks and Enhanced IT Security to enable: (i) real time monitoring of the distribution systems health; (ii) supporting maintenance operat ...

Next generation optical modems for NASA will be based on the RZ-DPSK modulation format. This modulation format is robust, delivers high quantum efficiency and allows burst-mode operation, key when using a power limited transmitter in combination with a fixed delay line DPSK demodulator. Freedom Photonics approach in this proposed program is to integrate the laser, modulator, and amplifier into a s ...

Inflatable pressurized habitats are envisioned as a practical way to build shelters much larger than landing craft for astronauts and their scientific operations on Mars, the moon and elsewhere. These habitats maintain their inflated shape via high-strength Vectran webbing. The piezoresistive extensometers developed through this STTR program can be directly integrated into or onto Vectran webbing ...