Award Data

This NASA sponsored STTR project will investigate methods for close-out of large, liquid rocket engine, nickel or stainless steel nozzle, coolant channels utilizing robotic laser and pulsed-arc additive manufacturing (AM)methods. Structural jacket to coolant channel land area interface strength will be quantified and metallurgical characterization completed. Process optimizations will be conducte ...

There is an urgent need to improve protection of our soldiers without losing mobility and maneuverability. As personal protection equipment becomes more sophisticated and multifunctional for protection against ballistics, shrapnel, and stabbing, it has also become heavier and more cumbersome. This additional mass can inhibit troop movement and potentially compromise the mission and even survivabil ...

With this Phase I funding, the project team will develop and test a prototype of D-TECH, a system to determine students' level of academic engagement while completing computer-based learning activities and assessments. The prototype will integrate within existing third party computer-based programs (e.g., online courseware, educational games, simulations, intelligent tutors) and will consist of a ...

The Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2) proposes the development of high channel count, high density, reduced cost per channel, directional microphone arrays for noise source measurement using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based piezoelectric microphones with backside contacts and advanced packaging technology. The goal of this research is to develop an advanced phased-array te ...

The Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2) proposes the development of a fiber-optic, micromachined five-hole probe for three-dimensional flow measurements in harsh environments. The goal of this research is to develop a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based, optical probe capable of significantly improved performance compared to existing available sensors, by enabling faster respons ...

Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) is the most CSWaP compatible safety solution for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and will be mandated for use by the FAA in the National Airspace System (NAS) by 2020. The ongoing miniaturization efforts will continue to enable a cooperative approach to the integration of UAS into NAS moving forward. A critical limitation of ADS-B is the use of G ...

Radiation from GCRs and Solar Flares provide a hostile ionizing environment for personnel and vital electronic systems. The effects of this environment has been a topic of research for many years. Issues include the exposure for humans under acute and continuous exposures and the radiogenic cancer risk that rises with total dose and is a limiting constraint on long-duration missions. The propose ...

Resiliency Evaluation, Assessment and Contingency Tools (REACT) Achieving resiliency in any system requires capabilities that are beyond the boundaries of currently available engineering tools and processes. Comprehensive analysis using Use Cases, Activity and Sequence diagrams provide significant benefits over text-based requirements and specifications. However, although these specifications incl ...

We offer an ultra-compact klystron amplifier for remote sensing on CubeSats. It will operate at 35.7 GHz, have 400 MHz bandwidth, and output greater than 32 watts with 35 dB gain. It employs a two-stage depressed collector, allowing prime efficiency of 50%. Comparable solid state power amplifiers have 15% efficiency and output only 7 W. klystrons are the only amplifier technology that can be minia ...

Future optical systems for NASA's low-cost missions such as CubeSat and other small-scale payloads are constrained by the traditional spherical form of optics. As such, there is a movement away from traditional spherical optics to nonspherical optical lenses or mirror surfaces. Freeform optics are anticipated to enable benefits like fast wide-field and distortion-free cameras. Although various tec ...