Award Data

The topic (8.2.2R) requires the capability for enabling high sensitive/high precision measurements of calcium concentrates in seawater. The proposal aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel high sensitive nanosensor that can be used to determine very low concentrations of calcium in seawater in the presence of large backgrounds calcium concentration. The sensor approach will use the benefi ...

Peregrine Power, LLC will develop a wave energy harvesting system for NOAA buoys. It will be entirely self-contained (no protruding elements), modular, scalable, and easily deployed. The system employs a unique, inertial mechanism that responds to acceleration forces created by waves. This mechanism will be combined with (1) a proprietary generator that is sensitive to very low levels of torque ...

Severe weather impacts our daily lives, society and the world economy. From an average of $10B annual loss due to tropical cyclones since 1900 to $200B in the commercial shipping industry, which is threatened by severe ocean storms to the hundreds of lives and assets lost in the $20B recreational boating industry. In these cases and many more, accurate now casting and forecasting could prevent the ...

We propose to develop a high-efficiency, triple-junction, epitaxial lift-off (ELO) solar cell by incorporating quantum dots (QDs) within the current-limiting subcell. We intend to leverage existing QD epitaxy processes developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology and combine this with MicroLink's expertise in multi-junction cell growth and ELO technology. We will employ QDs to enhance ...

Middle-wave infrared (MWIR, 3-5¿¿m) photodetectors are of great importance in numerous NASA applications, including thermal remote sensing for carbon-based trace gases (CH4, CO2, and CO), heat capacity mapping for earth resource locating, environment and atmosphere monitoring, and IR spectroscopy. However, existing MWIR photodetectors are require a low operating temperature, below 77K to achieve ...

Infrared spectroscopy is an invaluable detection and measurement tool intensively used in Earth Science, Solar Physics and Astrophysics experiments pursued from satellite platforms. The geometrical characteristics and sensitivity of satellite infrared spectroscopy systems is often determined or limited by their optical elements. Improvements in optical components allow one to reduce the mass and i ...

Aerodyne Research, Inc. and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst will collaborate to develop laser desorption ionization (LDI) mass spectrometric analysis of organic analytes of interest in planetary exploration, based on microchip laser illumination. The key advantage of microchip lasers in this application is their much smaller size and weight than lasers used to date for LDI. These lase ...

Agiltron proposes to develop an extremely compact and high sensitivity uncooled near- and mid-infrared (NMIR) spectrometer engine for planetary compositional analysis and mapping. In this program, we will produce lead salt-based IR detector materials with single crystalline-like oriented thin film structures which will increase the majority charge carrier mobility by two orders of magnitude. Excep ...

Surface exploration of planetary environments with current robotic technologies relies heavily on human control and power-hungry active sensors to perform even the most elementary low-level functions. Ideally, a robot should be capable of autonomously exploring and interacting within an unknown environment without relying on human input or suboptimal sensors. Behaviors such as exploration of unkno ...

The innovation being developed in this program is a Mg Hall Effect Thruster system that would open the door for In-Situ Resource Utilization based solar system exploration. Magnesium is light and easy to ionize. Performance advantages of a Mg thruster include far higher specific impulse and less life limiting erosion. Additional advantages include low propellant cost and low pressure propellant ...