Award Data

The objective of this Phase I SBIR proposal is to show the feasibility of integrating the key optical and electronic components of a multichannel laser modulator into a single multichip module (MCM). The module concept developed under this effort will consist of at least eight parallel channels capable of independently producing an analog amplitude modulated optical waveform. Integration will incl ...

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) does not currently have an automated, centralized database to store Rad-Hardening (Rad-Hard) vendor data and corresponding test results. Portions of this data are currently stored in a spreadsheet, without consistency, distributed access, robust data search, filtering, or reporting capabilities. These data are not readily available to the developers of mission-crit ...

There is an acute need for a networked chemical sensor that is inexpensive enough to allow it to be treated as a disposable item - deployed and left in-place until the end of its useful life, or until operations move out of communications range. Electrochemical microarray sensors can be fabricated at low enough unit cost to make the development of a disposable sensor node feasible. These sensors ...

Our solution to the automated feature extraction problem will leverage the material properties that can be inferred from combining multispectral imagery with high resolution elevation data or LIDAR data using a trainable knowledge base. Multiple imaging bands provide a more complete picture of the material involved than ordinary RGB. This can help distinguish between a green grass lawn and a gre ...

A deployable communications terminal design has been demonstrated under the MDA Phase I SBIR. This design allows for multi-data communications at GMD locations for secure data transmission, as well as non-secure data transmission for “quality-of-life” communications and data flow. These systems may also serve as rapidly deployed and reliable backup networks in emergency situations. The operati ...

The IMU/GPS Accuracy Enhancements for Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Phase II effort will take the results and implementation approach from the Phase I effort and will develop a prototype/engineering unit, verify functional performance, and validate key performance requirements. This prototype/engineering unit will be used with a GPS simulator to demonstrate the refinement in the sensor out ...

Radiation Hardened multi-color infrared (IR) focal planes are required for the US Navy Aegis Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptor system. The key to meeting the system requirements for the SM-3 and other missile interceptor systems is the development of multi-color radiation hardened two-color long wave (LW) focal plane arrays (FPAs) with very high pixel operability. One of the shortfalls in cu ...

Missile Defense surveillance and interceptor sensor operations typically use cryogenically cooled infrared sensors that operate while being exposed to natural space radiation and possibly to nuclear weapon radiation, both of which have the potential to degrade system performance. USASMDC's Hardened Infrared Optical Components (HIROC) program test results indicate that cryogenically cooled optical ...

The proposed research will produce alternative, effective fractal patterns that provide: flexibility in the design process, additional degrees of freedom to the design engineer and enhanced SNR in RF systems. This should enable design engineers to support existing MDA GMD radar system LFM waveforms while also enabling consideration of advanced radar waveforms that might be required for special rad ...

The proposed research in multilayer dielectric coupling interfaces will add a degree of design freedom that allows for concurrent insertion loss reduction, return loss reduction, and maximum SNR enhancement. Intermediate fractal multi-layers such as the percolation layer that are expected to enhance SNR performance, smooth port parameters over bandwidth, and reduce high sensitivities due to high ...