Award Data

NASA has many needs for maintenance and repair technologies for long-duration human space missions. We propose to continue developing a compact, portable, vacuum-compatible, multi-axis Manipulator/Machining Center (M/MC) to satisfy many of NASA's needs. Our M/MC will provide complex manipulation during: layer-additive manufacturing; collection of geometric data for reverse-engineering; real-time ...

The proposed program will develop an hermetic, CTE matched, thermal shock resistant ceramic packaging technology that will facilitate the operation of Si and SiGe devices at extreme temperatures (-230ºC to 130ºC) encountered on the Moon and Mars. Processes to assemble the components into a hermetically sealed package will be identified and developed. Process and materials capability will be de ...

High current hollow cathodes are the baseline electron source for next generation high power Hall thrusters. Currently for electron sources providing current levels >50 A and cathodes utilizing LaB6 emitters, the only viable, long life heater technology is a low reliability, low producibility, multi-element heater constructed from MgO insulated coaxial heater cable. In the Phase I project we wil ...

X-ray microcalorimeters have developed to provide unprecedented energy resolution and signal sensitivity. To take maximum advantage of the microcalorimeter's performance, a new and improved blocking filter stack is needed to further enhance low level sensitivity and mission throughput. The innovation proposed, high transmission polyimide support mesh fabricated using photolithography, will replace ...

We propose to build a monolithically integrated FPA of densely packed APDs (70-um pitch) operating at or around 1500 nm wavelength that is suitable for the solicited autonomous precision landing and hazard detection and avoidance system. These would be capable of 3D imaging an area of 150m x 150m from a distance of 1 – 2km. By using highly efficient detector material (InGaAs/InP) a number of sig ...

We propose new concepts for developing components for high performance space based Lidar systems. While it is generally recognized that photonic crystal fiber technology can extend the performance range of fiber laser based sources these fibers are considered by many to be incompatible with complementary component technology such as fused couplers and pump combiners. Integration of these fibers i ...

Proposed is a high power, high efficiency, high reliability compact eye-safe LIDAR source. The diode pump source is an electrically series-connected array of single emitters coupled into an optical fiber known commercially as Pearl. During the course of the program nLight will transfer and improve its present record 1470-nm diode technology to a AuSn solder bond line, while also elongating the ca ...

NASA aerocapture missions require an accurate evaluation of radiative thermal transport in order to simulate the aerothermal environment around space vehicles. However, present day computation of radiative transport in this complex multi-dimensional environment is frequently done using simple one-dimensional tangent-slab approximations or optically-thick approximations which compromise the accura ...

Software testing is a complex and expensive phase of the software development cycle. Effective software testing is especially important in mission-critical software, where erroneous behavior poses a risk to safety or mission success. Automated test case generation can make testing more efficient and effective, saving resources and reducing risk. Safeware Engineering Corporation proposes to deve ...