Award Data

This project addresses two vital problems for long-term space travel activities: radiation shielding and hydrogen storage for power and propulsion. While both problems have been studied for many years, there is currently no satisfactory technology for providing adequate non-parasitic shielding. Even in low-Earth orbit, astronauts must be closely monitored for radiation exposure, and some mission ...

This project addresses two vital problems for long-term space travel activities: radiation shielding and hydrogen storage for power and propulsion. While both problems have been studied for many years, there is currently no satisfactory technology for providing adequate non-parasitic shielding. Even in low-Earth orbit, astronauts must be closely monitored for radiation exposure, and some mission ...

Advanced Technologies Group, Inc. proposes the development of a Methane Liquid-Level Sensor, (MLS) for In-Space cryogenic storage capable of continuous monitoring of liquid quantities to better than 1% accuracy. The proposed sensor builds on previous liquid hydrogen sensor development successes and patents. It can be utilized to measure cryogenic propellants, and sub-critical cryogenic fluids in ...

Based on the success of the phase I effort, Advanced Technologies Group, Inc. proposes the development of a Cryogenic Flow Sensor (CFS) for determining mass flow of cryogens in spacecraft propellant management. Current point sensor technology is incapable of determining high pressure, high flow rate cryogenic fluid quality and mass flow rate, and has proven to be inaccurate in attempting to rapid ...

Exploration of planetary surfaces will require a communication architecture that supports operational capabilities in which fixed and mobile assets on the planetary surface can communicate seamlessly and securely. Aeronix understands the issues and believes that the solution lies in the development of radiation tolerant wireless devices that employ the benefits of FPGA technology as an underlyin ...

Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) proposes to conduct research necessary to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model for hydrostatic bearings operating in a compressible fluid. The innovation of the resulting model is to account for the extreme density, compressibility, and non-uniform pressure variations found in highly turbulent rocket engine liquid hydrogen turbopump hydrost ...

The proposed innovation is a passive, self-regulating, gravity-independent Advanced Product Water Removal (APWR) system for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) primary fuel cell power plants that improves power plant efficiency and reliability, reduces reactant consumption, cost, weight and volume and simplifies the supporting system requirements in both near-term and advanced missions. Phase I p ...

The purpose of this NASA SBIR Phase I proposal is to develop a novel type of high resolving power diffraction gratings based on volume Bragg gratings technology. The key innovation to be used for creation of these gratings is the patented technology on production of high efficiency volume diffractive elements in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass on which OptiGrate has an exclusive license from t ...

One of the most efficient ways to create narrow band filter is the use of reflective Bragg gratings or which allow increasing of efficiency and decreasing of weight compare to conventional technologies. OptiGrate have proved the concept of high efficiency narrow-band mirrors in photo-thermo-refractive glass (PTR) glass for high power laser applications based on a unique technology for phase hologr ...

Increasing thermal requirements for space-based thermal control systems are straining the capabilities of conventional heat pipes. Mainstream has experimentally demonstrated a new wick configuration that has been shown to more than triple the heat transport capacity of an otherwise identical copper water heat pipe(this proposal contains the experimental data). This Phase I will seek to extend ...