Award Data

Training in the symptoms of Spatial Disorientation (SD) has shown to be valuable in aiding pilots to recognize its onset and provide a means for mitigating its effects, but such demonstrations have traditionally been associated with specialized equipment and devices. Since the vast majority of pilots for the commercial aviation jet fleet are trained (or recertified) on 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) h ...

Conceptual design tools for rotorcraft are used to size vehicles for intended flight operations, as well as reveal trends on the relative benefits certain configuration choices have on the resulting aircraft performance. This information is useful for indicating potentially valuable areas for further technology development that would enhance rotorcraft capabilities. These tools must therefore co ...

NASA's "Ground Systems Development and Operations Program" is moving towards transforming parts of the Kennedy Space Center from a historically government-only launch complex to a spaceport bustling with activities involving government and commercial vehicles alike. The success of this transformation drive largely depends on achieving the ability to process multiple types of vehicles, within ...

The overall goal of this proposed program (through Phase III) is to build a space-worthy Drug Stability Analyzer that can determine the extent of drug degradation. It will be able to monitor the drug active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and its degradation product concentrations as a function of time, as well as determine if a drug is suitable for use (likely based on the presence of 90% or mor ...

New technology is needed to collect, stabilize, safen, recover useful materials, and store human fecal waste for long duration missions. The current SBIR Phase I proposal will examine an innovative torrefaction (mild pyrolysis) processing system that can be used to sterilize feces and produce a stable, free flowing powder than can be easily stored or recycled, while simultaneously recovering all o ...

United Silicon Carbide, Inc. proposes to develop a novel compact, efficient and high-temperature power module, based on unique co-packaging approach of normally-off silicon (Si) MOSFET with silicon carbide (SiC) normally-on power JFET in a cascode configuration. A much desired silicon MOS gate control is provided readily compatible with the conventional gate drivers, making a proposed module a plu ...

Solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) imaging is critically important in the fields of space astronomy, national defense, and bio-chemistry. United Silicon Carbide, Inc. proposes to develop and commercialize a unique JFET-based monolithically-integrated radiation-tolerant solar blind active pixel sensor (APS) UV imager. Silicon carbide is the ideal materials system due to its negligible dark currents, exc ...

Advanced x-ray observatories such as IXO and GenX will require thousands of thin shell mirror segments produced by replication using convex mandrels. Quality and cost effective manufacturing of these segments is proportional to the speed and effectiveness of the metrology we use in manufacturing and the ability to use accurate measurements to enable deterministic fabrication. AOS proposes developm ...

The current NASA spacesuit community is focusing on utilizing a 13" hemispherical helmet for the next generation of extravehicular activity spacesuits. This helmet architecture presents the end user with a myriad of positive attributes, including a large field of view, enhanced CO2 washout and improved component durability/operational life. The 13" Dome Helmet architecture has proven these attribu ...

The NASA objective of expanding the human experience into the far reaches of space requires the development of regenerable life support systems. This proposal addresses the development of an integrated air-revitalization system for the space suit used in Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). The proposed innovations are: (1) a single CO2, H2O, and trace-contaminant management unit; (2) a single sorb ...