Award Data

This SBIR Phase II project will manufacture and test under high power laser loading a full-scale DM matched to ABL requirements. This TRL 6 prototype will be 30 cm in diameter with 1.875 cm spaced actuators – identical to the current ABL DM. However, the new DM has 14 microns stroke compared to 8 microns currently and has a negligible thermal ripple of 0.006 microns peak-to-valley after 200 se ...

This proposal is to combine the proven high density 3D packing technology with the ultra high performance of low temperature superconductor memory technology. The maturity level of the memory is approaching 16 Kbits per square centimeter. The memory is akey enabler for superconductor electronics processing but to be practical for near-term applications, larger blocks of this memory must be assem ...

Instead of making incremental improvements to the inherent weakness of the laser facet, Aerius Photonics proposes to fabricate space-qualifiable laser pump arrays that eliminate the weakness of the facet altogether by using kilowatt-capable vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which use a distributed mirror, effectively decoupling the feedback mirror from the output window. When compa ...

Objects tracked by optical sensors in ascent phase and midcourse are frequently obscured on the focal plane by closely spaced objects, countermeasures and debris (or clutter) that affect the performance of discrimination and tracking algorithms. Problems include missed detections, false alarms, corrupted signatures and masking of pixels that contain lethal objects. The objective of the proposed ...

As part of the Ballistic Missile Defense Review (BMDR) policy, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has enacted a Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) for BMD interceptors over the next 10 years. Phase 4 of the PAA will include the deployment in 2020 of a land based Aegis missile to provide early intercept capability. MDA has identified several technology needs for meeting the next generation requirements ...

MDA, Raytheon and other DoD components are interested in Dimensionally Stable and Survivable Silicon Carbide Telescopes for the next generation of Space Tracking and Space Surveillance System (STSS). The requirements for the proposed athermal telescope are: operation in the Proton Belt (LEO, up to 1 Mrad Si total ionizing dose, TID), survive an exoatmospheric nuclear event, high optical performan ...

Welkin Sciences proposes to formulate a class of burst-mode communication waveforms tailored for future MDA interceptor communication systems: Advanced Interceptor Data Link (AIDL). The waveform signaling format will support four critical receiver functions: 1) very rapid carrier acquisition and time synchronization; 2) adaptive signal processing to mitigate received signal distortion arising from ...

Resource optimization strategies for engaging multi-stage, long-range missiles carrying multiple warheads during the ascent phase is an area of interest to MDA and the larger DoD community. The ability to rapidly predict the outcomes of extremely large numbers of decision permutations is crucial in allowing commanders make more efficient decisions in time-critical operational settings. Phase I ...

Nova Sensors will develop and demonstrate a new type of infrared focal plane array (FPA) that performs real-time pixel-level dynamic range compression at frame rates in excess of 1 kHz. This will permit hardbody/plume imaging for all pixels in the FPA without saturation of the imaging array, without the need to adjust camera parameters. The very wide dynamic range performance as well as the hig ...

The Space Micro team will rapidly develop a miniature DACS electronics module which meets the MDA interceptor radiation threat. This unit will be more than 50X smaller than current lab devices, and be mechanically compatible with MDA propulsion contractor needs. In Phase II we will leverage the Phase I R&D to design and fabricate both prototype and Engineering Model parts, from advanced COTS micro ...