Award Data

Within the hypersonic missile community, it is generally known that Mentis Sciences, Inc. (MSI) is developing a candidate Quartz/Polysiloxane radome solution for the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC3) system. This solution is presently in the process of being evaluated for the relevant hypersonic rain erosion environs and full-scale thermal/structural loading. At this time, it has exceeded all mec ...

Thermal batteries are a power source for many MDA programs. As mission requirements push the limits of battery lifetime, optimizing the thermal insulation used in the batteries becomes increasingly important. Another design challenge is to create batteries with unconventional configurations for more efficient space utilization. Designers need flexible tools to assist them to meet these challeng ...

MDA is considering several technologies to upgrade the THAAD sensor. QWIP (Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector) technology is one option being considered. While QWIP has clear advantages (e.g. large formats, high pixel operability, excellent uniformity and image stability, low cost, and proven multi-color capability), its quantum efficiencies have to be improved (to > 40% internal QE, > 15-20% e ...

A high-performance cooling system for gimbal-mounted infrared sensors is a critical need for future space-based target acquisition and tracking systems. A candidate approach uses a high performance cryocooler remotely located on the spacecraft platform combined with a high conductance, cryogenic heat transport system to exchange heat from the sensors to the cryocooler. The heat transport system ...

This Phase 2 SBIR proposal addresses the technical and manufacturing challenges associated with development of cost-effective materials solutions for ultrahigh temperature solid rocket motor throat components ¡V particularly those associated with boost nozzle solid rocket motor (SRM) or solid divert/attitude control SDACS components for vehicles such as KEI and SM-3. Exothermics and their Phase ...

Kyma Technologies proposes a research and development effort to fabricate and test GaN-based FETs on GaN and SiC substrates. AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures will be tested to identify the impact of defects on the thermal characteristics and degradation behavior in the devices in order to improve device performance and reliability. Thermal models of GaN-based FETs on GaN substrates with comparisons to Si ...

Lithium oxyhalide batteries offer energy densities several times higher than thermal batteries. Like thermal batteries, lithium oxyhalide batteries have unactivated storage lives in excess of 20 years and are mechanically rugged. Some of the main advantages that lithium oxyhalide batteries offer are flat discharge voltage profiles and potentially long operating lives. However, battery performanc ...

The projected cost for the Mentis Sciences, Inc., (MSI) prototype PAC3 radome is 1/6th of the total cost of the present system. A Pareto analysis of the current MSI process indicates that the two largest costs in radome production are the direct labor associated with fabrication and the cost of the raw materials. In Phase I MSI demonstrated that COTS paint spraying technology reduced the direct ...

Ultra-high performance multi-function RF electronics are required by the United States Department of Defense to enable next generation radar and sensor networks in response to an increasingly diverse array of threats to our military and our homeland. An elegant potential solution is that of gallium nitride (GaN) RF electronics, which has shown great promise on currently available yet foreign subs ...

Advanced space-borne infrared detectors require cooling at temperatures near 10 K. Cooling loads for these detectors will range from 0.25 W to 1.0 W at 10 K, with additional loads at higher temperatures. A multistage cooler, capable of cooling multiple loads, will offer large potential gains in system efficiency and weight. Turbomachine-based Brayton cryocoolers are ideal candidates for these m ...