Award Data

Automation and autonomy technologies, such as automated planning software, are key elements in realizing the vision for space exploration. However, the major stumbling block to realizing the widespread use of automation tools for operations is capturing and maintaining the domain models -- the object types and subtypes, relationships among them and operational constraints -- needed to support su ...

Advanced reconfigurable/reprogrammable communication systems will require use of commercial sub 100 nm electronics. Legacy radiation tolerant circuits fail to provide Single Event Upset (SEU) immunity at speeds greater than 500 MHz. New base level logic circuits have been demonstrated in Phase I that provide SEU immunity for sub 100 nm high speed circuits. A completely new circuit and system ap ...

During Phase I, Busek designed and manufactured an electrospray emitter capable of generating 20 mN in a 7" x 7" x 1.7" package. The thruster consists of nine porous-surface emitters operating in parallel from a common propellant supply. Each emitter is capable of supporting over 70,000 electrospray emission sites, with the plume from each emitter being accelerated through a single aperture, eli ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and Orbitec Inc. propose to develop a unique chemical propulsion system for the next generation NASA science spacecraft and missions that is compact, lightweight, and can operate with high reliability over extended periods of time and under wide range of thermal environments. The system uses a new storable, low toxicity, liquid monopropellant as its working fluid. In P ...

For lightweight and power-efficient instruments that enable elemental and/or mineralogy analysis, Q-Peak proposes to develop a compact, robust, and efficient instrument capable of performing imaging spectroscopy, Laser-Raman Spectroscopy (LRS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The main advantage in using these techniques for planetary science is the ability to rapidly collect a wea ...

This Phase II SBIR proposes to develop high quantum efficiency (QE) and low dark current infrared epitaxy materials based on Type II Strained Layer Superlattice (SLS) for space-based sensor applications. The epi materials will be grown with Sb-capable multi-wafer production Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) reactor at IntelliEPI. The initial goal includes achieving QE of at least 50% with MWIR spectral ...

New low cost, low volume, low power, rugged electrospray thrusters will be ideal as actuators for precision thrusting, if provided with precision high voltage power supplies. The small thrusters show minimum thrusts of 1.2 nanoNewton, and thrusts scalable in a wide range to hundreds of microNewtons, with an ISp of 3500 sec. We propose to develop and test a high-precision high-voltage power supply ...

The goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a reliable, fault-tolerant wavefront control system that will fill a critical technology gap in NASA's vision for future coronagraphic observatories. The project outcomes include innovative advances in component design and fabrication and substantial progress in development of high-resolution deformable mirrors (DM) suitable for space-based op ...

Development of a sensor to detect select trace toxic heavy metals (Ag, Cd, Mn, Ni, and Zn) in water is proposed. Using an automatic side-stream sampling technique, this compact, electrochemical sensor will use small volumes of water and detect metals in the low parts-per-billion range. The novel coupling of a high-performance novel electrode material, microarray electrode geometry, and a highly se ...

With the retiring of the shuttle fleet, up-mass and down-mass to ISS are at a premium. The space station itself has a limited lifecycle as well, thus long-term and/or high-risk development programs pose issues for science 'return on investment', if the technology cannot be adequately matured before the station is decommissioned. Thus innovative systems and technologies that minimize impact on limi ...