Award Data

SSCI and MIT propose to further develop, implement and test the Integrated Mission Planning & Autonomous Control Technology (IMPACT) system software for autonomous ISR missions employing collaborating UAVs. IMPACT system is based on real-time learning about dynamic and stochastic environments, and on a capability to autonomously react to contingencies while satisfying the mission objectives and th ...

STTR Phase I Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) technical feasibility demonstration using advanced mathematical techniques and Biologically Inspired Computing Architecture (BICA) concepts is proposed for Phase II prototype development. UQ in complex System of Systems (SoS) M & S environments is emphasized in Phase II. Graph theory based M & S techniques are explored that enhance and facilitate topi ...

Legacy refractory materials that have origins dating to the original Saturn program are commonly used in current launch facilities. Although they fail to meet the target requirements, they are the only approved material. Our research team has demonstrated a baseline system during the Phase I effort that combines a non-cement binder, a high temperature macro aggregate, and reactive nano aggregates ...

The proposed effort will develop a new approach to characterize and analyze multiple-sensor decision making under uncertainty. The major focus will be on the decision architecture involving multiple Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) elements and the evaluation of the performance of various decision architectures for ballistic missile object discrimination. The proposed method will provide a well-d ...

Propose development of a human-in-control (HIC) modeling capability that can: (1) represent the breadth of operator decision-making processes across missile defense elements, (2) scale to deliver the appropriate level of fidelity, and (3) be extensible to future operator needs. To provide this HIC modeling capability, we propose to develop and evaluate a full-scope prototype of Modeling Operato ...

During Phase I, Aurora Flight Sciences and the University of Massachusetts Lowell propose to demonstrate the feasibility of enhancing a commercially available out-of-autoclave (OOA) carbon prepreg material system (e.g. IM7/5320) via embedded structural health monitoring (SHM) and self-healing capabilities, which can be manufactured by an automated fiber placement (AFP) machine. This proposed "sma ...

Busek and University of Utah propose to develop novel metal organic framework (MOF) material to efficiently capture oxygen in spacecraft cabin environment. The proposed novel MOF is postulated to be capable of separating oxygen from ambient air with high efficiency, and at the same time, be stable to moisture and resistant to decomposition. In Phase I, our team shall synthesize the proposed MOF an ...

Deep-ultraviolet (UV) Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method to collect chemically specific information about complex samples because deep-UV (?? < 250 nm) excitation shows an over 200-fold greater efficiency compared to commonly used 785 nm excitation and has the ability to avoid fluorescence background in the Raman spectra. The availability of compact, robust, and reliable deep-UV laser source ...

Silicon Carbide based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) offer the potential to fundamentally change the design and manufacture of aeronautical and space propulsion systems to significantly increase performance and fuel efficiency over current metal-based designs. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and our team members at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) will develop, design and fabricat ...

Boston Fusion, together with our teammate Syracuse University, propose a program of research and development, namely Uncertainty Characterization Using Copulas, which will lead to a parametric framework based on the statistical theory of copulas for modeling uncertainties in a centralized fusion architecture for the problem of target classification for ballistic missile defense applications. This ...