Award Data

This SBIR Phase II proposal requests support for Alphacore, Inc. to design and characterize a 24 Gsps (gigasamples per second), wide input bandwidth (40 GHz), 6-bit (5.0 effective number of bits, ENOB), low-power (700 mW), and low-cost analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for use in a wide range of NASA's microwave sensor remote sensing applications. The ADC does not employ time-interleaving and prov ...

Deep-ultraviolet (DUV) Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method to isolate and extract the unique signatures of numerous chemical bonds present within complex samples. DUV (λ < 250 nm) excitation is critical for NASA missions because it shows an over 200-fold greater efficiency compared to commonly used 785 nm excitation and illumination as such short wavelengths minimizes the fluorescence backgro ...

In Phase I, a prototypical FUN3D-based ZONA Euler Unsteady Solver (FunZEUS) was developed to generate the Generalized Aerodynamic Forces (GAFs) due to structural modes, control surface kinematic modes, and gust excitation using a frequency-domain linearized unstructured Euler solver based on the Navier-Stokes solution of FUN3D as the steady background flow. These GAFs can lead to a state-space eq ...

To-date free-form optic manufacture is limited due to inadequate metrology to measure surfaces with free-form and conformal shapes, with large surface slopes and to the required measurement uncertainty. In this proposal we describe a new interferometric non-contact probe capable of measuring free-form optics with nanometer sensitivity. The probe has favorable metrology characteristics and uses a ...

Current research shows that failures in the standardization process are often the result of a failure of the participants to communicate or organize. To this effect, NIST has developed a tool, NIST Ontological Visualization Interface for Standards (NOVIS), with an environment for visualizing, browsing, and querying standards. Aztera will create a Computer Aided Standards Development (CASD) framewo ...

The primary goal of the proposed STARA innovation is to develop and demonstrate a high-altitude precision guided parafoil system that will enable NASA to control the final landing point of the sounding rocket payload, thus reducing system offset, recovery time, and recovery cost. Current recovery methods utilize unguided parachutes, which are susceptible to large uncertainties in recovery location ...

S. D. Miller and Associates proposes to investigate a new class of thermal insulations that will enable thermal protection systems (TPS) on ceramic matrix composite (CMC) hot structures and Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIAD). One insulation will embed silicon carbide aerogel in silicon carbide fibers to create a super-efficient, flexible insulation optimized for use at temperat ...

Fuel costs have historically been the largest single cost associated with aircraft operations; improved efficiency therefore translates directly to the bottom line. The worldwide aviation industry is a significant emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; the International Civil Aviation Organization puts it at 2% of the global anthropogenic total. The impact of these emissions is am ...

In this proposal, we propose to demonstrate and build high pulse energy near 1.55 micron wavelength single frequency fiber laser by developing an innovative polarization maintaining Er-doped gain fiber with extremely large mode field diameter. Such a single frequency high energy and high peak power fiber laser is needed for coherent lidar and sensing. We will enhance the radiation resistance of th ...

Thulium doped fiber laser near 2 micron is of great interest because of the prospect of combining high efficiency, high output power, and retina safety together. This proposal is for the development of highly efficient 1.94 micron fiber laser as the pumping source of Ho doped crystal lasers for LASA's lidar applications. New Tm-doped glasses and fibers will be developed, high efficient fiber laser ...