Award Data

The Phase I project will develop a suite of diagnostic sensors using Direct Write technology to measure temperature, surface recession depth, and heat flux of an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) in real time, which can be integrated to support TPS evaluation and in-situ diagnostics during planetary entry. Standalone heat flux sensors and those fabricated by direct deposition will be devel ...

NASA's "Ground Systems Development and Operations Program" is moving towards transforming parts of the Kennedy Space Center from a historically government-only launch complex to a spaceport bustling with activities involving government and commercial vehicles alike. The success of this transformation drive largely depends on achieving the ability to process multiple types of vehicles, within ...

The overall goal of this proposed program (through Phase III) is to build a space-worthy Drug Stability Analyzer that can determine the extent of drug degradation. It will be able to monitor the drug active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and its degradation product concentrations as a function of time, as well as determine if a drug is suitable for use (likely based on the presence of 90% or mor ...

New technology is needed to collect, stabilize, safen, recover useful materials, and store human fecal waste for long duration missions. The current SBIR Phase I proposal will examine an innovative torrefaction (mild pyrolysis) processing system that can be used to sterilize feces and produce a stable, free flowing powder than can be easily stored or recycled, while simultaneously recovering all o ...

Long-duration robotic and manned space missions have a number of unique requirements for mission success. These include ultra-high reliability, safety, sustainability and affordability of launch vehicles and spacecraft. These requirements, in turn, are allocated among critical subsystems, such as engines, propellants, structures, software systems, thermal protection, power, avionics, life support, ...

The proposed SBIR project will provide a pathway to dramatically reduce the cost of multi-junction solar cells. The project leverages a TRL6 micropackaging process with ~100% yield for cell assembly. Cost savings are critical as space-qualified multi-junction cells render large panel applications prohibitive. The proposed project aims to develop a greatly-simplified manufacturing process that c ...

The proposed Phase I investigation will focus on the development of spacecraft systems required to obtain a sample from the nucleus of a comet, hermetically seal the sample within a capsule, and return the sealed sample to an orbiting spacecraft which can return the sample to Earth. A preliminary systems level concept has been developed. This concept will be refined during the proposed Phase I inv ...

Advanced x-ray observatories such as IXO and GenX will require thousands of thin shell mirror segments produced by replication using convex mandrels. Quality and cost effective manufacturing of these segments is proportional to the speed and effectiveness of the metrology we use in manufacturing and the ability to use accurate measurements to enable deterministic fabrication. AOS proposes developm ...

Our proposed multilayered, flexible, graded Z radiation shielding, RadFlexPro, provides radiation protection for astronauts in EVA for NASA's future space missions. RadFlexPro can be integrated into current space suit TMG designs and act as multifunctional layers, providing additional protection from micrometeoroids. Current RadFlexPro designs have three layers. The outer layer serves as a ...

Final Frontier Design (FFD) proposes to develop and deliver an advanced pressure garment arm with low torque and high Range of Motion (ROM), and increased durability, using their unique single layer approach to the pressure vessel joint.FFD has developed a flat patterned asymmetric shoulder joint for their current space suit pressure garment, with a natural position in human rest adduction, approx ...