Award Data

Because of the maneuvering capabilities of adversaries’ new hypersonic weapons, defensive missiles must fly in very demanding flight regimes, and intercept maneuvers place stringent requirements on interceptor seeker systems. Successfully completing the hit-to-kill end game requires the seeker can either compensate for or perform despite the thermal and optical effects that cause the seeker to m ...

FreEnt Technologies, Inc., A2Z Innovations, Inc., and the University of Alabama Aerospace Research Center (UAH/ARC) have teamed together to design, develop, and perform ground-based-demonstrations of a High-Speed Simultaneous Multiple Object Detection (HS-SMOD) System for MDA. The HS­SMOD system uses a simple but innovative technique of a passive fiber-optic grid and high-speed COTS opto-electr ...

An advanced hit detection technology is needed for MDA that can report impacts at hyper-velocities and at multiple hit locations. We present a technology with a high level of performance that leverages decades of hit technology experience and utilizes existing technologies developed under previous efforts. Our technology offers a low latency non-interpolated direct indicator of multiple hit locati ...

Mounting of infrared (IR) windows on hypersonic vehicles is a critical design issue because of the stresses caused by high temperatures combined with the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the window and frame materials. Many applications use elastomeric seals to limit window distortion and stress by allowing for joint flexibility. However, windows and frames operating in this ...

Forward-looking infrared seekers are the preferred guidance system for current and future hypersonic interceptors. Seeker performance is limited by the infrared window’s ability to survive and image in a high-Mach, endo-atmospheric environment where heating rates can exceed 80 W/cm². Window materials primarily fail because of thermal shock, but can also experience issues due to absorption/emiss ...

The proposed approach provides innovative sensor data association algorithms capable of performing correct data association in multi-target tracking environments with one or more sensors. Current air and missile threats have the ability to fly non-ballistic, highly maneuvering hypersonic trajectories, and the ability to maintain closely spaced trajectories. Improved detection/track association is ...

The most direct way to meet the technical objectives for the Secure Virtual Environment (SVE) for Cyber Resiliency Validation would be to replicate the missile defense system’s tactical hardware, software, and network. However, this is cost prohibitive due to the amount of hardware procurement required for the Cyber test environment. Luckily, with the exception of supply chain threats, firmware, ...

Terrorist use of radioactive nuclear materials via nuclear and/or radiological dispersion devices (dirty bombs) is a serious threat. Therefore, it is crucial to detect proliferation of nuclear material. Critical challenges include: (a) high sensitivity detection of signature emissions from radioactive isotopes, and (b) cost-effectiveness for deployment of sensor networks across large storage facil ...

Based on the results of our Phase I work, one significant barrier to optimizing battery performance lies in understanding the relationship between bulk solids and particle flow properties and the flow into the die. Our hypothesis: an increase in quality batteries production can be achieved if powder preparation process can be optimized and the die filling process controlled. We feel that control o ...

A novel diagnostic system based on the monolithic quantum cascade laser technology is proposed, enabling probing of points across the entire MIR absorption spectrum of CO for optimal temperature sensitivity across the entire 300 – 3000 K range with MHz time resolution. The proposing team has the capability to design QCL structures that provide strong output over the spectral range of interest in ...