Award Data

One of the challenges facing missions to other planetary bodies including Earth's Moon, Mars, Venus, Titan, Europa; and proximity operations (including sampling and landing) on small bodies such as asteroids and comets' is the ability to provide accurate altimetry for descent, then assess safe landing sites by surveying the landscape. To address NASA's need for space-hardened planetary entry, desc ...

In this Phase I STTR project, pursuant to the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) and Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) interests, the proposed collaborative effort between WSU and Advratech will represent the first AM optimization framework of its kind, constructed entirely from experimental sensor data collected in-situ. Rather than using in-process data to inform limited "phy ...

Newly developed phase-engineered and low dimensional materials have opened the door to the design of materials structures that exhibit extremely efficient ionic transport. Recently, a new type of electro-filtration system designed to convert thermal power into purified water from salt water (or other ionic pollutants) has been demonstrated in the lab. The system is based on a bi-phasic nanoplate ...

Tyvak, in collaboration with UCLA, proposes a novel approach to the challenge of creating a large reflector for Ka-band high data rate links. We propose to attach the primary reflector surface permanently to the surface of a 6U spacecraft and illuminate the reflector using a Cassegrain style subreflector with an illuminating antenna that is permanently mounted to the transmitter / receiver inside ...

This NASA sponsored STTR project will investigate methods for close-out of large, liquid rocket engine nozzle, coolant channels utilizing robotic laser and pulsed-arc additive manufacturing methods. Copper to Nickel alloy interface strength will be quantified and metallurgical characterization completed. A thermal model based on Rosenthal?s analytical expression for a moving heat source, which has ...

The proposed 9-month research project aims for the development of additive manufacturing techniques for the creation of electronic devices. It will develop an innovative additive manufacturing technique that combines the ink-based printing with laser melting technology to directly print a three-dimensional (3D) system with built-in electrical properties and functioning as an electronic device. Th ...

Boulder Nonlinear Systems (BNS) and University of Dayton (UD) will team on development of a non-mechanical beam steering (NMBS) subsystem for Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) sensors. BNS will improve their current polarization grating (PG) technology which is capable of switching well over the +- 25 degree requirement called for in the solicitation. Advances to the PG technology specific to the ...

While much attention is necessarily focused on the evaluation and certification of the materials and processes involved in adhesive bonding, development is still needed in decreasing the cost, time, and complexity of the current repair concepts. A material and processing system is needed that allows the design, infusion, and cure of composite repairs without the current roadblocks imposed by ovens ...

Advanced turbomachinery components play a critical role in launch vehicle and spacecraft liquid rocket propulsion systems. To achieve desired efficiencies, extremely tight tolerances are often imposed between inducer blades and shrouds or other system components which sets up strong interactions that influence both the aerodynamics and the structural performance of blades and vanes. These transien ...

Chemical contamination of spacecraft components as well as thermal and force loading from firing liquid propellant thrusters are critical concerns for in-space propulsion applications. Gas molecular contamination and liquid droplet deposition due to incomplete combustion threaten to damage surface materials, sensitive instruments and optical sensors, and poses major risks for mission success. Liqu ...