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 ...

West Coast Solutions (WCS) proposes the development of the SSC-X Stirling cryocooler to enable the deployment of infrared (IR) payloads on small satellite platforms. We achieve extreme miniaturization (

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 ...

As the orbital space around the earth gets more and more crowded with civilian and military reconnaissance, weather, tracking, communication, and navigation satellites - civilian and military users become increasingly dependent on the services provided by these spacecraft. This situation increases the possibility of offense actions against some or all of these spacecraft. The possibility calls for ...

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 ...

This Phase II effort will further develop a technique to improve current seeker discrimination and tracking capabilities using a unique particle filter algorithm (PFA) approach. The advancement represents a significant upgrade to current and future seekers facing advanced threats in stressing environments. Quantifiable improvements over many facets of the current approach have been realized during ...

Recent advances in the hypersonic system capabilities of adversary nations threaten the battlespace supremacy of US forces. Missile defense systems capable of extended high-g maneuvering at stratospheric altitudes and hypersonic Mach numbers will provide the MDA with additional flexibility in defending the US against emerging hypersonic threats. A key enabling technology for the deployment of such ...

We will develop automatic ontology-aligning software, leveraging the enormous existing Cyc AI system to drive the formulation and ranking (pro/con argumentation) of hypotheses about term-term relationships, especially where the relationship is not simple 1-to-1 correspondence. Multiple Cyc micro-theories (contexts) will be created, to hold incommensurate alternative mappings, and logical conseque ...

Gyroscopes are found in nearly every airplane, many cars, robots, missiles, and more. The reason for such broad, wide-spread use is simple: gyroscopes are excellent tools for determining rotation, and can be quite sensitive. Improving the sensitivity of optical gyroscopes while also reducing their size and weight has proven to be a significant challenge. To provide a solution, Los Gatos Researc ...

Quallion LLC proposes to continue development of its reference electrode technology into a commercial scale prototype and partner with the University of South Carolina to develop a life prediction model for cells cycled at high depths of discharge. In Phase II, Quallion will refine its reference electrode design based on lessons learned in Phase I, incorporate a reference electrode into commerc ...