Award Data

QorTek will develop an advanced hardware demonstration of a compact and functionally integrated tunable laser. The prototype will demonstrate a new dually opposed wideband extension-compression piezo-actuated approach to modulation that will enable larger wavelength excursion at sweep frequencies needed for emission or damage detection by NASA. The demonstration prototype will be VME board fiber m ...

Dynamically certified seats (16g seats) are being fielded in all jet transports certified since 1988. In addition, the airlines are steadily replacing their older seats with 16g compatible seats in the older aircraft certified prior to that date. The implementation of the dynamic seat requirements has encountered one unanticipated problem. Under normal use, seat cushions must be replaced with iden ...

The observation missions for the New Millennium Program will utilize new materials and sensor technologies that will require cooling to temperatures in the 40K to 150K range. A space radiator with high conductivity at low temperatures that is lightweight and has high stiffness is required. The opportunity presented in this Phase I proposal is to demonstrate a space radiator that will have high con ...

k Technology Corporation (kTC) proposes to develop a high performance satellite radiator material system that satisfies both structural and thermal management requirements. The proposed material system has a honeycomb core with carbon fiber composite encapsulated thermal pyrolytic graphite (TPG) face sheets. The encapsulated TPG face sheets have high conductivity (up to 1300 W/mK), low mass densit ...

We propose the application of sublimation purification technology (SPT) to the recovery of water from solid wastes which originate from functions of the spacecraft life support system. We will apply SPT to the purification of simulated solid waste media (SWM)which has a well characterized composition and morphology. SPT is a physical process and does not involve the consumption of any resources ex ...

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I Project proposes to use the semiconducting compound AlxGa1-xN to develop a photocathode for use in highly sensitive, solar-blind photomultipliers. The band gap of AlxGa1-xN has a long wavelength cutoff that can be varied from 365 to 200 nm as the AlN molar fraction increases from zero to one. Further, this compound can show a negative electron affini ...

Platform Digital proposes to develop a Remote Experience Authoring Language (REAL) that will allow educators, multi-media developers and scientists to create, quickly and easily interactive 3D models from NASA data sets for the study, evaluation and presentation of science in an engaging and fun way. REAL will enable the public to actively explore NASA remote sites via 3D computer game style repre ...

This Phase I SBIR proposal presents a very simple and practical approach to control the radiation from a surface. The method and prototype product developed as part of this Phase I proposal can replace louvers and provide improved performance with significantly reduced complexity and weight.The approach, which only works in a space environment and with a cold background, is based on the fact that ...

Magnesium heat pipes are proposed for development to replace aluminum heat pipes as the standard for spacecraft heat rejection at near ambient temperatures. Recent developments have demonstrated the potential for special magnesium alloys to be compatible with the same working fluids as aluminum, but offer a 35% reduction in mass for similar applications. A magnesium heat pipe could potentially be ...

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are remarkable materials with the highest strength to weight ratio of any known material. Successfully incorporating SWNTs as the reinforcing component of a composite structural material will provide properties far beyond those of any other material. Other researchers have added SWNTs as reinforcing fibers in epoxy resins. These experiments failed to produce ma ...