Award Data

In Phase I of this project, SSCI carried out initial development of the Generalized Guidance, Navigation & Control Architecture for Reusable Development (GUARD). The resulting framework is applicable across different Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) domains, and enables further development and testing of reusable GN&C software for such applications. GUARD is based on the key functional req ...

The Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap (VCCTEF) concept offers potential improvements in the aerodynamic efficiency of aircraft through real time wing shaping. NASA and Boeing have been studying the suitability of this concept to address the drag reduction problem in aircraft with reduced-stiffness wings. However, reduced stiffness may lead to wing flutter. In addition, displacements of ...

Silicon Carbide based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) offer the potential to fundamentally change the design and manufacture of aeronautical and space propulsion systems to significantly increase performance and fuel efficiency over current metal-based designs. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and our team members at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) are developing, designing and fabr ...

Busek, in partnership with Morehead State University (MSU), proposes to develop a versatile 6U CubeSat capable of reaching a lunar orbit from GEO. The primary objective of the Phase II effort is to demonstrate a complete, mini ion propulsion system that provides ~3000sec Isp heretofore unavailable to CubeSats, with a solid-storable iodine propellant. This type of propulsion technology would be a ...

NASA missions, from earth orbit CubeSats to deep space, require thermal management. For this a switchable emissivity surface is desired, but the only established solution, mechanical louvers, is heavy and clumsy. In Phase I, Triton Systems working with materials scientists at a leading research university demonstrated an innovative film which switches from low to high emissivity above a set thresh ...

There is an extraordinary need for a universal biomedical analyzer that has broadly flexible capabilities for cell studies, small animal experiments, and crew member health. The goal of our rHEALTH X device is to create a single palm-sized device with tripartite capabilities: non-invasive measurements, cell cytometry analysis, and multiplexed nanostrip tests. Currently, there is no single devic ...

After successfully demonstrating the basic functionality of a damage-detecting, self-healing 'smart' material system in Phase I, Aurora and UMass Lowell aim to advance the material technology to a TRL 5 in Phase II. The team will use their 'smart' material system to design and manufacture various scaled-up core-stiffened composite specimens in application-appropriate geometries, and subsequently t ...

NASA is developing methods to collect and convert local resources such as Martian air (mainly carbon dioxide, CO2) into oxygen that can be used during the mission. The objective of this project is to protect such equipment from dust that may be sucked in with the CO2. We proposed an innovative dust filtration system that is ideally suited for long duration operation in Mars because it works well i ...

The proposed work will expand upon the Phase I efforts based on lightweight multifunctional composite materials with polybenzoxazine (PBz) matrices, with emphasis on high hydrogen content composites that provide excellent radiation shielding. The work focuses on material systems that provide multifunctional capabilities including strength, stiffness, and toughness. Phase I work demonstrated proo ...

The proposed innovation is a methodology for advanced process control and deposition analysis built around using signals generated by beam-component interactions in the Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication (EBF3) system. Based upon our successful Phase I results, hese signals have the potential to be used for many forms of both metrology and process control. While many material properties might be ...