Award Data

In order to address the NASA lunar mission, DESC proposes to develop a proton exchange membrane (PEM) closed-loop pure oxygen fuel cell for application to lunar surface exploration, building upon DESC's expertise and fundamental demonstrations in closely related technology. Building upon the recent NASA SBIR Phase II and Navy SBIR Phase I work, the static feed URFC hardware will be converted for ...

The purpose of the Enhanced Brine Dewatering System (EBDS) is to provide an easily scalable means of completely recovering usable water from byproducts created by reverse osmosis water purification systems without the use of consumable wicks. Extended duration Lunar and Mars missions will require the conservation and recovery of water to allow for autonomous closed environments that in turn can dr ...

The proposed Plasma Air Decontamination System (PADS) is a trace contaminant control device based on non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma technology that operates at ambient pressure and temperature and has the potential to replace the existing Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) used on the International Space Station and future exploration vehicles. Non-thermal atmospheric plasma has been ...

Long-duration missions may one day present the most demanding situations ever encountered in manned spaceflight. Success will therefore depend on the knowledge and flexibility of the crew and the critical tools at their disposal. This Phase I proposes to combine intelligent tutoring with highly interactive 3D simulation software to create an on-demand situational training and operations support sy ...

In order to meet the challenges of long-duration space exploration (e.g., missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond), onboard real-time health management of spacecraft that responds rapidly to system and subsystem events is essential. In response to this need, Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI), in cooperation with Vanderbilt University, proposes to develop a distributed multi-agent fault diagnosis and rec ...

Constellation Program, the next frontier of NASA's space exploration plan, targets for manned mission to Moon and Mars. The missions under this program will be of long-duration and far more critical than any previous manned mission. Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM), which includes fault detection, diagnosis, and prognosis, has been recognized as one of the critical processes that will e ...

The feasibility of radioisotope thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) power systems has been shown. The best efficiencies reported to date for a TPV module test include front surface spectral control filters. This program will address the technical challenges to developing and qualifying highly efficient spectral control filters that can survive high temperatures(above 150 degrees C)for long periods of time. ...

The technical challenge of imaging planets in other star systems is resolving these dim objects in the close vicinity of a bright star. This challenge requires the suppression of direct and scattered light from the star without attenuating or distorting the planet's image. We will develop and demonstrate high performance apodized occulting and pupil masks using a metal/metal oxide film blended to ...

Sierra Engineering Inc. and Purdue University propose to develop a non-intrusive plume instrument capable of detecting and diagnosing combustion instability. This Stability Diagnostic System (SDS) will be designed, assembled, and tested during this effort. The SDS will include a high-speed video camera and multiple photodiode detectors for observing the plume. It will also include a software pa ...

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are attractive candidates for use as power sources in aerospace applications because they have high specific energy, energy density and long cycle life. Yardney/Lithion Inc has become the leader in cutting edge Lithium Ion batteries. At the present moment, two of the Lithion batteries are operating on the surface of Mars with great success. In a conventional Li-ion b ...