Award Data

In response to NASA 2015 SBIR Topic H4.02, Air-Lock proposes to define the maximum allowable contact stress for Titanium bearings. The modulus of Titanium is lower than legacy spacesuit bearing materials (Stainless Steel). Due to this, Titanium bearings are more susceptible to deflection under man and plug load scenarios. Bearing deflection causes a limited number of balls to absorb the full load ...

In Phase II, the QSI-Vanderbilt team seeks to develop a system-level diagnostics and prognostic process that incorporates a "sense and respond capability," which first uses error codes and discrete sensor values to correctly diagnose the system health including degradations and failures of sensors and components, and then invokes appropriate prognostics routines for the assessment of RUL and perfo ...

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) proposes to develop and demonstrate an innovative high power density design for direct internal reforming of regolith off-gases (e.g., methane and high hydrocarbons) within a solid oxide stack. The resulting enhanced heat transfer design offers the potential for higher overall efficiency, simplifies the system, and enables further compactness and weight reduction o ...

The proposed innovation is a platform upon which to perform high voltage Electrical microGravity Research In colloidal Development (E-GRID). This platform will facilitate safe experimentation in space with colloidal samples at high voltages. E-GRID will be comprised of three components: the experiment module, which houses the colloidal sample and electrodes; the high voltage safety tether, which p ...

There has been a renewed push across NASA centers and programs to make Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) processes more efficient and results-oriented than the current cumbersome and expensive cross-checking processes using text documents, and transition to a repeatable and a cost-effective process of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). In parallel, Systems Health management (SHM), with ...

Functional robustness, resulting from superior engineering design, along with appropriate and timely mitigating actions, is a key enabler for satisfying complex mission goals, and for enhancing mission success probability. Fault Management (FM) is a crucial mechanism to ensure system functionality from system design through the operational phase of a mission. FM is implemented with spacecraft har ...

Ongoing rocket test operations at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) result in substantial quantities of hydrogen gas that is flared from the facility in addition to valuable helium gas that is vented to the atmosphere. One method that can dramatically reduce the cost of test operations is to recover these gases using an electrochemical process. A Hydrogen Recovery System (HRS), which has recently b ...

Long duration manned space exploration requires further closure of the oxygen loop of the life support system than is currently realized aboard the International Space Station. In order to further close the oxygen loop, NASA has been developing an advanced Plasma Pyrolysis (PPA) technology that reduces the waste methane to higher order hydrocarbons in order to better utilize the hydrogen for oxyge ...

The proposed innovation is the development of a cathode feed electrolysis cell stack capable of generating 3600 psi oxygen at a relevant scale for future exploration missions. This innovation is relevant to NASA's need for compact, quiet, efficient, and long-lived sources of pressurized oxygen for atmosphere revitalization (AR) and EVA oxygen storage recharge. Present AR equipment aboard Interna ...

A prototype high temperature, single optical fiber thermal imaging system will be developed, tested, and delivered to GRC. The components of the instrument will be specified in detail, designed, fabricated, and purchased where appropriate. The illumination and imaging system will be assembled and system tests will be performed. Given a set of calibration images produced by the diagnostic, the i ...