Award Data

Significant energy is required to operate and maintain the extensive U.S. military mission around the world. This equates to significant costs to the country. Smart power microgrids have proven to significantly increase efficiency, as well as enable the u

As the power density of advanced engines increases, the need for new materials that are capable of higher operating temperatures, such as ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), is critical for turbine hot-section static and rotating components. Such advanced materials have demonstrated the promise to significantly increase the engine temperature capability relative to conventional super alloy metallic ...

Automation improvements are needed to reduce the dependency on human reflexes and unreliable data links. Modern autopilots are capable of detecting loss-of-GPS and loss-of-communications. There is no mechanism for the aircraft to autonomously return to a safe landing zone under these conditions. Furthermore, experience has shown that existing controllers are not good at detecting bad position data ...

Development of the CESI focal plane and optics technology will lead to miniaturized hyperspectral and SWIR-band spectral imaging instrumentation compatible with CubeSat and other nanosat platforms. The project will implement the technology by developing a CubeSat-compatible SEMM instrument for global mapping of atmospheric methane concentrations. Specific Phase I technical objectives include: - ...

Robots need to know their location to map of their surroundings but without global positioning data they need a map to identify their surroundings and estimate their location. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) solves these dual problems at once. SLAM does not depend on any kind of infrastructure and is thus a promising localization technology for NASA planetary missions and for many ter ...

The Assimilation Dynamic Network (ADN) is a dynamic inter-processor communication network that spans heterogeneous processor architectures, unifying components, significantly improving flexibility, efficiency, and overall usability. ADN has the following main features: - A uniform programming model for intra-platform communication among heterogeneous processing resources that creates a homogene ...

This program will develop an ultra-high performance infrared detector manufacturing technology with improved performance and cost effectiveness, and reduced cooling requirements when compared to the best commercially available HgCdTe and InGaAs detectors. This will be accomplished using a two-pronged approach addressing both device design and materials. First, the conventional pn photodiode device ...

The innovative methodologies proposed in this STTR Phase 2 project will enhance Loci-STREAM which is a high performance, high fidelity simulation tool already being used at NASA/MSFC for a variety of CFD applications. This project will address critical needs in order to enable fast and accurate simulations of liquid space propulsion systems of relevance to NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) program ...

Advances in computer-aided mission planning can enhance mission operations and science return for surface missions to Mars, the Moon, and beyond. While the innovations envisioned by this program are broadly applicable, they serve an immediate and urgent need for missions to prospect for volatiles at the lunar poles (i.e., the NASA Lunar Resource Prospector Mission, currently in Phase A). These mis ...

Autonomous vehicles are becoming more and more integral to our nation's defense. There is a desire to increase the autonomy of these vehicles and enable humans to delegate those tasks that are more effectively done by computer. Achieving this will require