Award Data

Metasurfaces are a fascinating new direction for producing small form factor optical elements that can be directly integrated with a variety of sensors and illumination sources. Metasurfaces have received extensive attention for their potential applications in imaging optics as they enable significantly more compact camera modules with enhanced functionality and because the unit processes to creat ...

Modern Directed Energy (DE) missions require target engagements at low elevation angles and long ranges.These engagement geometries require propagation through distributed-volume turbulence. To correct for distributed-volume turbulence effects, an estimation of the turbulence along the propagation path is required. Correcting for these image aberrations will improve the quality of the target image ...

Nutronics, Inc. and Montana State University propose to develop a method for characterization of the full Mueller matrix for reflective scattering from a test object. The Complex Object Reflectance Characterization System (CORCS) will initially be designed for laboratory use and characterization of test objects by active imaging to measure both the Mueller Matrix and the target depth associated wi ...

The introduction of computer vision in precision-guided ammunition will potentially increase their targeting capabilities, in particular for moving targets such as tanks, vehicles and mobile command posts. EO/IR cameras offer a relatively inexpensive, low-SWaP payload solution which, combined with latest advances in SIMD hardware (GPUs), are finally starting to allow running sophisticated visual g ...

In partnership with the Colorado School of Mines Alliance for the Development of Additive Processing Technologies and with support from the Johns Hopkins University Energetic Research Group, Special Aerospace Services will provide the Air Force with characterization of fully dense Selective Laser Melted GRCop-84 subjected to a variety of manipulations that affect key performance metrics for regene ...

The main objective of this STTR Phase I effort is two-fold. First, to develop a robust approach for coupling the flow solver Kestrel with the multidisciplinary software tool AERO Suite in order to enable the physics-based modeling and simulation of the dynamics of Aerodynamics Decelerator Systems (ADS) such as parachutes from deployment to terminal velocity or terminal descent and touchdown, and t ...

This SBIR project will develop and demonstrate efficient electron emitter based on carbon nanotubecopper (CNT-Cu) composite for passive discharging of spacecraft in plasma environment. A spacecraft moving through harsh plasma environment collects electrons, which leads to the spacecraft charging up to several kilovolts. High voltage between different parts of the spacecraft can ignite arcing, whic ...

Free Space Optical (FSO) communication systems provide many benefits for satellite communications, including high data rates and low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) compared to traditional RF communication systems.Additionally, FSO systems operate without RF emissions and are inherently immune to RF interference and jamming.The narrow optical beams and small Field-of-View of the optical receivers al ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes the development of a composite laminate cathode coating based largely on consumer off the shelf (COTS) industrial materials functionalized to possess a low work function, negative electron affinity surface. The cathode coating is applicable to any surface of a spacecraft, regardless of shape or material, and allows passive one wire operation for spacecraft cha ...

The objective of this program is to develop, demonstrate and implement a low reconfigurable, reliable Free Space Optical (FSO) link supporting high bandwidth communications for satellite to satellite or satellite to ground communication. The FSO Transceiver (Transmitter/Receiver) to be implemented will be small Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C) such that it can be easily carried by compact spa ...