Award Data

Vescent Photonics propose to design and build revolutionary non-mechanical, electro-optic (EO) laser scanners that will be suitable for space based laser ranging, with a specific focus on the upcoming Lidar Surface Topography (LIST) mission. The success of past and current space based lidar missions (e.g., ICESat, CALIPSO, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER) has demonstrated the utility of l ...

Mars Sample Return poses some of the most challenging operational activities of any NASA deep space mission. Rendezvous of a vehicle with a sample canister in order to return the canister to Earth requires a variety of complex mathematical processing on a changing data set, coupled with the need to safely and effectively handle a large range of off-nominal conditions and spacecraft faults. Light s ...

Micro-Space proposes to develop a low mass, automated form of the classic navigator's bubble sextant, with no moving parts, for rapid localization and reliable navigation on the Moon and Mars. Day, night, near side and far side lunar operations will all be handled. Exploration of the Moon (or Mars) without navigation aids comparable to those now common on Earth is a daunting, and generally unac ...

Real-time measurements of particle species, including NO3-, NH4+, and SO4=, are needed at multiple locations in and beyond the NCORE network to understand pollutant fluxes and dynamics of PM2.5, and to constrain atmospheric models. Existing methods have proved problematic for widespread autonomous deployment creating, an opportunity for development of a reliable, autonomous approach. The inn ...

Considerable progress has been made in reducing emissions from stationary and highway sources. However, new emission standards require that new off-road (non-road) diesel engines achieve emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other species comparable to those from on-road sources. Additionally, biofuel (e.g., biodiesel) powered vehicles offer the potential for increased NOx emissions. There a ...

The U.S. Navy desires non-intrusive, conformally-coated sensors on stationary and rotating turbine-engine components to measure temperature, pressure, and strain. These thin-film sensors must be durable to survive the harsh engine operating environment (vibration, thermal-cycling/oxidation). Engineered Coatings, Inc. (ECI) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), propose to continue our work in Ph ...

Fine water mist (FWM) is a promising replacement technology for fire suppression on the next generation of manned spacecraft. It offers advantages in performance, ease of cleanup, compatibility with on-board environmental systems, and ability to recharge during a mission. ADA Technologies has designed and built a prototype hand-held extinguisher that successfully extinguished test fires in an atmo ...

Access to space for Small Satellites is enabled by the use of excess launch capacity on existing launch vehicles. A range of sizes, form factors and masses of small sats need to be accommodated. An integration process that minimizes programmatic/technical risk to the primary, allows "late flow" integration and predictable cost/schedule for the secondary enables regular and cost-effective access. ...

We propose the continued development of a novel approach to the detection of chromosomal inversions. Transmissible chromosome aberrations (translocations and inversions) have profound genetic effects, such as disrupting regulatory sequences that control gene expression, or creating genetic chimeras. These chromosome aberrations play a causative role in cancer, and ionizing radiation is one of th ...

The Lunar Soil Particle Separator (LSPS) is an innovative method to beneficiate soil prior to in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The LSPS can improve ISRU oxygen yield by boosting the concentration of ilmenite or other iron-oxide bearing materials found in lunar soils. This can substantially reduce hydrogen reduction reactor size and drastically decrease the power input required for soil heating ...