Award Data

Under this proposed effort, we plan to test the feasibility of adapting our terrestrial jammer locator system (JLOC) to locating jamming signals in space by adapting our previously developed GPS software defined radio (SDR) technology to provide an SDR waveform that can operate on spacecraft to allow detection and identification of GPS interference. We shall also experiment with this waveform to ...

High bandwidth communication links are needed between satellites and ground stations, inter-satellite, and to airborne assets. As data loads increase and satellites available payloads decrease keeping the information flowing becomes even more challenging. In this SBIR program we will design and demonstrate the feasibility of ultra-low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) Micro-Laser Communications (M ...

Spacecraft charging and subsequent vacuum arcing poses a significant threat to satellites in LEO and GEO plasma conditions. Localized arc discharges can cause a flashover plasma expansion, that can lead to further discharge of charge stored on dielectric surfaces such as solar panel arrays, which can cause catastrophic events over large areas of the panel array surfaces. While spacecraft charging ...

Solar Electric Propulsion drives down the cost of space missions by using its high propulsion efficiency to step down from one launch class to another. As launch costs can be up to a third of total mission costs, stepping down to a smaller rocket can be a mission enabling technology in today's budget constrained environment.While missions such as Dawn have used this to visit multiple asteroi ...

Propellant densification systems for LH2 require compression systems that develop significant head. In the past this has required multiple stages of compressors running at high speed on grease-packed ball bearings with very limited life, large heat leak and questionable rotordynamic stability. This project will utilize foil bearings with an innovative feature that will greatly increase bearing l ...

The overall technical goal of this SBIR is the development of a commercially viable, small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) with a passive microwave sensor to enable high resolution mapping of soil moisture content. Current remote-sensing methods for sampling soil moisture often fail to provide measurements with adequate spatial and temporal resolution, or any indication of moisture content at typi ...

This SBIR project delivers an On-orbit Validation System (OVS) that provides performance and durability data for Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) active piezocomposite materials operating in the space environment. Our NASA customer is the Macro Fiber Composite Actuator Experiment (MFCX), which uses the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X) platform. MISSE-X will expand ISS utiliz ...

The innovation is a compact, reliable, light weight, electrically driven pump capable of pumping cryogenic liquids, based on scroll pump technology. This pump will fulfill several needs stated in SBIR Research Topic, H2.01: Cryogenic Fluid Management Technologies. Zero gravity cryogenic control devices (spray bars and mixers), require cryogenic liquids to be pumped efficiently. Propellant conditi ...

The increasing frequency of International Space Station (ISS) egress operations results in chemical contamination of the spacecraft environment. Among the most important contaminants are propellant residues (such as hydrazine) and their decomposition by-products, as well as coolants such as ammonia and Freon. Ammonia has a 24 hour Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentration (SMAC) of 7 ppm (Perry ...

The capacity of coherent LIDAR systems to produce a continuous, real-time, 3D scan of wind velocities via detection of backscatter of atmospheric aerosols in clear-air conditions gives this technology a clear advantage over other atmospheric monitoring technologies. LIDAR has proven its value in a number of applications, including the detection of clear-air turbulence, wind shear, and aircraft wak ...