SBIR Phase 1 Solicitation   STTR Phase 1 Solicitation    Abstract Archives

NASA 2006 SBIR Phase 2 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Barron Associates, Inc.
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville, VA 22901-0807

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Ward
barron@bainet.com
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville,  VA 22901-2559

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Over the past decade, researchers have been making great strides in the development of algorithms that detect and compensate for damaged aircraft. Before these algorithms can be used in civil aviation, progress is needed to (a) ensure that these innovative and frequently non-deterministic algorithms will always perform as expected and (b) address challenges associated with integrating these algorithms into an overall avionics system. The authors addressed the second challenge by developing an integration approach called Operational Envelope Safety Assurance (OESA). In Phase I, the authors showed that OESA can integrate control, path planning, diagnostics, and structural health monitoring algorithms in a way that ensures the subsystems will never issue commands that put the aircraft outside its safe-operating envelope. In Phase II, the authors will formalize the approach, develop a general set of OESA subsystem specifications, and demonstrate safe integration of algorithms developed by other researchers under related research efforts. Phase II will culminate in real-time high-fidelity demonstrations of an integrated controller for a NASA testbed (either the Langley AirSTAR GTM or the Dryden A-53 F-18 testbed) and will set the stage for Phase III flight tests.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology directly addresses Level 3 IRAC elements of the NASA Aviation Safety Program, and touches on Levels 1 and 2. Additionally, by integrating structural health monitoring with inner- and outer-loop control, the approaches developed here would also be suitable for life extending control (i.e., using effector redundancy to minimize wear on key structural elements). Finally, the technology is directly applicable to NASA's space exploration mission in that it provides trajectory generation and control algorithms that are capable of compensating for unforeseen failures or massive uncertainties in atmospheric conditions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The immediate Non-NASA application is algorithms, software, and tools for the civil aviation industry. Additionally, the technology is well suited for high-level autonomous operations of unmanned vehicles (air and otherwise). The proposer has an excellent track record transitioning algorithms of this nature for industry for use in commercial and defense-related applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Integran Technologies USA, Inc.
2541 Appletree Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15241-2587

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Heard
heardr@yahoo.com
2541 Appletree Drive
Pittsburgh,  PA 15241-2587

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE) approach, successfully demonstrated in Phase I, that microstructural optimization provides a very significant improvement in reducing susceptibility to intergranular crack initiation and growth in conventional wrought Inconel 718. The principal objective of the Phase II research development program is to extend the applicability of the GBE technology from conventional wrought superalloys to more advanced powder metallurgy (PM) alloys, and in particular, the Low Solvus High Refractory (LSHR) developed by NASA. In addition, the program also includes a limited effort to optimize the GBE process for application to wrought Inconel 718Plus. The phase II program will build upon the success of the phase I effort, and will have the following specific technical objectives: (1) develop and optimize GBE processing strategies for optimizing the bulk microstructure of an advanced PM disk alloy developed by NASA (i.e., LSHR) and Inconel 718Plus, (2) develop a cost-effective GBE processing strategy for locally optimizing the microstructure of the PM alloy (i.e., LSHR) at the near surface, and (3) evaluate the mechanical properties of the GBE-processed alloys and benchmark with properties of their conventional counterparts.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA potential applications are for nickel based superalloy parts in gas turbines.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non NASA commercial applications include nickel based superalloy parts in land base gas turbines and automotive diesel engines.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Metallics
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NextGen Aeronautics, Inc.
2780 Skypark Drive, Suite 400
Torrance, CA 90505-7519

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Shiv Joshi
sjoshi@nextgenaero.com
2780 Skypark Drive, Suite 400
Torrance CA ,  CA 90505-7519

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NextGen Aeronautics, after achieving promising results in Phase I, is proposing a simple yet powerful damage identification technique for honeycomb advanced composite structures in Phase II. The proposed Phase II program is focused to achieve at least TRL of 5 and quickly commercialize technology in Phase III. The specific objectives are: 1) Improve Raleigh –Lamb (RL) wave based statistical detection technology; 2) Reduce NDE time by field usable automated data collection; 3) Develop end-to-end system software; 4) Develop detailed early commercialization plan. The Phase II development will provide a significant improvement in functionality of the system and put strong emphasis on process automation. NextGen is pursuing teaming arrangement with Boeing and Northrop Grumman to test the proposed system in realistic environment. During Phase I, the NextGen team established feasibility of the proposed system by evaluating it on a honeycomb plate, a common construction used in many secondary structures of aircraft. NextGen has chosen an outstanding team that has considerable prior experience, an in-depth understanding of damage modes in advanced composite structures, and comprehensive knowledge of damage detection techniques. Our team's combined expertise in health monitoring systems and our relationship with system integrators will ensure near-term technology transition.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's aviation safety programs (integrated vehicle health management and aircraft aging and durability project) have clearly identified structural health monitoring as potential operating cost saver. This program will directly contribute to NASA's push for improving aircraft safety. Many future aerospace systems will have elevated durability requirements, necessitating early detection of damage, predicting remaining life and mitigating failure. Some of the NASA space applications of the proposed system include X-37 demonstrator, space shuttle, international space station, and the orbital space plane programs. This system would provide a lightweight, inexpensive SHM system that would reduce launch turn-around time, increase probability of launch success, minimize life cycle costs, and increase the crew return mission success.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Obviously, commercial airlines faced with reducing fleet's operating cost will be interested in proposed system that reliably and cost effectively inspects aircraft structure at airports without altering or delaying flight schedule. Other non-NASA commercial applications of NextGen's health monitoring system include long-term monitoring of nuclear waste storage, pressure vessels, storage tanks, and piping, also automated inspection of nuclear power plants, Navy surface ships and submarines, and critical engineering structures.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
RL Associates, Inc.
1350 Edgmont Avenue, Suite 2300
Chester, PA 19013-3940

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Billmers
rbillmers@rlassociatesinc.com
1450 Edgmont Avenue, Suite 230
Chester,  PA 19013-3934

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We have investigated the feasibility of employing a hazard detection and mitigation system based upon a polarization discriminating range-gated Lidar system. This dual use system will be capable of both imaging targets in low visibility scenarios, such as smoke, fog, haze, light rain, and low light levels, and providing an early warning of in-flight hazards, primarily icing conditions in clouds. The polarization discriminating optical system and accompanying image processing software are capable of differentiating highly depolarizing surfaces from those that contribute little to depolarization. Examples of this type of differentiation include water and ice phases in clouds and hard-target surfaces surrounded by an aerosol particulate media. The NIR Lidar system is designed to operate around 1.5 m for maximum eye-safety, even when used from the ground. Major components of the Lidar unit include a laser transmitter, a fast gated detector, and polarization switching components. The performance of this type of system has been demonstrated in the Phase I project in laboratory experiments using custom built rain and fog generating chambers. Both image enhancement of a hard target and detection differing depolarization ratios were demonstrated. Backscattered noise from obscurants is greatly reduced by the fast-gated camera system, and a narrowband optical filter provides additional noise rejection. The NIR Lidar system can be easily integrated with a database of common object types for identification of hard targets, such as obstacles on a runway. Illuminated NIR imagery is ideal for providing images of hard targets, as object detail is very near that seen with a visible camera, unlike FLIR (forward-looking infrared) imagery, and the performance is equivalent in day or night conditions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Successful development of the NIR Lidar technology will fill NASA needs in programs requiring atmospheric hazard detection, surveillance, hazard assessment and imaging through obscurants. While system parameters of the planned prototype would make incorporation somewhat limited at this time, within the next 20 years, the FAA expects air traffic operations to increase by 150-250%. To meet the demands of this high traffic environment, the Next Generation of Aviation Transportation Systems (NGATS/"NexGen") will require significantly improved hazard mitigation systems both for ground-level and in-flight hazards. NexGen systems will constitute perhaps the largest and most important NASA application. The NexGen vision calls for new capabilities that would substantially increase the capacity, with safety and efficiency, of the National Air-Space System (NAS). Specific capabilities that are viewed as critical to the success of NexGen are Equivalent Vision Operations, which will allow the system to maintain visual flight rule capacities in instrument flight conditions, and Broad-Area Precision Navigation, which allows precise navigation anywhere in the airspace, including precision landing at any airport. The RL Associates Hazard Mitigating Lidar System addresses both of these capabilities by placing a high priority on rapid and accurate hazard detection.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Visualization through common obscurants such as fog, rain, smoke, and haze represents a difficulty for many industries as well as the military. As a result, the ability to add or enhance such visualization would have significant applications in commercial aviation, transportation and shipping, military surveillance and targeting systems, as well as law-enforcement and other related industries. These potential applications have already been studied, and the current visualization issues that they are facing are being identified, so that continued development of the current RL Associates program may address these issues. Key potential non-NASA customers/programs therefore appear to be commercial and military aircraft manufacturers (Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman), shipping builders (Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Kaverner, etc), shipping lines, cruise ship companies, automobile manufacturers, and the Department of Defense (DOD). Several branches of the DOD have systems which stand to benefit from this proposed hazard detection technology. Parties this technology targets include the Missile Defense Agency, for missile guidance systems, NavAir, for both airborne reconnaissance LIDAR applications and targeting systems, and Homeland Security, for in-port or aerial surveillance systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Optical
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Techno-Sciences, Inc.
11750 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300
Beltsville, MD 20705-3194

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Gaurav Bajpai
bajpai@technosci.com
11750 Beltsville Drive
Beltsville,  MD 20705-3194

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of the project is the development of an open architecture, computational toolbox for design and implementation of diagnostic and prognostic algorithms for aircraft electrical power systems. The management of typical failure modes of the electrical system can have substantial returns in the overall availability, safety and operating cost of aircraft. We propose several innovative techniques for monitoring specific components of the power system such as generators, converters, and batteries. The integrated architecture using general purpose symbolic processing, numerical tools and data logging makes this project especially attractive and will bring advances in diagnostics and prognostics to engineering practice. The toolbox will include code generation tools resulting in the ability to seamlessly integrate the designed algorithms by automating several key steps for the implementation phase. In Phase I we have demonstrated the approach using simulations and experimental test beds. The successful completion of this phase of the project provided a prototype health monitoring system and established a framework to integrate new algorithms allowing the rapid packaging of advanced health management techniques for validation and verification, flight certification and final system integration and evaluation. In Phase II, we will develop a diagnostics and prognostics toolbox that will allow the transition of advanced techniques for on-line health monitoring of power system components to operational situations. Outputs from the computational toolbox will be useful for scheduling both routine and preventive maintenance. The developed software and real time implementations will be well suited for packaging and integrating into vehicle health management systems for both military and commercial aircraft.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary application would be in prognostics and diagnostics for health management of next generation air and space vehicles. General purpose tools for evaluating newly developed prognostic and diagnostic model and data based algorithms. Lead to an integrated toolbox for the implementation of health management strategies.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Power System Management for air, sea and land vehicles is increasingly becoming important as critical systems rely on electrical and electronic systems to operate without failures. Techno-Sciences, Inc (TSi) has ongoing funded research for shipboard power systems management and aviation safety. By leveraging these efforts we will develop diagnostic and prognostic capability for use in the health monitoring system for commercial aircraft. The proposed techniques and technology have a wide applicability for commercial users as well; these include commercial aircraft manufacturers and airlines, electric power generation systems, other sea and land vehicles, and applications where distributed power generation is being used as a primary source or to supplement the grid power.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Database Development and Interfacing
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Barron Associates, Inc.
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville, VA 22901-0807

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jason Burkholder
barron@bainet.com
1410 Sachem Place, Suite 202
Charlottesville,  VA 22901-2559

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The overall objective of this research program is to improve the affordability, survivability, and service life of next generation aircraft through the use of ADAPT --- an integrated adaptive diagnostic and prognostic toolbox. The specific focus of the research effort is adaptive diagnostic and prognostic algorithms for systems with slowly-varying dynamics. Model-based machinery diagnostic and prognostic techniques depend upon high-quality mathematical models of the plant. Modeling uncertainties and errors decrease system sensitivity to faults and decrease the accuracy of failure prognoses. However, the behavior of many physical systems changes slowly over time as the system ages. These changes may be perfectly normal and not indicative of impending failures; however, if a static model is used, modeling errors may increase over time, which can adversely affect health monitoring system performance. Clearly, one method to address this problem is to employ a model that adapts to system changes over time. The risk in using data-driven models that learn online to support model-based diagnostics is that the models may "adapt" to a system failure, thus rendering it undetectable by the diagnostic algorithms. An inherent trade-off exists between accurately tracking normal variations in system dynamics and potentially obscuring slow-onset failures by adapting to failure precursors that would be evident using static models. The proposed ADAPT will feature an innovative new parameter estimation algorithm and new adaptive observer / Kalman filter techniques designed specifically for health monitoring. The research team of Barron Associates, Inc., the University of Virginia, and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company will demonstrate ADAPT using a high-fidelity electro-hydrostatic actuator simulation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This research effort clearly offers the potential for a significant leap in vehicle performance, operation, safety, and capability. The technology will require a demonstration in an actual-flight environment to fully characterize and validate the performance that is predicted in simulation. The research is particularly relevant to NASA's Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS), which has the objective of enabling a pilot to land an aircraft that has suffered a major systems failure or combat damage, and also to the Single Aircraft Accident Prevention thrust of the Aviation Safety Program in which Barron Associates has participated for a number of years. The ADAPT Toolbox will allow NASA and other commercial and military customers to develop adaptive health monitoring capabilities for many dynamic systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The tool developed in this SBIR addresses an area of theoretical and practical importance to facilitate widespread application model-based health monitoring systems and model-based fault tolerant adaptive control systems. Non-NASA adaptive health monitoring applications will target significant advances for numerous aerospace and land-based systems, including military fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned air vehicles, military and civilian land-based vehicles, shipboard systems, and commercial and general aviation aircraft. The vast array of corporations and federally-funded entities currently engaged in prognostics and health management research and development creates the potential for a large contract R&D market. Furthermore, the proposed ADAPT technology provides a natural complement to other advanced intelligent vehicle control products already under development at Barron Associates.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hyper-Therm High-Temperature Composites
18411 Gothard Street, Units B&C
Huntington Beach, CA 92648-1208

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Wayne Steffier
wsteffier@htcomposites.com
18411 Gothard Street, Units B & C
Huntington Beach,  CA 92648-1208

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Under Phase I, the feasibility of a novel thermal stress-free ceramic composite mechanical fastener system suitable for assembly of high-temperature composite structures was successfully demonstrated. The innovative 2-dimensional (2D) fastener design facilitates joining load-bearing hot structural assemblies and can be produced at a cost much lower than other competing designs and methods. Functional SiCf/SiCm composite fasteners having two (2) fiber reinforcement orientations of 0/90-degrees (cross-ply) and ±45-degrees (bias-ply) were fabricated for characterization. Testing of the respective fasteners included both axial tension and single-lap shear. The cross-ply reinforced SiCf/SiCm fasteners exhibited axial tensile and single-lap shear strengths of 38.0 and 33.1 ksi, respectively. The bias-ply fasteners exhibited axial tensile and single-lap shear strengths of 31.3 and 29.8 ksi, respectively. Using a generalized analytical method for determining the distribution of forces and stresses in the 2D mechanical fastener developed in Phase I, optimized configurations will be designed and produced in Phase II for evaluation. The metallic subcomponents used for Phase I demonstration will be produced using a high temperature-capable material (e.g., ceramic, superalloy). Aerodynamically smooth Cf/SiCm and SiCf/SiCm composite structural lap joints will be assembled using the optimized composite fastener system for characterization. Testing of the lap joint assemblies will performed to determine the flexibility and structural efficiency of the joint as a function of off-axis loading relative to the principal axis of the fasteners. Elevated temperature testing will be performed to establish the effects of temperature on the mechanical properties of the joint.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Hot structures fabricated from ceramic composite materials are an attractive design option for components of future high-speed aircraft, re-entry vehicles and propulsion systems to reduce weight and increase performance. One important detail in the design of such structures is that of joining and attachment. Large-area hot structures will likely be fabricated by joining smaller component sub-assemblies, since the technology to manufacture complex, co-processed integrated assemblies is immature, and hence of very high risk and cost. Conventional metallic fasteners and fastening techniques do not provide structurally tight joints over a wide temperature range due to the large differences in thermal expansion between the metal fasteners and the mating composite joint members. A metallic fastener, which is snug at room temperature, will loosen at elevated temperature. Excessive assembly preloading at room temperature to maintain a tight joint at elevated temperature may be detrimental to the structural integrity of the joint. Due to the inherent thermo-elastic and elevated temperature strength limitations of metallic fastener materials, ceramic composites on the other hand show real promise to enhance the high temperature performance of mechanically fastened joints in hot composite structures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Advanced materials that are capable of surviving sustained extreme environmental conditions, and improved fabrication methods that provide low-cost, robust solutions are needed to achieve specific vehicle platform performance and mission goals. Near-term applications for ceramic composites include expendable chemical rocket thrusters for orbital insertion, on-orbit attitude control system and/or divert thrust chamber components for commercial and military communication spacecraft and/or various ballistic missile defense KE intercept weapons. Applications for ceramic composites in advanced airbreathing and rocket propulsion systems and control surfaces for reusable hypervelocity aerospace vehicles are currently being addressed, however the issues of durability, survivability and maintainability are concerns. Programs are in place for evaluating reinforced ceramics for land-based turbine components, heat exchangers and radiant burners, which represent opportunities in energy and pollution abatement technologies that may mature over the next 10 or so years. Most of these stated applications require joining and attachment to some extent their integration with other components and assemblies.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Reuseable
Ceramics
Composites
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.
2750 Indian Ripple Road
Dayton, OH 45440-3638

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Hreha
hrehard@crgrp.net
2750 Indian Ripple Rd
Dayton,  OH 45440-3638

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase 1, CRG demonstrated the feasibility of a novel approach to prepare cyanate ester based elastomers. This approach polymerizes in-situ siloxane within a reactive elastomer precursor matrix in order to achieve an elastomeric material with highly tunable and desired mechanical properties. This methodology shows great potential in materials development for applications such as space deployable structures, space seals, and aeroshells. Using this methodology CRG was able to show that elastomeric cyanate ester materials having a vary broad range of thermal and mechanical properties could be formulated using a relatively small amount of CRG's synthesized monomers and other low-cost, commercially available components, such as low-cost, low molecular weight silicone materials. The cyanate ester elastomer materials exhibited excellent thermal stability, maintaining their elastomeric properties to temperatures below -100 C and as high as 300 C. The proposed Phase 2 effort will leverage Phase 1 results and CRG's other extensive R&D in elastomeric material technologies to bring the methodology to readiness for transition to operational use.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This project's technologies directly address requirements for a variety of NASA applications, including deployable structures, exoatmospheric space seals, aeroshell deployment mechanism, and adhesives. CRG has discussed the technology with engineers and scientist at NASA regarding specifically the seals, deployable structures, and adhesives. There is a need for an elastomeric material that has an operational temperature ranging from -70 C, as is the case for self-deployable space structure systems and space seals, to high temperature needs 250 C, as is the case for future high speed aircraft systems. The cyanate ester elasotmer material also is beneficial due to its resistance to space environments.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
CRG currently has a Missile Defense Agency contract to look at innovative rocket motor insulation materials. Aerojet has expressed an interest during that effort for the cyanate ester elastomer as a potential insulation matrix. CRG has also discussed the material technology with Raytheon regarding using the cyanate ester elastomer as a coating for its low dielectric properties instead of the current polyurethane coating. These are just two examples of applications, CRG sees the potential to use the cyanate ester elastomer in a variety of government and commercial applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Inflatable
Kinematic-Deployable
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Thermal Insulating Materials
Architectures and Networks
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Aircraft Engines
Aerobrake

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Los Gatos Research
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View, CA 94041-1518

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Manish Gupta
m.gupta@lgrinc.com
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View,  CA 94041-1518

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this SBIR effort, Los Gatos Research (LGR) proposes to develop a suite of laser-based diagnostics for the study of reactive and non-reactive hypersonic flows. These sensors will utilize diode laser spectroscopy to determine several critical parameters including gas temperature, velocity, and composition. Moreover, by using both multiple lines-of-sight and multiple wavelengths, the analyzer will also provide a measure of the spatial distribution of these important gas parameters in an engine test facility. The SBIR instrument will be the first system capable of providing real-time, rapid quantification of these important combustion parameters in NASA's hypersonic test facilities. Such quantification is essential to the development of improved reactive CFD models and subsequent hypersonic propulsion systems for future aerospace vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In order to develop next-generation hypersonic vehicles, NASA researchers rely heavily on ground test facilities and complex numerical simulations. These models require a series of assumptions regarding important chemical species and the nature of turbulent flow to become tractable. Due to the complexity of these models and their parameters sensitivities, current CFD calculations lack sufficient predictive capabilities. In order to validate and refine these models, it is necessary to equip ground test engines with diagnostics that are capable of accurately measuring the gas temperature, gas velocity, and concentrations of key chemical species at several points within the turbulent flow field. By comparing the diagnostic results directly to numerical simulations, the modeling of compressible, turbulent flow can be greatly improved, enabling the production of next-generation propulsion systems

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Besides its application to NASA, a laser-based gas analyzer also has significant commercial application. Through a series of strategic partnerships, LGR is developing a suite of analytical instrumentation to measure trace gases for medical diagnostics, industrial process control monitoring, and atmospheric research. The proposed work is essential in making these instruments more compact, rugged, and cost competitive, and will thus enlarge the potential market size significantly.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Testing Facilities
Optical
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Flow Parametrics, LLC
68 Bushy Hill Road
Ivoryton, CT 06442-1108

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Andreja Brankovic
brankov@flowparametrics.com
68 Bushy Hill Road
Ivoryton,  CT 06442-1108

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The potential benefits of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for aerodynamics and combustion simulation hvae largely been missed, due to the complexity of generating grids for complex topologies, and the requirement for boundary fitted grids which reduce the accuracy of the method. The Phase 2 Program builds on the Cartesian grid LES flow solver developed under Phase 1, and includes new techologies such as immersed boundary conditions, multigrid code acceleration, compressibility, and advanced subgrid scale models for turbulence and combustion. Experimental validation cases using NASA-sponsored experiments, and using actual aeroengine combustor hardware will be performed, comparing the LES flow solver results with experimental combustor exit temperatures, and with other code predictions, providing a unique opportunity for validation of the flow solver.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications within NASA GRC include project and test support of combustion experiments, including testing of novel fuel injector and combustor concepts as performed with P&W and GE at NASA GRC facilities. The LES flow solver will also work as a numerical framework for NASA in its on-going evaluations of physiscs-bsaed models of turbulence and combustion. The Cartesian grid approach promoted here will potentially standardize the use of LES solvers within NASA and industry, due to the reduced need for highly accurate CAD-based geometry definition of engine hardware.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The aerospace and power generation industries have expressed strong interest in this approach to Large Eddy Simulation, and feel it may finally bring the benefits of the technique to practical fruition. Specific users for the Phase II LES solver include Pratt & Whitney, Siemens, Spiritech Advanced Products, UTRC, as indicated by letters of support. A diverse group of industries, including automotive, biomedical, and other propulsion groups all have key product design issues that can ba best addressed by the LES approach.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Micro Thrusters
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
Combustion
Biochemical Conversion
Thermodynamic Conversion
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Dynamics, Inc.
1500 Bull Lea Road, Suite 203
Lexington, KY 40511-0017

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Patrick Hu
patrick.g.hu@advanceddynamics-usa.com
1500 Bull Lea Road ,Suite 203
Lexington,  KY 40511-0017

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed research program aims at developing a variable-fidelity software tool set for aeroservothermoelastic-propulsive (ASTE-P) modeling that can be routinely applied to the design of aerospace vehicles. The toolset can be applied to conventional vehicle types as well as hypersonic vehicles. The major issues involved in ASTE-P modeling and simulation will be significantly and extensively investigated in this project, which include full coupling between fluid/structure/control dynamics, the aeroservothermoelastic-propulsive instability, the viscous/turbulent effects, shock and shock-boundary layer interaction, as well as the large unsteady and highly nonlinear aerothermal dynamic loading on structure of vehicles. The interface of the structure/control surface dynamic vibration modes with flows will be modeled using particle-based material point method (MPM) in an integrated dynamic fluid-structure interaction environment. The MPM is essentially a particle-based method which avoids dealing with the time-varying mesh distortions and boundary variations due to structure/control surface deformations and/or motions (i.e. wing flutters, FCS/structural mode interaction, PSD turbulence response), thus being significantly more robust and computationally efficient than the traditional finite element methods that must utilize moving-boundary and mesh-regeneration. The results achieved in Phase I have demonstrated the initial capability; the end software in Phase II will be fully capable of ASTE-P analysis and evaluation for aerospace vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of variable-fidelity aeroservothermoelastic-propulsive analysis and modeling capability will benefit the testing and clearance of aerospace vehicles in NASA Centers by providing an essential design tool that is not currently available. The end software will be applicable to various aerospace vehicles from conventional types to spacecrafts, and would greatly increase the safety and efficiency of flight testing and clearance. The benefit in terms of improved specification, design and operational performance for diverse aerospace vehicles will potentially lead to savings in project time and cost, and increase the US space mission effectiveness.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
DoD components likely to have interests in the technology developed in this SBIR project are the US Air force, US Army and US Navy.Non-military potential applications represent a major sector from which sales opportunities can be pursued. Improvement of computational accuracy and efficiency is a common interest for wide range of aerospace applications and, thus is highly demanded. Therefore, the US aerospace industries, including Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Textron, and others, will be the major non-military potential customers that we will aggressively pursue.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Ablatives
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Simulation Modeling Environment
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Computational Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Desktop Aeronautics, Inc.
1900 Embarcadero Road, Suite 101
Palo Alto, CA 94303-3310

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Rodriguez
dlr@desktopaero.com
1900 Embarcadero Road, Suite 101
Palo Alto,  CA 94303-3310

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To enhance aerodynamic design capabilities, Desktop Aeronautics proposes to significantly improve upon the integration (performed in Phase 1) of a new sweep/taper integrated-boundary-layer (IBL) code that includes transition prediction with a Cartesian Euler solver developed at NASA. This combined solver will play an important role in the preliminary design of both conventional and unconventional aerospace vehicles traveling at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds. Complex aircraft configurations may be easily analyzed with the practically automated surface intersection and Cartesian mesh generation of the Euler solver. The proposed design-oriented approach to transition prediction will permit rapid assessment of aircraft that exploit natural laminar flow to reduce drag. To facilitate design and numerical optimization using the new aerodynamic analysis, a parameterized geometry engine that can quickly model complex aircraft configurations will be interfaced with the Euler/IBL solver. Desktop Aeronautics will also develop a set of optimization tools well-suited to use with the geometry engine and aerodynamic analysis. This set of tools will permit aerodynamic shape optimization and multidisciplinary design at earlier stages in the vehicle development process.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Aerodynamic shape optimization with an Euler solver and integrated boundary layer method is used by all major aircraft manufacturers and certainly at NASA centers. The advantage of the proposed application is the time required to complete a design problem. Because the Cartesian Euler solver is virtually automatic, extremely robust, and time-efficient, and because the integrated boundary layer method allows the Euler solver to be useful in many flight regimes, this application could be used on virtually all aerospace vehicles. The addition of a transition model provides a new and unique capability to design aircraft that exploit natural laminar flow.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
For the same reasons listed in the above section, the proposed new tool would be useful to virtually all aerospace companies that perform aerodynamic design. Cart3D is used extensively in many large companies such as Boeing, Raytheon, and TRW. Smaller companies such as Aerion and Andrews Space also make use of the tool. Adding a viscous model would greatly enhance the accuracy of a code that is already used throughout the aerospace industry. The new analysis method would be especially appealing to smaller companies who cannot afford vast computer resources to perform aerodynamic optimization with Navier-Stokes codes. Euler+IBL with automation allows the smaller company to also perform viscous optimization, perhaps even at the preliminary design phase. The transition prediction capability significantly extends the design space into the realm of natural laminar flow designs.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MIGA Motor Company
1250 Addison Street, Studio 208
Berkeley, CA 94702-1713

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mark Gummin
mark@migamotors.com
1250 Addison Street, Studio 208
Berkeley,  CA 94702-1713

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are metal alloys (of Nickel-Titanium, for example) that can change their shape when heated. When drawn and processed in wire form, the shape change is an aggressive contraction, with useable lifetimes of millions of cycles. Despite this fact, SMAs have largely been a scientific curiosity, finding very little commercial use as actuators since their discovery over 30 years ago. The apparent lack of practical application may be attributable to their low recoverable strain (~4% of total wire length). MIGA Motor Company has numerous international patents covering Displacement Multiplication (DM) techniques that allow us to package large strokes in highly compact, lightweight packages. Our current commercially available electric linear actuators provide 1/2" of stroke with 4.5 pounds of output force. We propose to develop several high force variants of our DM designs, allowing up to 32 lbf (high cycle count) or 48 lbf (hundreds of cycles) in a device weighing less than 2 ounces. The manufacturing techniques that we have developed in manufacturing the DM actuators have paved the way to expansion into the high force realm: high reliability wire attachment methods, use of high temperature thermoplastics, protected or over-molded precision chemically-etched stainless-steel stages, and various load-sharing techniques have enabled these powerful actuators to finally become a reality.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are numerous applications for high-force linear electric actuators in the aerospace industry including latch-release devices, telescope and instrument door and aperture mechanisms, thermal management louver and thruster control actuators, aircraft control surface actuators, and remotely operated vehicle end-effectors or grippers. Robotic manipulators, rovers, and other exploration technologies can benefit significantly from these lightweight, high-force actuators with an extremely high force/weight ratio (over 350:1). MIGA actuators are compatible with ultra-high vacuum: made entirely out of high-temperature thermoplastics, Nickel-Titanium, and stainless steel (or titanium). No lubricants are required. The total part count is very low, enhancing reliability on orbit or in any other application. Also owing to their extremely low weight, they are nearly immune to high-g loads, and can be placed on the ends of lightweight structures to provide high force actuation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The medical industry represents the most urgent need for modern, high force, lightweight, linear electric actuators. The miniaturization of electronic components has fueled the desire for more portable equipment, and much of the diagnostic equipment in the medical industry today relies on motors, solenoids, or pneumatic actuators to move, latch, squeeze, etc, samples and subjects -in ever diminishing package sizes. There is a huge pent-up demand for assisted medical devices: those which require a human input, but also demand higher forces than can be applied by a single technician, or for long periods of time. The defense industry is another important market, requesting efficient electric actuators that can open and close weather-station doors in harsh environments across the world, for instance. Security is becoming an increasingly important business sector, and there are numerous demands for integrated security solutions, including electronic latching, dead-bolting, assisted entry systems, and use as redundant mechanisms in biometric security systems. Each of these applications requires higher forces than the current MIGA actuators can provide.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Electromagnetic Thrusters
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Mobility
Manipulation
Perception/Sensing
Teleoperation
Erectable
Kinematic-Deployable
Cooling
Electrostatic Thrusters
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Biomedical and Life Support
Substrate Transfer Technology
Portable Life Support
Tools
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
M4 Engineering, Inc.
2161 Gundry Avenue
Signal Hill, CA 90755-3517

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Myles Baker
myles.baker@m4-engineering.com
2161 Gundry Avenue
Signal Hill,  CA 90755-3517

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The development of a library of Common MDO Objects is proposed, in which the software objects will automate a variety of recurring problems in the development of MDO systems. The focus of the Phase I project was development of MDO objects to implement multi-fidelity modeling and simulation within MDO systems, and to implement general inter-disciplinary mapping/coupling algorithms that can apply to disciplines such as aerodynamics, structures, and thermal. These modules will make it much easier to develop MDO applications, as the common issues can be solved by simply selecting the appropriate "MDO Object". In Phase II we extend this to the problems of design space exploration, uncertainty quantification, and analysis/test correlation, and demonstrate the approach on a set of MDAO problems.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The first NASA applications are the subsonic fixed wing and hypersonic vehicle programs under ARMD. The multidisciplinary nature of the technology makes it an ideal candidate for use any time a very high performance vehicle is designed, where interactions between components and disciplines is important. Examples include future high efficiency subsonic aircraft, quiet supersonic aircraft, high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, hypersonic aircraft, and next-generation launch vehicles (either airbreathing or rocket powered).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The multidisciplinary nature of the technology makes it an ideal candidate for use any time a very high performance vehicle is designed, where interactions between components and disciplines is important. Examples include future high efficiency subsonic aircraft, quiet supersonic aircraft, high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, hypersonic aircraft, and next-generation launch vehicles (either airbreathing or rocket powered).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Phoenix Integration
1715 Pratt Drive, Suite 2000
Blacksburg, VA 24060-6472

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scott Ragon
sragon@phoenix-int.com
1715 Pratt Drive, Suite 2000
Blacksburg,  VA 24060-6472

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To meet the design challenges of tomorrow, NASA and industry require advancements in the state-of-the-art for physics-based design and analysis frameworks. In particular, NASA needs the ability to make more use of physics-based models earlier in the design process. This will allow engineers to more accurately capture the complex coupling between engineering disciplines and to more accurately simulate the complex behavior of novel design configurations. Key technical barriers include long execution times, model and data complexity, and geometry management. In the Phase II project, Phoenix Integration will expand on the successful Phase I prototypes to develop new technologies and user interfaces that will help overcome these barriers. This project will focus on (1) the development of a flexible capability for implementing Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) strategies (such as multi-fidelity) in ModelCenter, (2) the creation of a flexible geometry visualization and monitoring capability for high-fidelity system models, and (3) the extension of Phoenix Integration's "Plug-In" infrastructure to better support a wide range of high-fidelity analysis and geometry management tools (CAD/CAE tools, meshing tools, mesh morphing tools). These technologies will combine with other NASA funded technologies to create a robust physics-based design and analysis framework for designing next generation air vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
To meet Fundamental Aeronautics Program goals, NASA requires the ability to perform Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Optimization (MDAO). MDAO enables virtual access to flight envelopes and virtual expeditions through the design space for the exploration of new vehicle and propulsion concepts. The proposed technology provides the MDAO integration framework necessary for implementing fast and effective physics based multi-system analysis and design tools. High-fidelity physics based analysis is essential to the understanding of novel new unconventional designs but is equally valuable when working at the performance margins of conventional vehicle and propulsion systems to improve efficiency and reduce noise and emissions. The proposed technology enables high fidelity analysis to be accomplished early in the design process thus enabling improved decision making. In addition to the achievement of Fundamental Aeronautics goals, the technology will be beneficial to many NASA programs at a wide variety of NASA centers involved in space, propulsion, operations, and mission designs.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are numerous non-NASA applications of the SBIR technology. A common element is the economic need to accelerate and optimize the design and decision making process. The proposed technology will provide substantial value to designers and engineers in aerospace and defense markets such as DoD, aerospace original equipment manufacturers (platforms, propulsion, systems), first tier suppliers, and research facilities. Related markets include other industries such as automotive, electronics, process industries, heavy machinery, shipbuilding, oil and gas, and utilities that utilize modeling and simulation tools in the design process. There will also be application in emerging markets such as alternate energy, medical devices, nano-technology, and space commercialization.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Patz Materials & Technologies
4968 Industrial Way
Benicia, CA 94510-1006

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Nicholas Patz
nickpatz@patzmandt.com
4968 Industrial Way
Benicia,  CA 94510-1006

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Patz Materials and Technologies has developed, produced and tested, as part of the Phase-I SBIR, a new form of composite cellular core material, named Interply Core, this new product is a major step forward in composite core technology. The Interply Core was physically tested to have twice the compressive strength compared to the same density aramid paper and glass fabric core presently available to the aerospace industry. In addition, the new core material has the ability be utilized without any change in the composite aerospace structures manufacturing processes. The Phase II project will be to develop the production equipment to make significant quantities of Interply Core and then build and test different material iterations to quantify all parameters of Interply Core's abilities. At the end of phase II the rotorcraft, as well as other aerospace industries, will have a new material to significantly lower weight without changing platform production methodologies.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Rotorcraft industry: One of the primary goals of NASA is to improve the state of the art technologies available to the aerospace industry. Supplying a new high-performance core material to the rotorcraft industry is the main focus of this proposal. Space Platforms: The cost per weight of material placed into space is astronomical. The creation of stronger lighter core materials could significantly reduce the weight of a structure, sub structure and even the launch vehicle enabling higher payload capacities less fuel consumed and less overall cost to produce the structure. Mars Unmanned Rotorcraft Vehicle: The reduction of weight on an unmanned rotorcraft vehicle for the purpose of exploring Mars is an immediate application in which saving even a few pounds of weight will yield immense savings in associate launch costs.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Structures such as military and commercial aircraft, ground vehicles and marine vessels have the potential to utilize Interply Core to increase strength while reducing weight. The new cellular core material could also be utilized in numerous sporting goods, optical benches and even cargo containers.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Continuum Dynamics, Inc.
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing, NJ 08618-2302

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Todd Quackenbush
todd@continuum-dynamics.com
34 Lexington Avenue
Ewing,  NJ 08618-2302

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Development of a new generation of high speed rotorcraft has been hampered by both an absence of strong predictive methods for rotors operating at very high advance ratio and a dearth of relevant test data. Phase I initiated work on these challenges with rotor tests and development of enhanced analyses for high speed flight. Phase I testing produced useful data on model scale autorotating rotors at advance ratios up to 1.7, thereby supporting analysis development and laying the groundwork for further Phase II testing. Enhanced yawed flow models for comprehensive rotorcraft analyses were also investigated and an enhanced lifting surface blade/wake model was developed and validated for improved modeling in this regime. Additionally, Phase I studied CFD grid generation and flow analysis methods for improved modeling of reversed and strong spanwise flows. Phase II will see further high advance ratio rotor tests, up to 2.5, and CFD analysis supporting the development of new validated models suitable for extreme yawed flow. These new models will be incorporated into CDI's commercial rotorcraft aerodynamics software for immediate use in rotorcraft design and flight simulation codes. A hierarchy of models will be developed supporting applications ranging from high resolution CFD to real-time simulation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
8. The proposed effort directly responds to NASA's SBIR solicitation goal of developing validated physics-based multidisciplinary computational tools applicable to the design, analysis and optimization of rotorcraft aerodynamics. Specifically addressed is the solicitation request for improved modeling of high speed and slowed rotor concepts. This project will provide timely support for projected technology integration work of the Integrated Variable Speed Rotorcraft Concept presently being conducted by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) through 2011. The proposed effort is structured to produce valuable unique test data on aerodynamic characteristics of high speed rotors as well as analysis enhancements supporting their design, particularly V/STOL aircraft utilizing a slowed-rotor system. The project will yield software for use by NASA and industry personnel - compatible with standard tools such as the OVERFLOW, CAMRAD II, and FUN3D solvers - in supporting such design and assessment activities and complement design work on variable speed propulsion systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is currently significant interest in high speed rotorcraft concepts within DOD, as well as among several civil developers. This interest has sparked ambitious and high risk/high payoff projects. Examples include the Sikorsky X2 co-axial rotor and the Groen Brothers/DARPA slowed-rotor heliplane. The test data and analytical enhancements proposed here would provide critical support in the design and evaluation of these concepts. In addition, the analysis and test data would facilitate design and assessment of other compound aircraft and unmanned vehicle concepts utilizing slowed rotors to reduce noise and improve cruise performance while maintaining an efficient hovering capability. The hierarchy of solutions would support both analysis of new concepts and the development of high fidelity flight simulations and trainers for new high speed/slowed rotor aircraft.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
JMSI, Inc. dba Intelligent Light
301 Rt. 17N, 7th Floor
Rutherford, NJ 07070-2580

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Earl Duque
epd@ilight.com
301 Route 17N - 7th Floor
Rutherford,  NJ 07070-3603

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Intelligent Light, the makers of the FIELDVIEW CFD post-processing software, in response to NASA SBIR Phase 2 solicitation, proposes an effort that addresses A2.10 Rotorcraft-Acoustics. The proposed work shall result in a specialized prototype post-processing system designed for large rotorcraft acoustics problems. This system is designated as RCAAPS – Rotorcraft Computational Aero-Acoustics Post-processing System. It is designed to expedite the exploration of large transient datasets that result from multi-physics based (i.e. Large-Eddy Simulation with aeroelasticity and acoustics) simulations as it pertains to rotorcraft performance predictions especially maneuver. It consists of specially configured hardware, flow solver, acoustics and post-processing software enhanced to take advantage of contemporary SMP computer clusters during both compute and I/O. The prototype system developed under this SBIR will revolutionize the way investigators explore large datasets and allows for more complete and thorough use of the complete CFD and acoustics data.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
RCAAPS has two potential benefits to NASA: as a highly effective tool to advance the usefulness of rotorcraft simulation and as a post-processing tool to support all types of unsteady design and analysis tools. RCAAPS primary focus is aeroacoustics, which has application in environmental noise reduction for rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft in high-lift configurations. The fundamental technologies (integrated high-performance parallel I/O, high performance CFD-specific numerical methods, 'point and click' interrogation of large unsteady runs) will be applied to the software products that the offeror currently markets, such as FIELDVIEW and FIELDVIEW eXtreme (for Virtual Reality environments), along with next-generation tools currently under development.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Aero-acoustic analysis is of high importance to manufacturers of both fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft. A system such as RCAAPS will significantly advance the tools available to various US industry for the design and analysis of environmental noise from such machines - this is becoming more and more of a priority today, both in combat and commercial operations. Companies such as Sikorsky, Boeing and Bell are among those who have expressed interest in this capability. Aircraft engine manufacturers such as GE, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce are beginning to utilize 3D unsteady simulations in an effort to reduce the acoustic signature of their products. Automotive companies such as Toyota and Visteon, both customers of Intelligent Light, perform aeroacoustic studies to reduce cabin noise through optimizations for external aeroacoustics and fan noise from air handling units. RCAAPS would enable the sound analysis for all these industries.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Optimal Synthesis, Inc.
868 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303-4622

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
P. K. Menon
menon@optisyn.com
868 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto,  CA 94022-1406

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Next generation air traffic management systems will be based to a greater degree on predicted trajectories of aircraft. Due to the iterative nature of future air traffic management algorithms, the success of these systems will depend strongly on the ability to rapidly generate trajectory predictions. By combining algorithmic improvements and high-performance computing hardware, Phase I research demonstrated significantly accelerated prediction of high-fidelity aircraft trajectories using the NASA-FACET software. Phase II research will build on the Phase I feasibility demonstration results to develop a full-scale computational appliance for rapid prediction of aircraft trajectories (CARPAT). The proposed architecture will combine the trajectory and airspace modeling capabilities of the FACET software with commercial, off-the-shelf high-performance computing technology. High-speed trajectory predictions and iterative computation of traffic flow management algorithms will be demonstrated under realistic traffic scenarios. The trajectory prediction appliance will commercialized during the Phase III work.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
By enabling extremely fast trajectory predictions, the proposed system will contribute towards the development and implementation of advanced air traffic management algorithms under the NASA-NGATS research program.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The hardware and software technology elements of the CARPAT system have several commercial applications. The high-performance computing hardware can be used in applications such as Bio-Informatics to accelerate pattern matching, automatic target recognition and multi-target tracking. It can also be used in flight simulation and real-time signal processing.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Computer System Architectures
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Intelligent Automation, Inc.
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20855-2785

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vikram Manikonda
vikram@i-a-i.com
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville,  MD 20855-2785

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Building on recent advances in formal agent specification, protocol composition, model composers, and visualization capabilities provided by development environments such as eclipse, the key innovation in this effort is the development of an agent model composition toolkit that will enable NASA ACES users to design and compose agents, activities, and models to meet specific design requirements. From a users perspective the front end of the toolkit will be very similar in spirit to a Simulink<SUP>REG</SUP> or a Matrix-X<SUP>REG</SUP> where users can drag and drop from a library of models, interconnect the inputs and outputs of these models, and run a simulation. In addition to composing models, a key feature provided by this toolkit is a family of "physical language specific adaptors" that will allow users to import domain models written in other languages such as Matlab<SUP>REG</SUP>. Integral to the Phase II effort will enhancements to the ACES-X, TAP architecture to enable plug-n-play of detailed 4-D trajectories in the terminal area, the development of a Command and Control framework for ACES-X and the development of a library of C2 models to enhance the capabilities of the ACES-X TAP.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our initial target for the product developed in this effort is the ATM modeling and simulation community within NASA. Over the last few year NASA ACES software has gained increased acceptance and usage by Air Traffic Management (ATM) researchers, concept developers and analysts. It is currently being used by the FAA, JPDO and other organization to develop and evaluate current and future airspace concepts in support of NASAs VAMS and NGATS efforts. The proposed ACES agent model composition toolkit will significantly increase the flexibility and usability of ACES, and reduce the lead time and cost associated with developing new concepts and/or inserting new models into ACES.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our target market here is the DOD and commercial modeling and simulation community sector. To address this broader modeling and simulation market IAI will extend and generalize the model composition toolbox for applicability to simulations using CyebelPro<SUP>REG</SUP> and make it available as a component of CybelePro suite of tools. Other examples of IAI's commercialization efforts in developing toolboxes for Cybele include the development of a game-theoretic toolbox, a distributed robot control toolbox, and DIVA, a case tool for design and development of Multi-agent Systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Computer System Architectures

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Intelligent Automation, Inc.
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20855-2785

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vikram Manikonda
vikram@i-a-i.com
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville,  MD 20855-2785

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The key innovation in this effort is the development of a decision support tool for distributed air-ground scheduling sequencing, spacing and merging of aircraft in the terminal airspace, and the development of modeling and simulation testbed that will enable the evaluation of NAS wide impacts of technologies related to Airspace Super Dense Operations in the Terminal Airspace. The SBIR will primarily focus on developing algorithms and a simulation testbed that will enable the modeling and fast-time simulation of simultaneous sequencing, spacing merging and de-confliction in terminal airspace, reduced arrival spacing (with altitude offset/co-altitude) for very closely spaced parallel runways at OEP airports (Super Dense Airports Concepts), High density corridors (tubes) characterized by parallel tracks and delegation of separation responsibility to the flight deck via CDTI and ADS-B and Rerouting for mitigation of weather impacts to terminal area operations The tesbed will be built on top of NASA's Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES). While ACES does provide gate to gate simulation capability of the NAS, it currently does not include the modeling and simulation support for spacing and merging related concepts in the terminal airspace. This research effort is a direction in meeting this technology need.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Technology developed in this effort is of direct relevance to NASA's NGATS– Airportal program. NASA's NGATS ATM-Airportal project currently supports this vision by focusing research efforts to develop, demonstrate, and validate operational concepts, proof-of-concept systems, algorithms, technologies, tools, and operational procedures for use in maximizing capacity and throughput in the Airportal environment. The Decision Support Toolkit being developed in Phase 2 will be of significant value to NASA analysts and contractors support Airportal research under cuurent NASA NRA's. In addition to the Airportal effort the Airspace program will also significant from enhancements made to ACES software. ACES is currently actively used by NASA contractors and researches.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Initial target market for the proposed technology are commercial vendors of onboard separation spacing and merging products such as ACSS, Boeing, BAE and Honeywell. IAI is currently working closely with with Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) who have offered to assist in evaluating and bringing the Phase 2 technology to market.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Computer System Architectures

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Complere, Inc.
P.O. Box 541
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-0541

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kevin Owen
fkowen@complereinc.com
P.O. Box 541
Pacific Grove,  CA 93950-0541

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
New wind tunnel flow quality test and analysis procedures have been developed and will be used to establish standardized turbulent flow quality measurement techniques and data reduction procedures for future flow quality studies in the National Transonic Wind Tunnel (NTF) and other Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) facilities. To date, few measurements have been made of the characteristics of freestream turbulence in transonic wind tunnels, and details of the amplitude and spectra of freestream velocity and pressure fluctuations is lacking. Consequently, there is an urgent need for in-situ measurements to determine flow quality and the performance of turbulence and noise suppression devices. This information is required if we are to accurately assess and characterize ground test facility performance. To meet these challenges, a unique research program is proposed to clarify and alleviate the aerodynamic problems associated with adverse wind tunnel flow quality. It combines innovative advances in data base assessment and management, and new approaches to turbulence instrumentation and analysis. Standardized turbulence measurement techniques and data analysis procedures will be established and used to document the flow quality in our major test facilities.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is a national need to develop improved test capabilities for proposed civil and military aerospace systems. Detailed flow quality measurements and assessments of the performance of turbulence and noise suppression devices will lead to cost effective improvements in wind tunnel flow quality which will be needed to help design and ground test the proposed new generation of fuel efficient commercial transports and advanced military aircraft proposed for the new millennium. Standardized test procedures will enable meaningful assessments to be made of individual tunnel operational ranges with adequate flow quality related to specific test programs. These advances will help provide NASA with superior test capabilities at competitive cost and so attract a viable customer base that will be required for cost-effective facility operations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Flow quality measurements are urgently needed in the Nation's major commercial test facilities if we are to successfully combat the ever increasing European test facility challenge. Wind tunnel disturbances must be measured to the highest accuracy to allow the aerodynamicist to distinguish between aerodynamic, aeroelastic, and Reynolds number effects. Measurements will help provide U.S. companies with improved characterization of the aerodynamic performance of test facilities through the understanding of facility flow quality. When adopted, these measurements will become a standard measure of flow quality. Facilities in the US and worldwide will seek to measure and certify their flow quality to these established standards.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Qualtech Systems, Inc.
100 Great Meadow Road, Suite 603
Wethersfield, CT 06109-2355

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Sudipto Ghoshal
sudipto@teamqsi.com
100 Great Meadow Rd., Suite 603
Wethersfield,  CT 06109-2355

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Fault detection and isolation (FDI) in spacecraft's electrical power system (EPS) has always received special attention. However, the power systems health management techniques have generally been limited to the energy sources and storage elements. Furthermore, these functions have been performed off-line by mission planners for the sole purpose of estimating future energy availability and effective device lifetime. As new programs and vehicles developed for space exploration, degradation analysis and prognostics in spacecraft EPS are becoming key issues for safety and success of these missions. QSI propose a novel approach to utilize ISHM decisions to estimate power generation, storage and delivery capabilities, and subsequently using the information for generating optimal reactive mission plans to maximize the mission success probability. The key innovations in the proposed effort are 1). Utilization of diagnostic, prognostic, and recovery decisions to estimate the power supply capability of a spacecraft EPS and assess its reliability; 2). Development of an automated process to optimally utilize the available power supply capability with consideration for maximizing mission success probability; 3). Generation of optimal reconfiguration options and concomitant control actions for spacecraft EPS by using the onboard reactive planner and universal executive.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Resulting technologies from proposed effort will provide an integrated solution for spacecraft EPS and other embedded system health management and reconfiguration to support higher level goals (e.g., mission planning). The efforts will also lead to techniques and software packages that will be readily deployable for integrated system health management (ISHM) in Orion, the crew exploration vehicle (CEV) of the Constellation program. The technologies and processes can also be utilized in the crew launch vehicle (CLV) and long-duration unmanned space missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The new technologies from proposed effort will provide an integrated solution for Electrical Power System (EPS) and other embedded system health management and reconfiguration. The technologies can be applied to many commercial applications which contain embedded diagnostic and prognostic subsystems, such as commercial airplanes, hybrid vehicles and ships, industrial automation and semiconductor manufacturing machinery.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Testing Requirements and Architectures
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Computer System Architectures
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Expert Systems
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ridgetop Group, Inc.
6595 N Oracle Road, Suite 153B
Tucson, AZ 85704-5645

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Justin Judkins
justin@ridgetop-group.com
6595 N Oracle Rd, Suite 153B
Tucson,  AZ 85704-5645

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Ridgetop's role is to develop electronic prognostics for sensing power systems in support of NASA/Ames ADAPT testbed. The prognostic enabled power systems from Ridgetop are to be integrated into NASA's Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT) and later used in the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Prognostics will provide power supply "state of health", remaining useful life (RUL) and notify operators of impending failures so that load-shedding or orderly switch-overs can be supported. Using the ADAPT at NASA/Ames Research Center, Ridgetop will design, implement and validate a prototype prognostic sensor that employs both analog circuits and digital logic in a microcontroller unit (MCU) or microproprocessor controller (MPC) to "prognostics-enable" a high efficiency switching power converter. The ADAPT is a testbed, developed to explore health-management systems in manned spaceflight with three main goals: 1) to assess performance of diagnostic tools and algorithms against a standardized testbed and repeatable failure scenarios, 2) to develop prognostic models (performance degradation, remaining life estimation) for spacecraft subsystems, and 3) prototype Advanced Caution and Warning System (ACAWS) algorithms and user interfaces. By developing effective and practical prognostics for a power supply, Ridgetop's role will be to extend the capabilities of the ADAPT testbed.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Ridgetop's plans are to work closely with the NASA Office and its contractors on the application of Electronic Prognostics to a representative Switch-Mode Power System within NASA. To that end, Ridgetop has had communications with NASA engineers, and has conducted meetings with Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. In addition, prognostics can support remote diagnostics/prognostics. The value proposition to customers is that early detection of impending failures can be made remotely, via the web, and corrective actions employed quickly to preserve overall system integrity. With remote systems deployed on other planets, autonomous operation enabled with electronic prognostics is very important. Advanced warnings and mitigation of failures is facilitated using electronic prognostics that detect an impending failure before it occurs. For example, there is a 40-minute bidirectional communication delay in Mars-to-Earth communications. Another application is to detect the degradation of power systems during flights of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) spacecraft in real-time. The CEV is the actual crew capsule that will transport up to six crew members on missions to the International Space Station, lunar missions, and deep space travel to Mars and beyond. Ridgetop will extend the ADAPT testbed capabilities by developing practical prognostics for power supplies.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is large potential for prognostics in the commercial sector which is expected to exceed $200M by the year 2010. Ridgetop has segmented the market to focus on high reliability applications such as automotive, banking systems, industrial process control, and commercial aerospace applications. Prognostics can leverage existing diagnostic backbones such as JTAG, I2C and CAN buses, to support Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and Prognostics/Health Management (PHM) strategies for critical industrial applications. For CBM and PHM applications, the value to preserving operational readiness is paramount and these applications are not expected to be cost-sensitive. Ridgetop estimates the following market sizes for health monitoring systems that have tremendous commercial application for the enabling of prognostics on power systems: - Military Market (aircraft and helicopter): $170B by 2015 at an annual growth rate of 5% - Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO): $64B by 2010

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Perception/Sensing
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Biomedical and Life Support
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Expert Systems
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Adventium Enterprises, LLC
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55401-2551

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mark Boddy
mark.boddy@adventiumlabs.org
111 Third Ave. S., Suite 100
Minneapolis,  MN 55401-2551

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR addresses the problem that current V&V technology provides component guarantees, but does not do well on system properties. Human acceptance of autonomy hinges on trusting system-level behavior. The goal is to develop technology to verify system properties for high-level autonomous control of complex systems operating in rich and unpredictable environments. The System-Level Autonomy Trust Enabler (SLATE) applies constraint-based models and reasoning to support incremental modifications necessary for system-level V&V of fixed and reconfigurable systems, given component-level guarantees. The significance of this innovation is to enable trusted high-level autonomous control systems across a wide range of critical applications, including manned and unmanned spacecraft, rovers, and habitats. If successful, this will simplify the process of control system design, maintenance, and reconfiguration in response to changes in the environment, the system being controlled, or the mission profile. Phase I addressed SLATE feasibility for requirements representation and reasoning. A TRL-4 proof-of-concept prototype on a multi-level robotic control system, implementing a surface robotics exploration mission, demonstrated that SLATE is feasible in practice. Phase II will develop an application-specific version and provide a user interface, improve performance and reasoning, and demonstrate operation on a NASA application.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
SLATE has the potential to be useful on any NASA mission requiring some form of complex automation, whether or not the mission is manned. Two NASA directorates are relevant to SLATE's contribution to Automation for Operations (A4O): Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and the Space Operations Mission Directorate. In each, SLATE has a role in system-level V&V, both for design time as well as operational reconfiguration in onboard execution of rovers, managing rover operations, and human procedure development. Specific applications include ATHLETE, K-10, Robonaut. For the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle programs, SLATE can be used support compositional verification and V&V of human procedures developed for operations and ground controllers.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The design and V&V benefits of SLATE extend beyond space-based systems to include other complex, high-value, life-critical control systems. Department of Defense UAS missions, for example, are expanding beyond remote sensing missions to include target illumination and weapons delivery, e.g., the vertical takeoff and landing tactical UAV (VTUAV) MQ-8B Fire Scout and MQ-9 Reaper, and the Hellfire-enhanced MQ-1B Armed Predator. Concerns range from satisfying strict rules of engagement (e.g., positive target identification), collateral damage and non-combatant casualties, and risk to friendly resources, especially when a UAS returns with weapons to base, a particularly high-risk scenario for ship-based UASs. Other potential customers include airframe integrators and supporting vendors, US critical infrastructure owners with significant unattended operating requirements such as remote pumping and transfer stations, and requirements design and analysis vendors.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Intelligence
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
K-12 Outreach
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Traclabs, Inc.
8610 N. New Braunfels, Suite 110
San Antonio, TX 78217-2356

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Kortenkamp
korten@traclabs.com
1012 Hercules
Houston,  TX 77058-0000

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The new Constellation vehicles, habitats and robots will be highly sensored and generate large amounts of data. For this data to be useful to humans monitoring these systems and to automated algorithms controlling these systems it will need to be converted into more abstract data. This abstracted data will reflect the trends and characteristics of the systems and their environments. Currently this data abstraction process is manual and ad hoc. It is manual in the sense that either humans do the abstraction in their heads or the data abstraction is done by hand-coding computer programs for each data item. It is ad hoc in the sense that each data abstraction is developed on its own with no representation of how it relates to the tasks being performed or to other data abstractions. In this project we propose building a Data Abstraction Architecture (DAA) that allows engineers to design software processes that iteratively convert spacecraft data into higher and higher levels of abstraction. The DAA also formalizes the relationships between data and control and the relationships between the data themselves. The DAA consists of representations for data and data abstractions, a data store, a abstraction architecture processing engine and a development environment. We will evaluate the architecture using three NASA domains: 1) a lunar outpost monitoring and control application; 2) a robotic scientific survey application; and 3) a vehicle procedure execution scenario.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
With NASA investing many billions of dollars in the first new spacecraft in thirty years, there will be many opportunities for advanced information technology. We will target the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) prime contractor (Lockheed Martin) or one of their subcontractors (e.g., Honeywell) as partners. We will also target NASA Mission Operations Directorate ( MOD) and United Space Alliance (USA) as a customer for data abstraction in ground operations. In addition, NASA's robotic missions and uncrewed space vehicles are also potential customers. NASA commercialization will focus on two areas. First, human monitoring of space system (e.g., mission control). In this case, the DAA is being used to provide human operators with abstracted data about the system to support their decisions. The operators could easily create new DAAs for specific tasks that they have. The second NASA application is as a companion to spacecraft and robotic automation. Most automation software requires abstracted data in order to operate. This project will allow data abstractions to be created outside of the control software and connected via the data store. Control engineers would specify what data they needed for their control tasks and a DAA would be built to supply that data. We estimate we will have five NASA customers within five years of the end of Phase II.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
he Department of Defense (DOD) is the primary non-NASA commercialization customer. Unmanned vehicles, both air, ground and underwater, are becoming more and more common in battlefield situations. Future Combat Systems (FCS) envision manned and unmanned vehicles of all sizes working side-by-side. In addition, Congress has mandated that one-third of all military vehicles must be unmanned by 2015. Unmanned air vehicles patrol the borders in Iraq and provide intelligence to support ground operations. Current vehicles require multiple crew members to fly each mission. Often missions cannot be performed because there are not enough trained crews. Software that can allow one person (or a ground commander) to obtain information directly from several vehicles in an integrated fashion would provide a significant return on investment. Our software will help reduce the operator burden and increase productivity and mission success. Civilian uses of unmanned vehicles are expanding rapidly. The recently announced immigration reform bill authorizes unmanned air vehicles to patrol the US borders. Commercial companies might also use unmanned vehicles to fight forest fires, patrol large installations, track wildlife or take pictures. We expect that commercial applications of our software will mature as unmanned vehicles become more prevalent over the next decade.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Intelligence
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Database Development and Interfacing
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Development Environments

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
GrammaTech, Inc.
315-317 N. Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850-4201

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael McDougall
mcdougall@grammatech.com
317 N. Aurora Street
Ithaca,  NY 14850-4201

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Validating software is a critical step in developing high confidence systems. Typical software development practices are not acceptable in systems where failure leads to loss of life or other high costs. Software best practices for high confidence systems are often codified as coding rules. Adhering to these practices can increase software readability and predictability, thereby enhancing quality. However, adherence is limited by the lack of high-quality tools to measure adherence automatically. Checking rule conformance requires a diverse set of software analysis technologies, ranging from syntactic analysis to sophisticated inference of runtime behavior. By combining lightweight verification techniques with other scalable analysis techniques that target syntactic and other static properties, we will create a tool that flags violations for almost all the rules typically applied to high-assurance code. Our Phase I work demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. In Phase I, we developed a tool for checking compliance with rules developed for JPL flight software. The tool leveraged GrammaTech's existing technology for static analysis, including facilities for analyzing a program's abstract syntax tree, control-flow graph, and inferred runtime behavior. The prototype successfully checks a set of rules designed for high-assurance software. Our experiments show that the tool adds only minimal overhead to our CodeSonar bug-finding tool, and generates few or no spurious results that could distract or annoy users.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed tool will be applicable to all NASA centers and contractors that develop or validate flight software written in C/C++. Flight software must meet a higher standard of quality than typical general-purpose software, and a common technique for encouraging quality software is by applying coding rules. For example, Holzmann's Ten Rules are being adopted for mission-critical flight software across JPL. The proposed tool will search source code and flag those parts that do not conform to the rules. The tool will improve flight software development by: - Identifying non-conformant code that slips through other quality control efforts, and thereby increase software quality. - Reducing the effort required for manual code review. Code inspectors can spend more time on identifying subtle flaws in software and less on checking rule compliance. - Encouraging codification and application of best practices. The presence of a tool to define and check coding rules will make it easier for engineers and project managers to apply best practices to projects that would otherwise ignore them because manual inspections are too cumbersome. Additionally, the new rules generated in Phase II will help increase software quality at adopting centers by constraining source code to avoid patterns that could lead to faults.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed tool will search source code and flag those parts that do not conform to coding standards and best practices. The tool will improve software development by: - Identifying non-conformant code that slips through other quality control efforts, and thereby increase software quality. - Reducing the effort required for manual code review. Code inspectors can spend more time on identifying subtle flaws in software and less on checking rule compliance. - Encouraging codification and application of best practices. The presence of a tool to define and check coding rules will make it easier for engineers and project managers to apply best practices to projects that would otherwise ignore them because manual inspections are too cumbersome. We expect the Phase II work will be applicable in any industry that develops high confidence software. Department of Defense projects often adopt their own coding standards for safety-critical software (for example, the Joint Strike Fighter project). Defense contractors can use the proposed tool to identify non-compliant code cheaply, increasing productivity and software quality. Other industries that develop high-assurance code, such as the automotive, medical device, and banking industries, can apply the tool to enhance their own development processes.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Software Development Environments

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
CFD Research Corporation
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805-1944

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Marek Turowski
mt@cfdrc.com
215 Wynn Dr.
Huntsville,  AL 35805-1944

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
All NASA exploration systems operate in the extreme environments of space and require reliable electronics capable of handling a wide temperature range (-180ºC to +130ºC) and high radiation levels. To design low-temperature radiation-hardened (rad-hard) electronics and predict circuit and system characteristics, such as error rates, modeling tools are required at multiple levels. To determine the electrical responses of transistors and circuits to radiation events, physics-based Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) and mixed-level tools are required. This project will provide models and tools that will improve capabilities for prediction of technology-dependent responses to radiation in wide temperature range, which will lead to better design of rad-hard electronics, better anticipation of design margins, and reduction of testing cost and time. Future NASA missions will use nanometer-scale electronic technologies which call for a shift in how radiation effects in such devices and circuits are viewed. Nano-scale electronic device responses are strongly related to the microstructure of the radiation event. This requires a more detailed physics-based modeling approach, which will provide information for higher-level engineering models used in integrated circuit (IC) and system design. Hence, the proposed innovation: detailed high-energy-physics-based simulations of radiation events (using MRED/Geant4 software from Vanderbilt University) efficiently integrated with advanced device/circuit response computations by CFDRC NanoTCAD three-dimensional (3D) mixed-level simulator. This will also enable a large number of statistically meaningful runs on a massively parallel supercomputing cluster. The extreme low temperature physics models combined with radiation effects will be validated with the help of consultant, Dr. John Cressler (Georgia Tech), in collaboration with the NASA Extreme Environment Electronics program, and serving the NASA RHESE Program (led by NASA-MSFC).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Prediction of electrical performance and radiation hardness of electronic components in extreme environments (wide temperatures, high radiation) are crucial to design reliable electronics for all NASA Exploration Missions (Moon, Mars, etc.), for both crewed and robotic systems. Since electronic parts are getting smaller, the radiation/temperature effects are more severe – the life time and reliability become essential – the capability to predict them increases confidence and reduces risk. The new tools will be immediately applicable to the NASA Radiation Hardened Electronics for Space Exploration (RHESE) Program, and other mission programs. The new models and design tools will help NASA to: 1) assess and select new electronics technologies, materials, and devices for very low temperature operation in radiation environments; 2) investigate, generate, test, and validate new fast/compact engineering models ("toy models") used in designing larger circuits and systems; 3) design low-temperature rad-hard electronics with better understanding and control of design margins, and evaluate redundancy scenarios; 4) predict circuit and system level characteristics, such as error rates; 5) better evaluate the wide-temperature performance and radiation response at an early design stage; 6) set requirements for hardening and testing; 7) reduce the amount of testing cost and time.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential other users include all space electronics suppliers, in particular for DoD space communication, surveillance, and imaging systems, as well as commercial satellites. Since modern electronic technologies and parts are getting smaller all the time, the radiation and extreme temperature effects become more severe, the life time and reliability become essential, and the capability to predict them increases confidence and reduces risk. The new computer aided design (CAD) tools can also be applied for cryogenic electronics for high-sensitivity, low-noise analog and mixed-signal applications, such as metrology, infrared (IR) imagers, sensors (radiation, optical, X-ray), radiometrology, precision instruments, radio and optical astronomy, infrared and photon detectors, and other high-end equipment. For all such devices and systems, predictive and accurate modeling and design tools reduce the amount of required radiation/temperature testing, thus decreasing their cost, and time to market or field application.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Synkera Technologies, Inc.
2021 Miller Drive, Suite B
Longmont, CO 80501-6787

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Oleg Polyakov
opolyakov@synkera.com
2021 Miller Drive, Suite B
Longmont,  CO 80501-6787

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR Phase II project proposes the development of lightweight compact nanostructured catalytic reactors for air purification from toxic gaseous organic pollutants, particulate matter, and microorganisms. Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) will be catalytically oxidized inside high-density arrays of uniform cylindrical nanopores that comprise the reactor. The nanopores of the catalytic substrate are conformally coated with appropriate catalyst, forming ultra-high aspect ratio, high surface area, cylindrical nanoreactors. Such unique architecture provides improved mass and heat transfer and ensures conversion of volatile organics into non-toxic products with unmatched efficiency. The proposed low-mass, low-volume and low-power-consumption reactors are intended to replace conventional packed-bed catalytic oxidizers used currently for removal of trace organic contaminants from spacecraft atmospheres. The Phase I project unequivocally demonstrated the feasibility of VOCs oxidation and confirmed the strong competitive advantages of the proposed architecture over conventional reactors and structured catalysts. The Phase II goal now is to develop, fabricate and validate nanochannel reactor prototypes, and to initiate their integration into air purification modules. The expected result is commercially viable, low-cost, compact yet highly efficient and robust nanochannel reactors for air purification.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Proposed catalytic nanochgannel array reactors will enable advanced performance, mass, volume and power savings for catalytic oxidation subassemblies for trace organic contaminant removal from spacecraft and space habitat atmospheres. The proposed technology is expecially suitable for long-duration missions, such as orbital stations, lunar lander and lunar outpost, as well as future human flights to Mars.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will enable advanced performance of personal and collective protection equipment, such as air purification systems on board of commercial aircraft; commercial, industrial and medical air purification systems; military and civil defense air purification and CBRD protection systems; personal protection equipment (escape hoods, gas masks, respirators). Spin-off commercial applications of nanostructured reactors include fuel reformers for fuel cells, catalytic combustors and burners, chemical microreactors, membrane-reactors for numerous applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ceramics
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Connecticut Analytical Corporation
696 Amity Road
Bethany, CT 06524-3006

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Joseph Bango
jbango@ctanalytical.com
696 Amity Road
Bethany,  CT 06524-3006

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In stark contrast to current stagnation-based methods for capturing airborne particulates and biological aerosols, our demonstrated, cost-effective electrospray technology employs an entirely different approach based on the remarkable effectiveness of small, highly charged liquid droplets formed from an electrospray source to "getter" both particles and polar molecules dispersed in a gas. Less capable and expensive collection system technologies are generally based on stagnation of high velocity ambient airflow on a collecting surface. The momentum of particles and heavy molecules precludes their following gas streamlines during this stagnation. Instead, they concentrate and are trapped on the detector's surface if the surface is "sticky," or concentrated in the surface boundary layer, which can be separated from the mainstream flow and collected. Typically, current separation methodology collects about 50 percent of the particles between 1.0 and 10 microns in diameter from a flow of 500 L/min with a power consumption of up to 500 watts; i.e., about 1 watt of power is required for a small fan to compress 1 liter of air per minute to produce the high velocity airflow necessary for effective trapping of small bio-particles and heavy molecules. However, our electrospray technology consumes negligible power and achieves virtually 100 percent particle collection. In fact, we have demonstrated that the power efficiency of electrospray gettering for a single electrospray emitter to collect 100 percent of the particles, often without a fan, at 10,000 times greater than the power efficiency of state of the art systems.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Spacecraft and spacesuit environmental particulate and hazardous chemical and biological species mitigation will be of paramount concern on future Moon missions and possible Mars exploration. The electrospray gettering technology can be used to continuously remove particulate and chemical species listed in NASA's SMAC list as well as aerosolized biological species, offering all the advantages of conventional electrostatic filtration methods but devoid of any ozone production and at far lower power requirements.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Electrospray gettering may be applied to Building HVAC "Collect-To-Protect" applications for counter-terror protection, home HVAC use, automotive ventilation filtration applications, airplane air filtration, and submarine air filtration to name just a few commerical uses.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Biomedical and Life Support
Biomolecular Sensors
Sterilization/Pathogen and Microbial Control
Biochemical
Portable Life Support
Suits

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Orbital Technologies Corporation
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison, WI 53717-1961

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Yonghui Ma
may@orbitec.com
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison,  WI 53717-1961

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed Plasma Air Decontamination System (PADS) is a trace contaminant control device based on non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma technology. Compared to the Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) and the Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal system (VPCAR), this novel technology operates at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, requires less energy, has no moving parts, and requires no consumables. The non-thermal plasma has been proven successful in decomposing various volatile organic carbons (VOCs) found in spacecraft environments. The prototype PADS reactor developed in Phase I has also demonstrated successful removal of ammonia and selected VOCs (e.g., methane, acetone, methylene chloride, and ethylbenzene) in air. The Phase II effort will further optimize this technology and improve its efficiency. It will be designed to interface with both TCCS and VPCAR. Its incorporation would eliminate the high-temperature catalytic reactors in the two systems, and facilitate a decrease in size or total elimination of the intensive resupply of activated carbon for adsorbent beds. This would result in significant savings in launch mass and cost for long duration missions and a reduction in power requirements. It also has great potential to be scaled to various applications and/or incorporated into other life support systems for streamlined air purification.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The PADS technology will likely provide a higher quality of trace contaminant control in a spacecraft or habitat than is provided by the current technology, and will eliminate many of the disadvantages including the high temperature/energy requirements by the catalytic reactors, significant re-supply mass of the disposable adsorbent beds, and the risk of adsorbent beds releasing adsorbed pollutants. It also does not require a vacuum as do regenerable adsorbent solutions, giving significant advantages for use in planetary surface base applications. The system is also suitable for use both on spacecraft and on surface habitats where a ready source of vacuum does not exist. The ability to scale the system allows it to be reduced in size for use in a small volume such as the Lunar Surface Access Module or Crew Exploration Vehicle. Multiple applications will allow for commonality of components and reduced crew training for maintenance and operation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This technology has broad possibilities for air purification in commercial systems. Portable, plasma-based, air purifiers are a relatively new entrant to the home health market. This opens the possibility for ORBITEC to license the advanced plasma technology created from this SBIR application to major manufacturers. Targeted markets such as office buildings, airplanes, buses, and trains, where large numbers of people are grouped together could benefit from a compact system that would both decompose pollutants and neutralize biological contamination introduced by others. This system would be readily integrated into existing ventilation infrastructure in these applications. Larger scale applications may include accommodation of large air flows from industrial processes where quantities of VOCs or other pollutants are required to be removed or altered prior to release into the atmosphere. This same larger system also has applications in homeland security, protecting military personnel from certain chemical attacks, or remediation of polluted ecosystems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomedical and Life Support
Sterilization/Pathogen and Microbial Control
Waste Processing and Reclamation
Ceramics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Santa Fe Science and Technology, Inc.
3216 Richards Lane
Santa Fe, NM 87507-2940

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Benjamin Mattes
mattes@sfst.net
3216 Richards Lane
Santa Fe,  NM 87507-2940

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
With the expected extension of duration of the space missions outlined in NASA's Vision of Space Exploration, such as a manned mission to Mars or the establishment of a lunar base, the need to produce potable water from onboard wastewater streams in a closed-loop system becomes critical for life support and health of crew membranes. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a compact process that has proven its ability to remove inorganic and organic contaminants from space mission wastewater. Our Phase I feasibility study indicate that the use of low-energy composite hollow fiber RO membranes developed at Santa Fe Science and Technology resulted in a 65-80% increase in the production of purified water compared to that obtained from the corresponding low-energy RO flat-sheet membrane without sacrificing the water quality of the permeate stream. Therefore, replacing existing spiral wound membrane elements in the RO subsystem with hollow fiber membrane elements will reduce the batch processing time or enable a lower feed pressure to be employed due to the use of higher productivity membrane elements. This will lower the overall power requirement for the RO subsystem. Phase 2 will be based on expanding the size of the membrane element in order to develop several working prototype membrane elements that can eventually be mounted in the RO subsystem of the closed-loop Integrated Water Purification System. Also during Phase 2, we will explore the use of hydrophilic polymeric coatings to determine whether it is possible to minimize the rate of membrane fouling due to the high concentration of organics in the wastewater feed stream.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology is specifically targeted towards the wastewater treatment systems on board spacecraft to produce potable water on long duration missions, such as the establishment of bases on the lunar surface or human planetary exploration. Reverse osmosis technology is well suited for wastewater treatment in space because it has the advantages of high rejection of contaminants, durability for removing inorganic contaminants with high water recoveries, a compact configuration and minimal re-supply of consumables for continuous operation when to compared to other physical-chemical treatment processes. The current design of the RO subsystem in NASA's Integrated Water Recovery System employs spiral wound membrane elements. Composite hollow fiber membrane elements have many advantages over spiral wound membrane elements for reclamation of space mission wastewater applications (i.e. higher module productivity/lower feed pressure, higher recovery and reduced mass). These advantages should make the use of composite hollow fiber membrane elements a viable alternative to spiral wound membrane elements being considered for the Integrated Water Recovery System.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Reverse osmosis membranes consist of a dense surface layer (50 – 500 nm) that is highly permeable to water, but highly impermeable to dissolved salts, organic molecules, microorganisms, and colloids. Consequently, membrane elements have been successfully used in municipal and residential POU/POE water treatment systems (desalination of tap water, brackish water and seawater desalination), industrial water treatment (power generation/boiler feed water, food & beverages, wastewater treatment and reclamation), and producing ultra-pure water for microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing. End-users of reverse osmosis membranes continue to look for products that perform at lower pressures and have improved fouling resistance. If this project is successful, these composite hollow fiber membranes offer significant performance improvements over spiral wound membrane elements in terms of being able to operate at lower pressures or by operating with lower numbers of membrane elements with the additional benefit of reduced fouling.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Waste Processing and Reclamation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Orbital Technologies Corporation
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison, WI 53717-1961

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ross Remiker
remikerr@orbitec.com
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison,  WI 53717-1961

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The purpose of the Enhanced Brine Dewatering System (EBDS) is to provide a scalable means of completely recovering usable water from byproducts created by reverse osmosis water purification systems without the use of consumable wicks. Extended duration Lunar and Mars missions will require the conservation and recovery of water to allow for autonomous closed environments that dramatically reduce launch mass and stowage volumes. The EBDS development will build on previous developments in condensing heat exchangers to establish reliable, passive, and energy-efficient methods for recovering water, and will develop the phase separation and solid salt removal and collection methods required for EBDS functionality. The EBDS will use evaporation and condensing surfaces designed to eliminate biological growth through material selection, surface treatments, and hardware operational procedures. Design for the reduced gravity of Lunar and Martian applications enables simplified liquid/gas separation, compared with microgravity applications, and makes the design readily applicable to terrestrial applications. Crew interaction is limited to periodically removing the bio-isolated waste byproducts from the system. A fully functional prototype Lunar Outpost EBDS will be developed and tested for an extended duration, to evaluate long-term feasibility and performance, and to bring the EBDS to TRL 6.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The EBDS enables water reclamation from waste water brines without the use of consumable wicks. EBDS can process wastewater created by reverse osmosis treatments and provide water suitable for post-treatment and human consumption. The EBDS can also be used to recover water from laundry washing and drying applications, and directly from urine. The primary application of the EBDS is on extraterrestrial outposts, but it can also interface with the Advanced Water Recovery Systems (AWRS) of the Advanced Life Support (ALS) project or similar systems required for all long-duration human spaceflight systems. By using EBDS, launch mass and volume can be greatly reduced by minimizing the amount of water lost to waste. In addition to saving the volume and mass associated with carrying extra water, crew time and stowage are reduced over other NASA brine water recovery hardware currently under development by greatly increasing the time between service operations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
EBDS provides a reliable, scalable, energy efficient, and low maintenance method of recovering usable water from reverse osmosis brines. The primary use of the EBDS technology is for long-duration space applications due to the high cost of launching extra water, thus both government and commercial space travel will benefit. The first application of EBDS is seen for the Lunar Outpost application to enhance water recovery with some of the systems currently being tested at JSC (e.g., Honeywell Water Cascade Distillation System). Then, as commercial space travel becomes a reality, launch mass and volumetric savings provided by EBDS will directly impact viability of commercial space travel. The EBDS technology will also provide benefits to commercial aerospace when long-term ventures in space, such as orbiting space stations or extra terrestrial outposts for the purpose of tourism or other commercial gain, become a reality.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Waste Processing and Reclamation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
sysRAND Corporation
15306 Foxglove Court
Parker, CO 80134-9589

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Donald Arbuckle
don@cybersealtechnology.com
3461 W. Milan Avenue
Sheridan,  CO 80236-6130

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Abstract: The Multi-Purpose Excavation Demonstrator (MPED) is a commercial effort and a third generation of technology, following Bucket Wheel Excavator and Bucket Ladder Excavator work by the Colorado School of Mines. The Moonraker<SUP>TM</SUP> is an industrial instantiation, designed to be commercially viable. The proof-of-concept machine is currently under construction. A phase two SBIR consists of: 1) upgrades to the original design, including more appropriate materials improvements and maturation of point solutions, 2) development of a robotic tool arm/turret to cradle, position and manuever the the excavator blade within it's work volume, 3) development of a 'universal' modular tool interface between the excavator blade and the robotic tool arm, 4) physics-based modelling and simulation of the excavator/tool arm/mobility platform ensemble, 5) a simulation which continues to co-evolve into a control systems/human interface, 6) extensive laboratory and field testing of excavator prototypes, particularly forces on buckets, and 7) enhanced systems reliability. Field testing will include technology demonstrations at a Lunar Analogs site. Related contextual topics are undergoing continous examination, including a simplified tool arm manipulation and control method, operations 'in the dirt' at the worksite, exploitation of regolith fines (dust) as a high-yield component of ores, and mitigation of the adverse effects of dust on the excavation system through exclusion, passive electrostatics and other methods. This project draws extensively upon the expertise of CSM alumni who have prior experience in the earlier generations of Lunar Excavator prototypes.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Trenching, mining, burying structures, erecting berms, etc. on Moon, Mars. Capable of as narrow as 10 cm trench for cables and much wider when sweeping, with depths to 61 cm. In pre-positioning and precursor missions the MPED could dig large trenches and cover emplaced habitats with protective regolith layers. Larger trenches are iteratively dug stepwise to accommodate cylinders. A very versatile, low-energy, unattended device.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial and Industrial Space applications where the customers are multinationals and consortia. Lockheed has a BWE predecessor, (CSM Gen 1) and there is value to the ISRU community of the MPED Gen 3 device with all of it's applications-specific enhancements.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Computer System Architectures
Human-Computer Interfaces
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Tools
General Public Outreach
Mission Training
In-situ Resource Utilization
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Diamond Materials, Inc.
120 Centennial Avenue
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3908

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Oleg Voronov
oavoronov@aol.com
120 Centennial Ave.
Piscataway,  NJ 08854-3908

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase I, we made prototype sliding bearings from functionally-graded, diamond-coated carbon-fiber reinforced composite. In dry-sliding experiments, the friction of the diamond-coated composites against lunar dust simulant was low and the wear was so small that it could not be detected. In contrast, all other tested materials experienced rapid abrasive wear. These tests demonstrate that diamond-coated composites are ideal materials for non-lubricated bearings, designed to operate in a lunar dust environment. The primary thrust of Phase II will be a fabrication of sliding, journal and ball bearings and testing them in low temperature vacuum chamber that corresponds to the parameters of the Moon's surface. To implement technology transfer, DMI will partner with established bearing companies. Hence, NASA will have qualified suppliers of different types of precision diamond-coated composite bearings.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential applications of this material are bearings for lunar regolith excavation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The bearings that we plan to develop could be utilized for high speed applications at low and high temperatures. They are corrosion and wear resistant and can work in reciprocating and rotary engines as well.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
Structural Modeling and Tools
In-situ Resource Utilization
Ceramics
Composites
Tribology

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
DR Technologies, Inc.
7740 Kenamar Court
San Diego, CA 92121-2425

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Theodore Stern
tstern@drtechnologies.com
7740 Kenamar Court
San Diego,  CA 92121-2425

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This research proposes to develop the technology needed to implement a solar-fired regolith processing system at a lunar outpost that achieves low mass, high performance, easy assembly, operation and maintenance, and durability. The Modular Distributed Concentrator (MDC) comprises an array of identical, smaller-sized solar concentrator dishes with a network of power transmission links that route the high quality concentrated energy to a centralized receiver and avoids the challenges of deploying large concentrators with furnace chambers suspended at their focus. The Phase I showed the ability to optimize the concentrator reflector scale to provide low mass, showed that the heat pipe approach had better figures of merit than the optical waveguide approach, and, as a proof-of-concept, used a terrestrial solar concentrator to fire a sodium heat pipe to transmit heat at 1000C. The Phase II effort proposes to establish a system design for a MDC / heat-pipe based carbothermal processing system which requires >1625C process heat. We develop and demonstrate the components needed to deliver heat at this temperature with high performance, using space quality materials, including concentrator, concentrator receiver, tungsten/lithium heat pipe, and an innovative Heat Pipe Thermal Interface (HPTI) that most effectively transfers the power directly into the regolith. The Phase II includes an end-to-end demonstration of all of the subsystems, collecting and concentrating solar energy, transmitting it at >1625C, through the heat pipe and HPTI into the regolith, and extracting oxygen from regolith simulant in an existing process chamber.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The target application for the MDC Furnace System is to process oxygen and other materials from lunar regolith; however, there are a variety of other NASA applications that could be implemented with this approach. High flux / high temperature solar concentrators can also be used for power and propulsion applications. The solar dynamic electrical prime power system using Rankine or Brayton conversion cycles and thermal energy storage was the subject of many years of development at NASA because of its potentially high payoff. The Integrated Solar Upper Stage also was the subject of much development, with a promise of very high specific impulse from super-heated hydrogen combined with a thermionic electrical power system. Both of these systems were hampered by the challenges of a large, high accuracy concentrator reflector, but could be enabled by the MDC approach delivering high power at high temperatures as proposed here.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The growth in photovoltaic applications has resulted in a critical shortage of solar grade silicon that could be alleviated through the establishment of renewable energy foundries based on the MDC approach. Because energy content is a large fraction of the cost of silicon wafers for solar cells, the commercialization of the MDC could result in more cost effective photovoltaics. In addition, the MDC Furnace could be applied as a renewable energy system to meet any industrial need for high temperature process heat. Of particular interest is the ability to apply the MDC system to a solar-fired centralized power system. The advent of economical Stirling engines have led to the start of large construction projects for arrays of kilowatt sized concentrator/Stirling units. Since MDC thermal outputs can be ganged together, arrays of concentrators could be hooked up to much larger power generators, providing economies of scale for not only Stirling, but also conventional turbine generators. This may have a significant benefit in capital cost per kilowatt, the driving cost for renewable energy power plants, and could also considerably reduce operation and maintenance costs associated with large arrays of small engines.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Solar
In-situ Resource Utilization
Composites
Renewable Energy
Thermodynamic Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Physical Sciences, Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Takashi Nakamura
nakamura@psicorp.com
20 New England Business Center
Andover,  MA 01810-1077

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose to develop an innovative solar thermal system for oxygen production from lunar regolith. In this system solar radiation is collected by the concentrator array which transfers the concentrated solar radiation to the optical waveguide (OW) transmission line made of low loss optical fibers. The OW transmission line directs the solar radiation to the thermal receiver for processing of lunar regolith for oxygen production. Key features of the proposed system are: 1. Highly concentrated solar radiation (~ 4×103suns) can be transmitted via the flexible OW transmission line directly to the thermal receiver for oxygen production from lunar regolith; 2. Power scale-up of the system can be achieved by incremental increase of the number of concentrator units; 3. The system can be autonomous, stationary or mobile, and easily transported and deployed on the lunar surface; and 4. The system can be applied to a variety of oxygen production processes. The proposed Phase II program consists of the following tasks: Task-1: Develop an engineering prototype of the solar thermal system. Task-2: Integrate the solar thermal system with the carbothermal process reactor for utility demonstration and performance evaluation. Task-3: Improve the key components to the level acceptable for a space-based operational system.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed solar thermal system, when developed to technical maturity, will have broad application potentials for ISRU and space manufacturing processing on the Moon. In addition, the system can be used as a thermal source for electric power generation. The proposed solar thermal system is modular, transportable and easily deployed on site where ISRU materials processing must be conducted. The specific application of the proposed solar thermal system is for production of oxygen and other useful materials on the lunar surface. The solar thermal power system to be developed in this program can also be used for on-orbit power conversion applications using dynamic electric power generator, such as Stirling converter. This also applies to electric power generation on the lunar surface.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Application of the proposed solar power system to terrestrial uses is not straightforward, although it will be possible as its technical maturity progresses. One difficulty for applying this system in terrestrial application is that the system must compete with existing thermal source. Other application such as lighting may be a possibility. In such application the bottom line is the cost. The proposed research program addresses this very issue to develop the solar power system which will overcome the constraints imposed on the conventional system concept. The solar power system proposed in this program will be lightweight, small scale, and modular. When developed to technical maturity, the proposed system will be used for a small scale, transportable solar heat source for: detoxification of contaminated soil; small power plant using compact heat engine; air conditioning cycle; and industrial process heat.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Honeybee Robotics Ltd.
460 W. 34th Street
New York, NY 10001-4236

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kris Zacny
zacny@honeybeerobotics.com
460 W 34th Street
New York,  NY 10001-4236

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Honeybee Robotics, in collaboration with Firestar Engineering, proposes to continue development of a pneumatic regolith excavating, moving and heating approach. With this additional maturity, this base technology will enable multiple applications in lunar surface operations. In particular: We propose to develop a prototype excavator for mining the top few centimeters to meter (via strip mining) of lunar regolith using pneumatics in an analogous jet-lift dredging method and excavating holes and trenches of various dimensions. This method uses a pulsed gas to draw adjacent material into a delivery pipe connected to a receiving container or exit tube for delivery over long distances. This work would continue development on the base technology of the pneumatic approach. We also propose to adapt the pneumatic system developed for mining to the task of regolith transfer. For example the pneumatic regolith transfer method could be used in place of an auger (which has a tendency to jam) to move the regolith from a hopper to an oxygen extraction plant. As another application of this pneumatic approach, we proposed to use dusty gas (regolith suspended in carrier gas feeding from a hopper to a processing plant) and heat it in a heat exchanger. The convective heat transfer (or even gaseous conduction) in granular material is much more effective than solid-solid conduction especially in vacuum where particle to particle conduction is minimal making a regolith four times better insulator than aerogel.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The pneumatic mining system with heat exchanger directly addresses goals of NASA Vision for Space Exploration. For example, imagine a lunar ISRU plant with power supply that has a "lunar vacuum" hose that is used to acquire the lunar feedstock. The dusty gas (gas with lunar regolith) that is acquired is passed through a heat exchanger in the ISRU plant where the particles are brought up to ~600C process temperature prior to depositing the hot feedstock into a reactor in preparation for the next O2 extraction process and porting the residual gas to a storage container for mining. The mining system may be used for ISRU – mining top few centimeters of lunar dust for oxygen extraction. In addition the same system may be used for construction purposes: excavating large holes and trenches, clearing fluffy layer of lunar regolith in preparation of the landing zones.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is no terrestrial application for this system as it was actually derived from the earth-based methods.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Monopropellants
Propellant Storage
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Fluid Storage and Handling
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Physical Optics Corporation, EP Division
20600 Gramercy Place, Bldg. 100
Torrance, CA 90501-1821

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kang-Bin Chua
sutama@poc.com
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance,  CA 90501-1821

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a Selective Photoinitiated Electrophoretic Separator (SPIES) System to address NASA's volatile gas separation and collection needs on the moon and Mars. It will process gas streams generated by upstream lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes to produce purified gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and others that support human habitat here. The SPIES system, consisting of a series of compact (<20 cm diameter, 60 cm long, <5 kg) and energy efficient (<30 W) modules, produces highly purified gases of interest at ambient temperatures and pressures, requires no consumables, and eliminates the need for extensive downstream equipment thus, reducing equipment launch size and weight by 33%. In Phase I, POC designed and assembled a proof-of-concept prototype of technology readiness level (TRL) 4 that successfully demonstrated purification of simulated lunar ISRU hydrogen gas streams by gas separation and extraction to reduce hydrogen sulfide contamination to <1 part per million (ppm). In Phase II, POC will optimize the system design to assemble a fully functional TRL 5 SPIES system prototype that will efficiently reduce the hydrogen sulfide concentration to <1 ppm in a realistic gas stream like those generated by NASA's hydrogen reformate process.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The SPIES system will find applications in in situ resource utilization (ISRU) to harvest consumables such as hydrogen and oxygen for life support for generating breathing air and potable water, reclaiming iron for in situ fabrication and repair (ISFR), and source materials for radiation shielding and shelter from hostile atmospheres to enable future space commercialization. The SPIES system will find application in efficient high-volume generation of hydrogen, oxygen, and other gases for applications other than ISRU, such as production of gases for use propulsion systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications of the SPIES system lie in the area of energy-efficient production of industrial gases. This system will enable production of oxygen at a cost that is significantly lower than those of the current energy-intensive processes. Another application is the direct production of hydrogen for fuel cells. This system can be customized to address applications in other areas such as waste management, pollution control, environmental systems, bio-dome research facilities, medical life support tent systems, commercial underwater construction, and natural resource mining.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomedical and Life Support
Waste Processing and Reclamation
Portable Life Support
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
In-situ Resource Utilization
Renewable Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
International Scientific Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 757
Dublin, VA 24084-0757

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Wanda Gibson
intlsci@earthlink.net
P O Box 757
Dublin,  VA 24084-0757

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA has identified the need to develop lightweight structures to support Lunar Lander and Lunar Habitat programs and for the transfer of relevant technology to the Crew Exploration Vehicle and Crew Launch Vehicle programs. Further, NASA called for revolutionary advances in radiation shielding materials to protect humans from radiation hazards during NASA missions. To address this need, International Scientific Technologies, Inc., in conjunction with the College of William and Mary, developed lightweight, multifunctional polymers incorporating nanoparticles consisting of high atomic-number (Z) elements having large neutron-capture cross sections. The Phase I program proved the effectiveness of these polymeric nanocomposites in shielding against both neutron and X-ray radiation. The feasibility demonstrated in Phase I will be realized in Phase II through a research program having four Technical Objectives, including incorporation of metallic nanoparticle and organometallic additives into polymeric materials, fabrication of various polymeric materials of different geometries, measurement and test of composite materials for radiation shielding effectiveness, as well as thermo-mechanical and electrical properties, and optimization of prototype multifunctional nanocomposites for NASA applications. The polymer nanocomposites in Phase II will provide shielding against galactic cosmic radiation, neutron and electromagnetic radiation in rigid and flexible structure habitants in deep space and lunar missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed multifunctional nanocomposites will find application in the Exploration Systems mission in protecting astronauts and sensitive optical, electronic, thermal and acoustic components from environmental hazards including radiation, dust and thermal transients while, at the same time, providing lightweight structural functions. It is expected that nanocomposite systems will provide a high-performance-to-weight radiation shield that can be used within human habitats, spacecraft and protective apparel. Other missions supported by NASA could also make use of the nanocomposite materials in low earth orbit or in other orbital paths traversing high radiation regions of space.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Lightweight multifunctional radiation shielding will find application in the commercial (e.g., hospitals and nuclear power plants) and defense (e.g., nuclear-powered ships and surveillance satellites) sectors. The shields will provide protection for homeland security first responders employed by law enforcement agencies, fire departments and hospitals. It is also expected that the shielding can be fabricated into temporary shelters used by defense personnel and considered for use in the protection of individuals in case of a nuclear or radiological event. The radiation-shielding material will be suitable for fabrication into protective clothing for healthcare professionals involved in X-ray and nuclear medicine.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Erectable
Inflatable
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Thermal Insulating Materials
Suits
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Wright Materials Research Co.
1187 Richfield Center
Beavercreek, OH 45430-1120

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Seng Tan
sctan@sprintmail.com
1187 Richfield Center
Beavercreek,  OH 45430-1120

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Space structures that are ultra-lightweight, and have gas barrier property, space durability, radiation resistance, EMI shielding, and high impact resistance are desirable to improve the reliability and provide a safe resting environment for astronauts and electronic equipment housing and protection. Some of the components currently in use such as stations or habitats use double-wall thick films with high internal pressure. Electronic housings made of metals are heavy and need improved EMC protection. Some components are in thin film form and the specific rigidity and dimensional stability needs improvement. Components of landers and vehicles are subject to dust impact. All these solid or hollow components are vulnerable in space because of the foreign object impact or radiation attack. In the Phase I project, we have successfully developed lightweight, microcellular nanocomposite foams and sandwich structures that possess all the desirable properties mentioned above. The nanocomposite sandwich structures have excellent compression-after-impact properties. Phase II project will optimize and scale up the proposed materials and structures for structural components fabrication. The proposed microcellular nanocomposite foam and sandwich structures do not involve or release any toxicity and will have high specific mechanical properties. We will team up with Orbital Sciences Corp. to develop a prototype electronic housing for MACH3 space structure applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed ultra-lightweight microcellular nanocomposite foam and sandwich structures have a number of potential applications for space structures including electronic housing, space stations, Lunar and Martian habitats, lunar mission vehicles, Landers, rigidified boom and support structures for Gossamer space structures, rover subsystems like wheels, chasis, insulation boxes masts, solar array deployment devices, shelters and hangars for space habitats, airlocks, electronics boxes, tanks/shells/shields, insulation for propellant tanks, solar arrays radar boards, and support structures for telecommunication subsystems like struts and beams, etc.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential commercial markets for this ultra-low density nanocomposite foams and sandwich structures may include electronic housing for satellites and telecommunication systems; electronic housing and structural components for commercial aircraft, boats, ships, trains, buses, trucks, automobiles; and shipping containers, building panels, and many others.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Reuseable
Thermal Insulating Materials
Modular Interconnects
Data Input/Output Devices
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Materials Research and Design
300 E. Swedesford Road
Wayne, PA 19087-1858

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Joseph Pluscauskis
pluscauskis@m-r-d.com
300 E. Swedesford Road
Wayne,  PA 19087-1449

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Radiation or passively cooled thrust chambers are used for a variety of chemical propulsion functions including apogee insertion, reaction control for launch vehicles, and primary propulsion for planetary spacecraft. The performance of these thrust chambers is limited by the operating temperature and thermal-chemical response of the available materials. The Phase I efforts focused on performing design and analysis services to address multiple areas related to the development of lightweight high temperature non-eroding materials for liquid propulsion combustion chambers. We showed through theoretical thermal-structural calculations that monolithic HfO2 and ZrO2 are the best performing ceramic thermal barriers for Ir/Re combustion chambers within liquid engines. In the Phase II effort, MR&D proposes to use the lessons learned from the Phase I studies to evaluate material options, optimize the design, demonstrate scale up to and fabrication of a full scale combustion chamber for the NASA 3000-5000 lb LOX/CH4 engine, and ultimately hot-fire the chamber at NASA. This will be in direct support of NASA MSFC Lunar Lander Ascent Stage engine. The Phase II tasks include: 1) Detailed thermal-structural design and analyses; 2) Addressing fabrication stresses/strains; 3) Addressing vibration stresses/strains; 4) Performing material characterization; 5) Performing any design revisions based on the material property characterization as it becomes available; 6) Fabrication of a full scale combustion chamber that reflects the best performing materials and geometry resulting from the thermal-structural design studies; 7) Performing pretest predictions and assisting with instrumentation for the hot-fire test; and 8) Performing posttest data correlation and suggesting design improvements.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The advanced combustion chamber developed in this Phase II effort has a direct application for NASA within the NASA MSFC Lunar Lander Ascent Stage engine. Additionally, the technology developed here can be used for similar combustion chamber designs related to various NASA in-space applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The results of this lightweight high temperature non-eroding combustion chamber material study will have broad ranging applications in the telecommunication satellites, civil aerospace, governmental aerospace companies, as well as aircraft jet engine manufactures and power generation equipment manufacturing companies. Potential customers include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Electric Power Systems, and ATK-Launch Systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
High Energy Propellents (Recombinant Energy & Metallic Hydrogen)
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
Cooling
Reuseable
Thermal Insulating Materials
Database Development and Interfacing
Ceramics
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Beck Engineering, Inc.
1490 Lumsden Road
Port Orchard, WA 98367-9179

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Douglas Beck
dbeck23@aol.com
1490 Lumsden Road
Port Orchard,  WA 98637-7992

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA has many needs for maintenance and repair technologies for long-duration human space missions. We propose to continue developing a compact, portable, vacuum-compatible, multi-axis Manipulator/Machining Center (M/MC) to satisfy many of NASA's needs. Our M/MC will provide complex manipulation during: layer-additive manufacturing; collection of geometric data for reverse-engineering; real-time non-destructive evaluation; and non-destructive material property determination. Our M/MC will also finish-machine near-net-shape parts produced using layer-additive manufacturing. Design features of our M/MC will: minimize mass, volume, and power consumption while providing required capabilities; maximize life and reliability; and enable our M/MC to operate in space-based vacuum, microgravity, and partial-gravity environments. In Phase II, we will: generate alternative designs of M/MCs for space-based applications; and design, build, test, and zero-g-flight-test a prototype M/MC. In Phase III, we will design, build, and sell M/MCs to the government and private sector.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our Manipulator/Machining Center (M/MC) will satisfy many of NASA's needs for space-based manufacturing applications. Our compact, portable, multi-axis M/MC will perform: (1) reverse-engineering data generation; (2) additive manufacturing; (3) real-time non-destructive evaluation during layer-additive processing; (4) non-destructive material property determination; (5) recycling/generation of feedstock materials for deposition processes; and (6) five-axis subtractive manufacturing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We will adapt our space-based Manipulator/Machining Center (M/MC) to produce an Earth-based M/MC for many military and private-sector manufacturing applications, including: military in-theater fabrication of spare parts, including for the Army and Navy (for example, aboard submarines); and private-sector manufacturing, including die/mold work, prototyping, small production runs, and cases in which raw materials are expensive.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Manipulation
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Structural Modeling and Tools
Data Input/Output Devices
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
In-situ Resource Utilization
Microgravity
Ceramics
Composites
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Intelligent Automation, Inc.
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20855-2785

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Margaret Lyell
mlyell@i-a-i.com
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville,  MD 20855-2785

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
As space missions become more complex and as mission demands increase, robots, human-robot mixed initiative teams and software autonomy applications are needed to provide increasing levels of support to the mission and to Astronauts. Whatever the task, robot teams will need to interact with Astronauts and possibly Mission Control. There is a need for cooperation and communication among all autonomous entities. Robotic intelligence is required in at least four areas: two-way communication with humans, safety awareness, self-monitoring, and self-maintenance. Robot teams will need to interact with Astronauts concerning the state of their hardware. They may need to interact with humans in order to insure human safety. In Phase 1, we developed an initial HSI Framework (HSIF) to structure protocol-driven interactions (conversations) among Astronauts and multiple-component autonomous systems (soft-bot systems (SBS)). In Phase 2, we extend our HSI framework, with new protocol development that will support interactions among {human-robot team}, {SBS– robot}, {human– robot} and {SBS- human – robot team}. In Phase 2, a protocol library will be developed. Scenarios involving interactions among humans, robot teams and soft-bot systems will be simulated using the protocol library. The protocol library will be integrated with robotic software and implemented on a hardware (robot) platform.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The HSI Framework (HSIF) provides design requirements and a protocol driven approach to support interactions among human and autonomous systems, including robot teams and soft-bot autonomy applications. The protocols support exposure of state and safety information, as well as Astronaut-initiated changes in autonomy mode and the propagation of information on resulting modified functionality to dependent autonomous systems, leading to more robust interactions. This technology is applicable to NASA Exploration Missions, including the Lunar Outpost.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This HSI Framework (HSIF) is also applicable to multiple DoD needs, as it is applicable to general autonomous systems. It is applicable to US Army and DARPA projects which involve soldiers teaming with robot teams for search and rescue, for patrol, for mine-field demarcation, etc. HSIF is applicable to the US Coast Guard needs, as it is interested in pairing autonomous small surface ships with autonomy applications to guard harbors.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Traclabs, Inc.
8610 N. New Braunfels, Suite 110
San Antonio, TX 78217-2356

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Debra Schreckenghost
schreck@traclabs.com
8610 N. New Braunfels, Suite 110
San Antonio,  TX 78217-0000

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Robots are expected to fulfill an important role in manned exploration operations. They will perform precursor missions to pre-position resources for manned missions. They will assist astronauts in site preparation, buildup, and maintenance of a lunar outpost. To support these roles, new forms of human-robot interaction are needed. Task-level commanding and predictive interaction are promising for tasks where time delay and limited bandwidth make tele-operations difficult. Supervised autonomy has potential to make better use of human resources by reducing the mission preparation time for routine tasks. But these new types of operations require human operators to support new types of tasks. TRACLabs proposes to develop a software framework that facilitates human-robot teaming. This software framework will provide tools for human supervisors to use when monitoring the performance and health of robots. The framework also will assist task coordination by applying operational protocols for information communication and allocation of control during remote distributed operations. This work is an innovative combination of technologies to support the new human tasks that arise when operating robots at different levels of autonomy. For performance monitoring, we propose to develop tools for users to define and adjust monitoring conditions, computations, and summaries in response to changing situations and missions. Additionally we will provide software to aid understanding of operational events and their relationship to underlying data. To support coordinating tasks, we propose to integrate our existing agent technology for role-based notification using communication protocols with new technology for authorizing the handover of robotic control. Phase II will produce a software framework for human-robot teaming.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Exploration missions will require that humans and robots work together. Robots will perform high risk tasks like EVA and routine or repetitive tasks to improve crew productivity. Introducing robots into manned space operations, however, will change the way these operations are conducted. It will introduce new supervisory tasks for crew and ground control, including maintaining awareness of robotic activities and handling problems the robot cannot resolve. The proposed software framework for human-robot teaming will enable effective human interaction with robots at different levels of autonomy. Such capability will first be needed for lunar surface operations and will be enabling for manned missions into deep space. During Phase I we established productive collaborations with robotics technology organizations at JSC and ARC for Phase II. We will collaborate with JSC on the proposed development and evaluation of software to support situation awareness across time delay and safe handover of control. We also identified potential for integrating our software framework with user interfaces in the JSC Cockpit. We will collaborate with ARC on the identification and computation of health and performance metrics for human-robot teams. This includes providing summaries and reports of robot performance and behavior.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Unmanned air and ground vehicles are becoming more common in battlefield situations. Future Combat Systems envision manned and unmanned vehicles of all sizes working side-by-side. Additionally, Congress has mandated that one-third of all military vehicles must be unmanned by 2015. The military envisions robots and soldiers working side-by-side to accomplish missions, as well as remote operators supervising robot teams. Currently several operators control one autonomous vehicle. The proposed framework for human-robot interaction will help reverse this ratio. The software developed under Phase II also has potential application for commercial robots. Health and performance monitoring of robots becomes particularly important when deploying robots for long-term, arduous operation. And the ability to notify personnel of trends and issues using a variety of widely available communication modalities enables broader marketability. The software for performance monitoring has potential application beyond the area of robotics. As household and workplace automation becomes pervasive, this type of technology is needed for health and performance monitoring. Software to create custom summaries of data and notify users based on their situation and preferences has wide application with the growth of online information access and the availability of wireless devices.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interfaces

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ProtoInnovations, LLC
1908 Shaw Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217-1710

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Stuart Heys
sheys@protoinnovations.com
1908 Shaw Ave
Pittsburgh,  PA 15217-1710

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ProtoInnovations, LLC proposes to develop a new type of planetary rover called a Lunar All-terrain Utility Vehicle ("LATUV") to assist extra-vehicular activities in future lunar missions. The vehicle will operate unmanned or with an astronaut driving onboard. It will have a roughly 4 m2 footprint and be able to about twice as fast as an astronaut can walk on the Moon. The vehicle will feature four-wheel, all-terrain mobility with traction control. A multi-purpose tool interface and interchangeable cargo bays will support a variety of mission payloads. The LATUV will be used for mission such as site preparation, emplacing beacons, equipment and commodity distribution, and sampling. Our phase I work showed the feasibility of a new, high-efficiency, high duty, lunar-relevant traction drive system; a simplified steer / suspension chassis capable of handling 2 m/s speeds in lunar gravity; interchangeable utility modules for earthmoving, sampling, emplacing, etc.; and traction control software for earthmoving tasks as well as slope- and obstacle-climbing. In Phase II we will produce a terrestrial LATUV prototype with two rocker modules and two central modules designed for earthmoving the emplacing beacons. ProtoInnovations brings an impressive amount of experience to the task of designing the LATUV. Two of our robots built for NASA Ames, dubbed K10red and K10black, are operating in the high Canadian arctic. Working at Carnegie Mellon University, members of our team have developed robots to operate in some of the harshest environments on Earth: surveying Antarctic ice fields, traversing the Atacama Desert, and exploring into an Alaskan volcano. In total, our robots have traveled roughly 500 km through some of the most difficult terrain on Earth. We've accomplished these tasks by building robots that are, above all else, controllable and reliable. Our team has experience building all of the subsystems involved in this project.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
ProtoInnovations will vigorously push our LATUV technology into NASA's manned and unmanned lunar exploration program. This will require close interaction with the customer. We will foster this by making the vehicle available for testing wherever possible. With our rapid and iterative approach to development and the flexible design of the LATUV, we will adapt as NASA's lunar exploration program continues. The LATUV also represents a new class of space robotics research rover: larger, faster, and more capable than K9 and K10 with a high payload capacity. We'll partner with NASA research groups to make the LATUV terrestrial prototype available for this kind of field testing, in particular building on our partnership with NASA Ames IRG formed while building the K10 rovers. We hope that adoption of the LATUV by NASA will provide ProtoInnovations with a sustainable R&D effort until the LATUV design gains a high TRL level and is infused into the lunar exploration program.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Innovations exhibited by the LATUV, such as traction control, a quick-disconnect tool interface, and those yet unrealized, will certainly be applicable to commercial markets beyond the lunar program. A scaled-down LATUV chassis would provide benefits for explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) robots similar to Foster-Miller's TALON. The flexible interface between the LATUV rockers and central modules makes the low-cost rockers line-replaceable units (LRUs) that could be very easily swapped out in the field. Maintaining field inventories of EOD robots would be much easier when parts are universally interchangeable. Repair tasks would also be much easier since no special tools or skills would be required. Our drivetrain and chassis design will also benefit terrestrial UGVs operating at speeds of several meters per second. It is a more efficient alternative to tracked vehicles such as the Foster-Miller TALON that are used extensively by the military and police departments. Our design features will extend battery life while maintaining a good mobility performance.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Mobility
Manipulation
Tools

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Traclabs, Inc.
8610 N. New Braunfels, Suite 110
San Antonio, TX 78217-2356

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Burridge
burridge@traclabs.com
8610 N. New Braunfels, Suite 110
San Antonio,  TX 78217-0000

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Robotic systems will be deeply integrated into future human exploration of the lunar surface. Prior to human arrival, they will conduct scientific investigations, explore potential habitation sites, prepare infrastructure, and construct the necessary facilities for human occupation and activity. When humans are present, robotic systems will assist and support them in the various activities of exploration and habitation. Given the great cost of developing such systems, transporting them to the Moon, and maintaining them there, NASA must ensure that the robots it sends are capable of many different tasks. This will enable a smaller number of robots to accomplish the necessary tasks while providing better redundancy in case of subsystem failure. We propose to build an innovative manipulation system that includes a modular dexterous manipulator for various mobile platforms and a software control system that seamlessly coordinates motion control of rover and manipulator. The manipulation system will be JAUS-compliant, enabling many existing technologies to easily interface with it. The proposed innovation has two main components. The primary component is a lightweight, low-power manipulation system for mobile platforms. The manipulator itself will be swiftly reconfigurable with up to seven degrees of freedom (DOF). There will be several different tools available for use at the end effector: some passive, some active. All associated electronics will be internal to the manipulator, requiring only power and data connections externally. Connections between modules will use the innovative "Universal Mating Adapter". The second innovative component is a software control system that coordinates control of the vehicle and manipulator. Such coordination extends the robot's dexterous workspace and facilitates teleoperation by providing the operator with a unified interface.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In manned missions, humans are scarce and valuable resources. Thus, as many tasks as possible should be automated. For tasks that require interaction with physical objects, this means robots! Researchers in space-related fields have a lot of experience with robots that are all alone in space or on another planetary surface. However, they are still gaining understanding of the extra complexities and capabilities that come when humans are nearby: close enough to teleoperate, service, or reconfigure the robot. In particular, easily reconfigurable robots will be essential to future manned missions, especially where mobile manipulation is required, because a universally-capable robot is unrealistic. We believe all research labs that are developing mobile manipulation for manned space exploration – at NASA, the national labs, and academic centers – will benefit from the technology being developed in this project.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are many terrestrial applications where a robot adept at mobile manipulation would be preferable to a human. These include bomb disposal and other hazardous tasks, disaster recovery, search and rescue, and law enforcement activities. As with the NASA activities, a single universally-capable robot is unrealistic. It is preferable to assess the situation and simply equip the robot with the appropriate tools for the current task. Unlike NASA applications, where our primary customers are research groups exploring the issues of manned spaceflight who would provide recommendations to the teams that design future flight articles (perhaps including TRACLabs), our non-NASA customers will use our technology directly on the "front lines".

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Manipulation
Tools

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Creare, Inc.
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755-0071

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jay Rozzi
jcr@creare.com
P.O. Box 71
Hanover,  NH 03755-0071

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
For lunar-based fission power systems that will support In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) or Mars robotic and manned missions, power requirements may vary from 10s to 100s of kWe to support initial human missions and longer term lunar bases. Due to the large amounts of waste heat generated by these systems, a key consideration is the development of lightweight, highly efficient heat rejection systems (HRS) that can operate at elevated temperatures (~550 K). Our innovation is the integration of an ultra-light radiator panel with a lightweight titanium heat pipe. Our approach will reduce the total mass by 32% compared to our baseline design. In addition, our innovation will greatly surpass the performance of carbon-composite systems under consideration and represents a lower risk approach to achieve a practical HRS. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility by fabricating, demonstrating, and delivering a proof-of-concept panel. During Phase II, we will fabricate, test, and deliver a full-scale prototype.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our innovative heat rejection system, which is based on the integration of an ultra-light radiator panel material with a lightweight titanium heat pipe, will reduce the total mass of the HRS compared to other options under consideration. The results of our work would have far-reaching benefits for government space and military systems. These include nuclear power generation for long-duration interplanetary and planetary-based missions, mobile power systems, and satellites.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
While the main applications for our innovation are space-based systems, our novel heat rejection systems can be applied to commercial thermal management systems that are severely weight constrained. Such systems can benefit from the lightweight, high-temperature capability of our unique innovation. These applications can include radar, aerospace, large-scale power systems, and energy recovery applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Nuclear Conversion
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Yardney Technical Products, Inc.
82 Mechanic Street
Pawcatuck, CT 06379-2154

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Joe Gnanaraj
joeg@lithion.com
82 Mechanic Street
Pawcatuck,  CT 06379-2154

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are attractive candidates for use as power sources in aerospace applications because they have high specific energy, energy density and long cycle life. However, conventional Li-ion batteries experience loss of capacity and increased impedance and poor cycle life when they are charged/discharged at high rates over C-rate. These problems are magnified at low temperature operation. The limitations in the high rate capability of Li-ion batteries are mainly caused by slow solid-state diffusion of Li+ within the electrode materials Yardney/Lithion Inc., the world leader in cutting edge Li-ion battery technology proposes to investigate new non-toxic nano-engineered electrodes that significantly shortens the Li+ diffusion length within the electrode materials and increases the rate capability of Li-ion batteries. The goal of this Phase II project is to manufacture rapid recharge Li-ion battery for aerospace application. Yardney will manufacture 5 prototype cells capable of recharge at less than 15 min at room temperature. During the phase I we found that the nanoengineered anode showed excellent rate capabilities compared to planar electrode. Nanoarchitectured current collector provides higher safety due to large surface area contact with the active material and that acts as heat sink in high rate applications and also lower impedance.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
he target application for this nanoengineered Li ion battery technology is space applications that require high energy and power densities. This technology will have superior performance at low temperatures due to the very small internal impedance of the nano-engineered electrode materials. This battery will be safe at high rate applications due to large surface contact to the active materials.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
High power applications include power tools, electric vehicles and telecommunications. Automotive and industrial sectors, where the slim, small-sized battery will deliver large amounts of energy while requiring only a minute to recharge. For example, the battery's advantages in size, weight and safety highly suit it for a role as an alternative power source for hybrid electric vehicles.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Energy Storage

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Distributed Energy Systems
10 Technology Drive
Wallingford, CT 06492-1955

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Luke Dalton
ldalton@distributed-energy.com
10 Technology Drive
Wallingford,  CT 06492-1955

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In order to address the NASA lunar mission, DESC proposes to develop a proton exchange membrane (PEM) closed-loop pure oxygen fuel cell for application to lunar surface exploration, building upon DESC's expertise and fundamental demonstrations in closely related technology. Building upon the Phase I project, the static feed fuel cell hardware will be scaled up approximately three times in active area. The single-cell performance of the larger cell will be compared against the smaller cell. Sub-scale stacks will be tested for durability. The number of cells per stack will be increased as the thermal management and mass transport phenomena permit. Thermal modeling will be conducted to predict the level of heat removal required by scaled-up stacks. Thermal management techniques will be investigated to permit effective scale-up. Flight cell stack and system design will be undertaken at the concept level.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Based on DESC's unique experience in commercializing PEM-based products, transitioning to military and civilian aerospace applications are important outcomes of this technology development effort. Civilian commercial derivatives of this technology would be enabling technology for airship-based telecommunications systems and reliable remote power applications. Impacts of this technology on military operations include enabling high altitude unmanned aerial vehicle operations and a variety of underwater vehicle operations, especially unmanned underwater vehicles. The similarity between the high altitude and undersea applications is that both require the storage of oxidant in addition to the storage of fuel. Pure oxygen capable fuel cells are a critical need for both operating environments. The high altitude UAV's can be used for missile defense, surveillance and communications. Undersea applications include long-term distributed data gathering with long endurance buoys, transport of special forces personnel, and mine neutralization among others.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
DESC is pursuing several emerging markets through its Hydrogen Technology business unit. The common element of these market opportunities is the need or desire for electrolysis-based hydrogen generation. One of the emerging markets in the Hydrogen Technology business plan is backup power for wireless telecommunication sites. Several fuel cell companies have already been offering backup power packages for this market. However, the typical fueling solution has involved delivered hydrogen. Based on the market analysis DES has conducted, this is not a practical solution for many wireless sites. In response to this application gap, DES has been working with several fuel cell companies and backup power OEM's to specify a high pressure electrolyzer module (2,400 psi output) that will meet the recharge requirements for a fuel cell powered backup system.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Energy Storage
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Giner Electrochemical Systems, LLC
89 Rumford Avenue
Newton, MA 02466-1311

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Cortney Mittelsteadt
cmittelsteadt@ginerinc.com
89 Rumford Avenue
Newton,  MA 02466-1311

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Development of an advanced composite bipolar plate is proposed for a unitized regenerative fuel cell and electrolyzer system that operates on pure feed streams (H2/O2 and water, respectively). The composite bipolar plate can greatly simplify "closed-loop" unitized fuel cell/electrolyzer power systems, as it eliminates the need for saturators, a second stack and water/gas phase separation. It provides a substantial system improvement over presently used alkaline systems in that it allows for simple high pressure operation with a high differential pressure. Additionally, it allows for dead-ended H2 and O2 feed for the fuel cell, eliminating parasitic pumping losses required for water removal. Phase I demonstrated operation of a composite bipolar plate-based fuel cell and electrolyzers, and quantified the composite bipolar plate transport and mechanical properties required for system design. In Phase II a full size unitized composite bipolar plate designed will be designed for high pressure (>1000 psi) operation. In addition a full-size (2kW) stack and support system will be designed.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
PEM based electrolyzer/fuel cell systems have the potential of replacing power systems in many of NASA's current applications, including manned space applications, high altitude flight, and manned stations on the moon and Mars. These composite-bipolar-plate-PEM based systems have real systematic advantages over both traditional PEM and alkaline systems, including integrated cooling and water management systems; dead-ended fuel cell operation, and elimination of gas-liquid separation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential products foreseen are: the composite bipolar plate PEM electrolyzer; the composite bipolar plate PEM fuel cell; and closed loop, discrete, and unitized PEM regenerative fuel cell (RFC) systems. Electrolyzer applications include H2 generation for gas chromatography, industrial uses and hydrogen refueling stations. PEMFC applications include vehicles and stationary power, where the internal water management provides a large system advantage. Closed-loop regenerative fuel cell systems could use a unitized stack which provides the promise of decreasing stack weight by half for combined PEM fuel cell and electrolyzer systems. A composite bipolar plate greatly simplifies water management for a unitized stack by managing water completely in the vapor phase. Industrial applications include power back-up for computer and energy related systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Composites
Liquid-Liquid Interfaces
Energy Storage

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Quest Product Development Corporation
4900 Iris Street
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2215

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scott Dye
sdye@quest-corp.com
4900 Iris Street
Wheat Ridge,  CO 80033-2215

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Lightweight, high performance thermal insulation is critical to NASA's next generation Exploration spacecraft. Zero or low cryogenic propellant boiloff is required during extended missions and lengthy on-orbit times. Multilayer insulation (MLI) is currently the insulation of choice for cryotank insulation. MLI's high vacuum performance exceeds alternative insulations by a factor of ten. However, heat flow through MLI is usually the largest heat leak in cryogenic systems, so improvements in thermal performance are desirable. Integrated Multi-Layer Insulation (IMLI) is an innovative new technology using a micro-molded polymer substructure integrated with radiation barriers to provide an ultra-high performance thermal insulation system. IMLI was proven a viable concept in Phase I work, reaching TRL4 with component validation in the laboratory. Prototypes were built and tested, demonstrating equal to lower thermal conductivity than MLI, and layers attached to each other in a snap-together assembly with controlled layer spacing. The Phase I IMLI prototype had a thermal conductivity of 1.8 W/m2, with the Celcon polymer used for these prototypes still outgassing. The IMLI thermal conductivity was calculated to be 63% that of MLI, which would provide improved long term cryogenic propellant storage. This improved insulation can provide lower thermal conductivity, vacuum compatibility, layers inherently attached to each other that support themselves, and efficient assembly. IMLI may also provide inherent structural benefits, including improved strength and integrity over current MLI. This proposal is to further develop IMLI toward commercialization. Tasks proposed include a next generation design improving on what was learned in Phase I, for material selection, fabrication methods for seams and corners including interleaving and layer thermal matching, and building and testing prototypes in realistic environments such as a 500 liter cryotank.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Lightweight, high performance thermal insulation is critical to NASA's next generation Exploration spacecraft. Zero or low cryogenic propellant boiloff is required during extended missions. Integrated MLI will provide improved and more predictable thermal performance and improved structural integrity for spacecraft cryogenic propellant storage It can provide substantially lower heat leak into cryogenic propellants storage, helping enable longer manned space flights and longer on-orbit times. Other standard spacecraft insulation uses, such as insulating and maintaining cryogenics on space instruments, satellite busses, spacecraft cabins and lunar surface habitats, could also be served by IMLI. IMLI has excellent properties required for spacecraft use; low thermal conductance, vacuum compatibility of materials, inherent control of layer dimensions and density, snap-together, self-supporting layers with a polymer substructure, and ease of assembly. Specific NASA applications include insulation for the cryogenic propellant tanks for the EDS, LSAM and EDCUS vehicles. IMLI could be an enabling technology for these vehicles by providing higher performance insulation and by possibly enabling the cryotanks to be used as part of the vehicle structure, potentially reducing launch vehicle mass. Low mass, low thermal conductance cryotank structural systems are of interest to NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are current spacecraft and instrument thermal insulation needs outside of NASA that would benefit from IMLI. DoD and commercial space ventures have requirements for thermal insulation. The DoD space market is about equal to the NASA and commercial market, or potentially $100M over twenty years. High performance thermal insulation has use in a broad range of non-aerospace applications and markets, including commercial cryogenic applications such as cryogenic vessels and pipes in scientific and industrial applications. A major use is insulating cryogenic dewars which are widely used in research (university, government and industrial labs), medical (preserving specimens and generating gases such as oxygen) and industrial uses. Another application is insulating superconducting devices such as medical MRI systems. Other potential applications include large commercial tanks, industrial boilers and industrial hot and cold process equipment, refrigerated trucks and trailers, insulated tank, container and rail cars, liquid hydrogen fueled aircraft or fuel cells, appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, hot water heaters, Thermos type liquid containers, picnic and mobile containers to keep foods hot or cold, marine refrigeration, potentially even house structures. Refrigerator/freezers and water heater appliances, in particular, would benefit from superior insulation with improved energy efficiency.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Propellant Storage
Thermal Insulating Materials
Fluid Storage and Handling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Combustion Research and Flow Technology
6210 Keller's Church Road
Pipersville, PA 18947-1020

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ashvin Hosangadi
hosangad@craft-tech.com
6210 Keller's Church Road
Pipersville,  PA 18947-1020

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In-space valves are required to provide precise mass flow control, wide throttling range and handle rapid on-off control. These requirements can result in significant unsteady, transient effects both on the fluid mass flow rate, as well as the torque required. However, there currently are no analytical or numerical modeling tools that can predict the unsteady/transient performance of these valves; current design tools are limited to quasi-steady models and empirical correlations. The innovation proposed here is a high-fidelity, comprehensive numerical tool that can characterize the transient performance of these flight valves and provide design support. An innovative approach to modeling valve motion in a broad range of valves designs including showerhead, ball and butterfly valves is proposed; this will permit simulations of transient valve operations and the resulting mass flow history and pressure drop. Unsteady effects at partial valve openings due to both turbulence interactions as well as multi-phase cavitation are addressed with an advanced numerical framework that incorporates both advanced LES models and real-fluid cryogenic effects. The tools and technology developed here would directly impact design support efforts for the J-2X upper-stage engine in the Ares launcher envisioned under the Constellation program for the mission to the moon.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The end-product will be a high-fidelity, numerical simulation software (CRUNCH CFD<SUP>REG</SUP> code) that would predict the transient performance of flight valve configurations , provide design support by supplementing current empirical rules, and diagnose system anomalies. Our product addresses core needs of NASA in the Constellation program, and the mission to the moon, for reliable and well-validated computational tools that can provide accurate simulations of performance in an accurate and efficient manner to be useful within a design cycle timeline. The technology developed here would directly impact analysis of the valves and the feed systems to be designed for the upper-stage J-2X feed system in the Ares launcher by providing the transient mass flow through the valve, unsteady torque loads on the actuator controlling the valve, as well diagnosing the potential for multi-phase cavitation effects that may occur either during rapid on-off control, or in water rig tests during component testing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The end-product will be a high-fidelity, numerical simulation software (CRUNCH CFD<SUP>REG</SUP> code) that would predict the transient performance of flight valve configurations , provide design support by supplementing current empirical rules, and diagnose system anomalies. Our product addresses core needs of NASA in the Constellation program, and the mission to the moon, for reliable and well-validated computational tools that can provide accurate simulations of performance in an accurate and efficient manner to be useful within a design cycle timeline. The technology developed here would directly impact analysis of the valves and the feed systems to be designed for the upper-stage J-2X feed system in the Ares launcher by providing the transient mass flow through the valve, unsteady torque loads on the actuator controlling the valve, as well diagnosing the potential for multi-phase cavitation effects that may occur either during rapid on-off control, or in water rig tests during component testing.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Feed System Components
Fluid Storage and Handling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Alphaport, Inc.
18013 Cleveland Parkway Drive, Suite 170
Cleveland, OH 44135-3235

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Brent Kaiser
bkaiser@alpha-port.com
18013 Cleveland Parkway Dr., Ste. 170
Cleveland,  OH 44135-3235

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed Phase 2 project consists of the physical integration of our Phase 1 small, compact exciter with a "flight like" igniter or spark plug capable of hot-fire testing. The exciter/igniter unit will operate to a pre-established subset of expected flight performance requirements established and met in Phase 1. The exciter/igniter unit will physically integrate the exciter electronics with an igniter (spark plug) to demonstrate "end-to-end" functionality capable of providing ionizing voltage greater than 20 kV for a spark energy of 45 to 50 mJ at a rate of 200-300 sparks per second. The exciter is about half the weight and will occupy about half the volume of the current state-of-the-art exciters. The integrated exciter/igniter eliminates the problems associated with long HV cable runs; as long as long as 4 feet, and the potential for erroneous connections. The development of this integrated exciter/igniter unit will follow a phased approach covering design, development, analysis, assembly, test and verification. The implications of the proposed project are for space and weight savings in the overall development of green propulsion systems as applicable to research projects in Exploration Systems and specifically applicable to Topic X9 Propulsion and Propellant Storage.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The potential NASA applications include the need of fast, high energy spark exciters integrated with spark plugs/igniters required to support any propulsion system. Further, potential applications exist for use with the development of non-toxic (green) propulsion systems. As a specific example, the proposed exciter/igniter can be used to support the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The CEV has been proposed with GOX ethanol or GOX GCH4, both requiring exciters that can produce more spark energy.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications could include, but are not limited to: aircraft, automobile, motorcycle, and watercraft ignition systems with respect to reduced size & weight with improved performance. Additionally, applications exist to support the development of Department of Defense (DoD) propulsion systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Micro Thrusters
Propellant Storage

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
WASK Engineering, Inc.
3460 Robin Lane, Suite 1
Cameron Park, CA 95682-8457

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Phillipsen
paulp@waskengr.com
3460 Robin Lane, Suite 1
Cameron Park,  CA 95682-8457

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA has determined that it requires extremely durable, high-performance, low cost engines to meet future multi-use in-space, non-toxic, cryogenic propulsion requirements such as orbit transfer, descent, ascent and pulsing attitude control. Transpiration-cooling technology has long been considered a candidate for long-life thrust chambers but has never been deployed on a domestic rocket engine. In this program WASK Engineering, Inc. proposes to design, fabricate and hot-fire test a 100 lbf reaction control engine (RCEs) with transpiration-cooled thrust chambers and novel injector design. This effort will build on the technology demonstrations achieved on our Phase I program. These new transpiration-cooled O2/CH4 RCEs will be tested in existing atmospheric (non-vacuum) test facilities on an existing and operational test stand. Test results will be used to anchor and refine existing transpiration cooling thermal/performance analysis models. Ultimately, results of this Phase II program will lead to a durable, low cost, non-toxic RCE technology capable of using in situ propellant combinations, particularly oxygen/methane that will have higher performance than current toxic, expensive, storable hypergolic RCE designs using rhenium-based thrust chamber technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications include extremely durable, high-performance, low cost engines to meet future multi-use in-space, non-toxic, cryogenic propulsion requirements such as orbit transfer, descent, ascent and especially pulsing attitude control. In this program WASK Engineering, Inc. demonstrates methane transpiration cooling of an oxygen/methane thrust chamber at 260 psia chamber pressure and a range of mixture ratios up to 3.2 O/F in a 100 lbf thrust chamber assembly.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
WASK Engineering, Inc. anticipates significant commercial potential for the technologies and the thrusters developed in this effort. This program will add to our capability in the design and analysis of transpiration cooled combustion chambers. Many propulsion contractors have identified transpiration cooling as a critical technology for future long life rocket engines. This is true of the commercial space launch industry as well as the government. This program would place WASK Engineering, Inc. in a leading position to compete for hardware contracts on future rockets engines employing this critical technology. This effort would also provide the technical basis and prior experience to support other aerospace firms in competitions for non-toxic RCEs. The development and testing of a pulsing attitude control engine with transpiration cooled combustion chamber will provide a validated design that can readily transition to flight hardware, providing the capability for low cost flight demonstrations for reusable vehicles and stages.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Cooling
In-situ Resource Utilization
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ceramic Composites, Inc.
133 Defense Highway, Suite 212
Annapolis, MD 21401-8907

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steven Seghi
steve@techassess.com
133 Defense Highway, Suite 212
Annapolis,  MD 21401-8907

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
One of the great hurdles to further development and evaluation of nuclear thermal propulsion and power systems is the issue surrounding the release of radioactive material from the fuel during ground testing and its subsequent impact on test facility siting and operation. Therefore, the development of a crack resistant coating system on fuel elements for nuclear thermal propulsion that is insensitive to hydrogen corrosion and erosion is considered enabling. Ceramic Composites Inc. (CCI) proposes a systematic approach for CVD deposition and evaluation of a family of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and niobium carbide (NbC) coating systems for both uranium carbide-zirconium carbide solid solution [(U,Zr)C]-graphite composite fuel elements and advanced triple carbide (uranium carbide-ziconium carbide-niobium carbide) solid fuel elements designed for use in space nuclear power and propulsion reactors. The refractory metal coating systems developed in Phase I will be refined and an innovative deposition technique evaluated. The resulting surrogate fuel elements will be evaluated in high temperature hydrogen in concert with a more detailed performance modeling effort based on the Phase I modeling.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of a high quality coating for space nuclear reactors will be enabling for the development of nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), in particular if one uses fuel elements based on the Rover/NERVA heritage design or the Pebble Bed design. The higher specific impulses afforded by NTP will provide significantly shorter travel times to the moon and Mars, reducing the time in zero gravity for manned missions and greatly increasing the speed of cargo/supply deliveries and unmanned exploration missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of a high quality coating for space nuclear reactor fuel elements could have potential across a variety of nuclear applications. A variety of designs exist for the next generation nuclear power plant, such as the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR) and the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). In the case of both of these the final fuel form has not been decided. The triso fuel particle has been suggested for both as well as clad solid fuel pins. Either of these two fuel forms could benefit from an improved fuel coating of this type. The idea of using mixed carbides (U,Zr)C, (U,Nb)C, which would allow for much higher operating temperatures, for both pellets and solid fuel pins has been put forth and both would require a cladding material. Most of these systems will operate above the temperature limit of SiC or would have compatibility issues with the standard C/C/SiC/C (triso) coating developed for pebble type fuel. The case of the VHTR the reactor has the ability to generate hydrogen by splitting water molecules, the presence of hydrogen and oxygen pose serious problems for the triso coating. In addition CCI is currently under contract to coating graphite tooling with the NbC coating developed during the Phase I effort for evaluation in the area of wide band gap semiconductor fabrication.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Nuclear (Adv Fission, Fusion, Anti-Matter, Exotic Nuclear)
Ceramics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MATECH Advanced Materials
31304 Via Colinas, Suite 102
Westlake Village, CA 91362-4586

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
heemann Yun
heemann@matechgsm.com
31304 Via Colinas, Suite 102
Westlake Village,  CA 91362-4586

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
During the Phase I NASA SBIR, MATECH GSM (MG) has developed and evaluated the world's first ultra-high temperature (UHT) Zr-(O)-C ceramic fiber pre-form / organic ablative matrix composite TPS system. This Phase II NASA SBIR Proposal from MG seeks to expand this technology to the following areas: 1)Microstructural level refinements and optimization of the char- and ablator phases for more reproducible material systems 2)Scaling-up for the fabrication of a larger and more complex-shape geometry 3)TPS design data generation with extensive arc-jet testing for a full TPS Component demonstration in Phase III. In this TPS material concept, the "char" phase is UHT zirconium carbide (Zr(O)C) ceramic fiber pre-forms, which have dual functions of high compressive strength of ligaments and non-recession of fiber components after matrix ablation. MG's ablative TPS are designed to retain their shape, thereby reducing the thickness requirement and lowering the TPS total mass, crucial at high re-entry velocity. MG's new ablator slowly absorbs high levels of energy during high temperature ablation. At the completion of the Phase II-Base and Phase II-Option program, MG will have fabricated a high specific strength C-Zr(O)C / C-ablator (CZOCA) and have demonstrated one TPS component, operational at > 5000oF.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
CEV thermal protection systems, Space transportation vehicle thermal insulation and propulsion insulation systems, Hypersonic vehicle and propulsion insulation systems

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
DoD missile thrusters, Missile hot control-structure insulations, refractory-carbide fibers as a new type of insulation and CMC reinforcements for DOE, DoT, EPA, and the private transportation and filter industries

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Thermal Insulating Materials
Ceramics
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17601-5688

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Chanwoo Park
chanwoo.park@1-ACT.com
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster,  PA 17601-5688

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Phase I project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the vapor compression hybrid two-phase loop (VCHTPL). The test results showed the high temperature-lift capability and robust operation under transient heat loads of the VCHTPL. At the end of Phase I, the VCHTPL technology reached the NASA's defined Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 (Component/breadboard validation in a laboratory environment). The principal Phase II objective is to elevate the VCHTPL technology to NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6: System/subsystem prototype demonstration in a relevant environment. This will be achieved through addressing the key technical and integration issues identified in Phase I of the proposed program. During Phase II, multiple generations of hardware will be designed, fabricated and tested to demonstrate the capability of the vapor compression loop technology in meeting the thermal performance, form factor, mass and reliability requirements for NASA's lunar missions. Five technical tasks plus a reporting task are planned to achieve the Phase II technical objectives.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The current standard aerospace two-phase thermal management devices are axially grooved aluminum/ammonia heat pipes. Loop heat pipes and capillary pumped loops are increasingly be used in spacecraft thermal control. Pumped single-phase loops have also been used, for example, in the Mars robotic exploration systems, and are being considered for use in the nuclear-electric propulsion system heat rejection subsystems. The hybrid two-phase loop is an emerging technology for high performance thermal management, which competes with the LHP and CPL technologies. More specifically, the lunar surface missions will require compact and high performance heat acquisition, transport and dissipation systems with a high temperature lifting capability to reject heat to the hot lunar environment. The vapor compression hybrid two-phase loop (VCHTPL) technology will provide a crucial solution for the NASA systems which require temperature lift and refrigeration for lunar missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The VCHTPL technology also has broad applicability in military and commercial terrestrial markets. The characteristics of the technology such as the high heat flux capability, compact/lightweight structure, high degrees of simplicity and reliability, make it an attractive choice of cooling solution for the following terrestrial markets/applications: • Commercial microprocessor diagnostic equipment cooling. Current solution uses pumped single phase cooling which becomes inadequate at higher heat fluxes. In addition, the cooling solution is required able to dissipate the heat at sub ambient temperatures. • Commercial server farms/data centers. Current standard technologies are air-cooling and HVAC. • Commercial telecommunication equipment enclosures (indoor and outdoor). Current standard technologies are air-cooling and HVAC. • Military and civilian land vehicles (vehicle environmental control system, power electronics, optoelectronics, electrical converters, drives and motors, fuel cell reformers and stacks). Current standard technologies are air cooling, HVAC or pumped liquid cooling. • Military aerial vehicles (electronics onboard high altitude UAV, power electronics onboard All Electric Fighter Jets, directed energy weapons). Current standard technology is pumped fuel cooling.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paragon Space Development Corporation
3481 E. Michigan Street
Tucson, AZ 85714-2221

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Christine Iacomini
ciacomini@paragonsdc.com
3481 E. Michigan Street
Tucson,  AZ 85714-2221

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Paragon Space Development Corporation proposes to develop a single-loop, non-toxic, active pumped radiator design with robust, reliable operation near stagnation regimes as expected to be experienced by NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) and thermal control systems of the Lunar Base at the lunar pole. This will be achieved through an innovative use of a common terrestrial-application, safe fluid that has lower temperature stalling characteristics over typical space-based radiator fluids. Phase 1 has already shown this fluid to stall per predictions and, through a previous contract, Paragon has demonstrated its capability to perform spacecraft heat rejection. The significance of this work is to understand stagnation behavior, both planned and mitigated, and then design and demonstrate a robust and reliable radiator performance based on this knew found knowledge.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In the Manned Space Market, Paragon's initial market for a stagnation robust radiator is NASA and its prime contractors developing thermal control systems for the LSAM and the base on the lunar poles as part of the President's Vision for Space Exploration. Developing a thermal control strategy that is robust and reliable in low power operations while residing in a cold environment is absolutely required to successfully and safely achieve the mission of returning crews to the moon by 2020 as stipulated by NASA's Global Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture, released in December of last year. NASA applications include the following: · Human rated spacecraft applications such as LSAM, Orion · Thermal control for a Lunar Base at the lunar pole · Variable power spacecraft applications · Interplanetary space vehicles

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Paragon has identified several commercial entities pursuing the development of orbital transportation vehicles and services. As the space industry has grown, commercial applications include not only support of the International Space Station through the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program but also tourism. Specifically, the development work proposed here will address thermal control in low power, cold conditions that occur at such mission phases as long-term docking on the ISS or space hotels. For this reason, initial research indicates that the proposed radiator functionality is highly competitive in the target areas. And in fact, given the strong teaming relationships that Paragon has with industry-recognized companies such as COTS teams Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Rocketplane Kistler (Paragon is on both teams) and as Bigelow's space hotels, Paragon can readily incorporate this more robust radiator capability as required, increasing the fidelity of the commercial products sooner.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Reuseable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Creare, Inc.
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755-0071

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Izenson
mgi@creare.com
P.O. Box 71
Hanover,  NH 03755-0071

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Manned lunar exploration will require extravehicular activity (EVA) suits that surpass existing technology. We propose an innovative thermal control system for EVA suits that uses an absorption heat pump with a flexible radiator that offers reduced size, lighter weight, conformability, rugged construction, and freeze tolerance. The heat pump absorbs a crew member's metabolic heat and rejects it via radiation to the environment. Innovative materials and construction enable a lightweight and flexible system that is rugged and easily repairable. In Phase I we proved feasibility by assessing material suitability for lunar operations, demonstrating the critical fabrication steps for key components, then testing these components to demonstrate thermal performance. In Phase II we will build, demonstrate, and deliver a complete prototype heat pump system.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed heat pump radiator will support the objectives of Project Constellation by providing thermal control for extravehicular activity (EVA) suits designed for lunar and Mars exploration. Additional applications include EVA suits used for zero-gravity operations such as satellite construction or assembly and maintenance of space-based telescopes. The absorption heat pump system offers light weight, flexibility and ease of integration, ruggedness, and freeze tolerance. NASA needs this device for future, long-duration space exploration missions—such as extended stays on the Moon or Mars—in which in situ repair is vital and freeze tolerance is required for operation in extreme thermal environments. The non-venting heat pump system is also needed for construction of scientific instruments in space that require a very clean extravehicular environment.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed heat pump can provide a lightweight, portable cooling unit to wear with sealed or heavy garments in hazardous environments, such as level A HAZMAT suits needed for homeland security missions or chem/bio protective garments for military personnel. The absorption cooling process can be used to provide portable, regenerable refrigeration and air conditioning for recreation, transportation, and medical applications. The flexible cooling garment can be used in cooling systems for the military (under body armor) and for outdoor work and recreation in hot environments.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Portable Life Support

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Creare, Inc.
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755-0071

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Izenson
mgi@creare.com
P.O. Box 71
Hanover,  NH 03755-0071

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Environmental control systems for manned lunar and planetary bases will require condensing heat exchangers to control humidity in manned modules. Condensing surfaces must be hydrophilic to ensure efficient operation and biocidal to prevent growth of microbes in the moist, condensing environment. The coatings must be extremely stable and adhere to the condensing surface for many years. We propose an innovative coating that has proven to be highly biocidal, hydrophilic, and stable. In Phase I we have proven feasibility by developing methods to apply the coating to prototypical materials and demonstrating hydrophilic and biocidal performance under prototypical conditions. In Phase II we propose to optimize the coating and demonstrate the performance of prototypical condenser surfaces designed to meet requirements for future lunar and planetary bases.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's Project Constellation calls for establishing a lunar outpost within the next two decades. The proposed condensing heat exchanger supports this goal by enabling efficient and reliable operation for the outpost's environmental control system. By enabling recovery of water from the outpost atmosphere without using consumable absorber materials, the condensing heat exchanger enables simple operation of the environmental control system with minimal logistical support. The coating will be useful for condensing heat exchangers needed for future pressurized rovers and planetary bases. The coating will also be useful for potential upgrades of the environmental control system on the International Space Station, which has experienced degraded operation due to failure of hydrophilic coatings on condensing heat exchangers.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Efficient and reliable condensing heat exchangers will be needed for fuel cell generators or fuel reforming systems for portable electric power generation or onboard vehicular fuel cells or reformers. These heat exchangers are required for water-neutral operation and hydrophilic and biocidal surfaces are needed for long-term reliability of the system. The coating developed in the proposed program will be ideal for these applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Air Revitalization and Conditioning

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Planet, LLC
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison, WI 53717-1961

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Abe Megahed
megaheda@hypercosm.com
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison,  WI 53717-1961

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Long duration spaceflight and exploration missions will require complex operations and demanding tasks. Success will therefore depend on the knowledge and flexibility of the crew and the critical tools at their disposal. The purpose of this Phase II project is to develop a software tool that combines intelligent tutoring (or logic) with highly interactive 3D simulation software to create an on-demand situational training and operations support system. The platform will include a user interface that allows subject matter experts – not programmers - to author the logic and intelligent portion of each simulation in a non-programming environment for more cost effective training systems development. The project includes the creation of two new application program interfaces (API) an XML schema and several new Java functions to allow for communication between the logic engine software and the 3D scene. A menu-driven authoring interface will then be created. The feasibility of the system was determined in the Phase I project, and demonstrated with a 3D simulated NASA EVA decontamination trainer. For Phase II, a prototype of the system will be created for a current NASA scenario-based training system to test the commercial-readiness of the authoring tool.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Intelligent 3D simulations are ideal for payload or task trainers as a cost effective means to replace paper text-based instructions and training hardware trainer costs. On long-duration missions, they provide intelligent guides for training since astronauts will likely perform off-nominal procedures or actions trained for several years in the past. When embedded in an IVHM system, they also greatly improve the crews' ability to perform rapid diagnosis and repair. Hypercosm has been available commercially for six years, has been used for the past in several NASA training system developments for payload and robotic arm operations. The completion of the authoring tool will improve its adoption by NASA by providing a method that creates high fidelity, portable training systems that can compete with hardware trainers for effectiveness and cost-of-development.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The completion of the Phase II will result in a commercial-ready simulation authoring tool for creation of interactive, user-driven training and simulation systems. Its competitive advantage is a user interface that will allow subject matter experts to author the flow of a simulation, including tutoring information, simulation triggers and responses to user interactions without programming. This improves the fidelity of PC-based training systems by introducing more video-game like behaviors like free-form interaction with 3D objects and multiple user choices in from a single scenario, but with a much faster development schedule and more cost effective pace. Immediate sales of the tool are expected from training system developers and low-level game designers, as well as its use in custom training system projects by PLANET's content development group. This tool will also be offered to PLANET's network of training partners currently working on projects for the U.S. Navy and commercial aerospace applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
General Public Outreach
K-12 Outreach
Mission Training

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
44 Hunt Street
Watertown, MA 02472-4699

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Christian
JChristian@rmdinc.com
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. 44 Hunt Street
Watertown,  MA 02472-4699

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Available digital dosimeters are bulky and unable to provide real-time monitoring of dose for space radiation. The complexity of space-flight design requires reliable, fault-tolerant equipment capable of providing real-time dose readings during a mission, which is not feasible with the existing thermo-luminescent dosimeter (TLD) technology, especially during extravehicular activities (EVA). Real-time monitoring is important for low-Earth orbiting spacecraft and interplanetary space flight to alert the crew when Solar Particle Events (SPE) increase the particle flux of the spacecraft environment. The Phase-II project will design and fabricate a prototype Dosimeter-on-a-Chip (DoseChip) for personal dosimetry comprised of a tissue-equivalent scintillation crystal coupled to a solid-state photomultiplier (SSPM). The ubiquitous nature of CMOS technology provides a standardized development platform, and the ability to integrate the supporting electronics into a miniature, lightweight design. The DoseChip provides a tissue-equivalent response to the relevant energies and types of radiation for low-Earth orbit and interplanetary space flight to the moon or Mars and will be sensitive to the dose rates and particle fluxes of ambient Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) to the higher rates of major SPE. The DoseChip will complement the existing Crew Passive Dosimeters by providing real-time dosimetry and as an alarming monitor for SPE.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
During spaceflight, both the immediate rate and total exposure information can be recorded simultaneously by these high-efficiency digital dosimeters. The lightweight, compact size and inexpensive nature of these sensors also opens the possibility of monitoring many areas for comparison of radiation exposure, including individual monitors for each crewmember with online data for the whole mission. Ground-based research and comparisons will also become easier and less expensive with the SSPM dosimeter. The CMOS environment used to fabricate the SSPM and supporting electronics enables low-cost and lightweight space radiation dosimeters and solar particle monitors for NASA satellites.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Inexpensive radiation dosimeters are in general demand for commercial applications, such as personnel or waste monitoring, other applications include border monitoring for homeland security and protecting satellites and ground-based equipment from solar flares. The ability to inexpensively mass-produce these devices creates an entirely new market for arrays of distributed sensors. As high altitude commercial flight become more prevalent, active dosimeters can provide the redundant safeguards and information required to protect companies from unnecessary litigation and passengers from hazardous radiation conditions.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Particle and Fields
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
High-Energy
Tools
Photonics
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ZIN Technologies, Inc.
2001 Aerospace Parkway
Brook Park, OH 44142-1001

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Bradley Humphreys
humphreysb@zin-tech.com
3000 Aerospace Parkway
Brook Park,  OH 44142-1001

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ZIN Technologies, Inc. is developing a novel Miniature Treadmill with resistive exercise capability for use in spaceflight exercise countermeasures and broad terrestrial therapeutic applications. The treadmill offers excellent periodic impact exercise to stimulate bone remodeling and cardiovascular activity as well as an added component of resistive exercise to encourage all-body muscle maintenance. The goal of this project is to demonstrate by design and analysis that the proposed treadmill will satisfy the stringent volumetric, power, and performance requirements demanded by lunar missions and provide the active feedback necessary to control the treadmill and display Daily Load Stimulus (DLS). We are additionally developing a new novel speed control algorithm in which the runner can modulate the treadmill speed through adjusting their stride. A new subject load device is being developed for use in providing a more earthlike gravity replacement load to astronauts during spaceflight. We along with our partner the Cleveland Clinic believe that a hybrid compact exercise device along with the direct feedback of DLS is a unique and new approach that will provide a superior in space exercise system than ones currently in use on ISS.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
With the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) calling for long term extended missions to the moon and Mars, there is a pressing need to equip astronauts with an effective exercise countermeasure system to maintain astronaut musculoskeletal health and ensure mission success. Countermeasures such as cycling, treadmill, resistive exercise, and rowing have been employed extensively on the International Space Station (ISS), however the space and power requirements will be much more stringent on lunar missions than on ISS. The treadmill design of this effort will aim to address the inherent challenges of spaceflight along with the specific implementation of the Daily Load Stimulus (DLS) theory to mange musculoskeletal health of astronauts.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The aging of our population will require exercise devices that are in-line with core conditioning and management of musculoskeletal health. Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans or 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. In the U.S., 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. The proposed mini-treadmill exercise device with real-time Daily Load Stimulus (DLS) measurement has the potential to provide an effective mechanism to combat or manage osteoporosis. In addition to the unique applications of the integrated mini-treadmill for Space Flight crews, ZIN Technologies will develop specific commercial technologies: -Resistive pneumatic constant force technologies (actuator design) -Treadmill daily load stimulus monitoring and feedback to runner -Treadmill drive system speed control based on center of pressure measurement We believe this intellectual property to have high licensing value to commercial treadmill original equipment manufacturers. Our partnership with the Cleveland Clinic will again be utilized to ensure the successful planning, implementation and commercialization of the Mini-Treadmill technologies. Together we have already developed a SBIR success story in the commercialization of a medical monitor and the incorporation of a joint venture: ZIN Medical.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NanoSonic, Inc.
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060-5556

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Andrea Hill
ahill@nanosonic.com
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg,  VA 24060-0618

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This NASA Phase II SBIR program would develop comfortable garments with multiple integrated sensor functions for the monitoring of astronauts during long duration space missions. During Phase I, NanoSonic demonstrated the feasibility of using its patented Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> sheet and fabric materials as both sensor elements and highly flexible electrodes integrated into prototype instrumented garments. Heart rate and EKG data taken using the Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> sensors are essentially identical to those obtained using standard biomedical instrumentation. The combined high electrical conductivity, low mechanical modulus, and environmental robustness of the Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> materials make them a lightweight, stretchy and comfortable alternative to conventional metal wiring and cabling. During the proposed Phase II program, NanoSonic would work with a large-volume U.S. textile manufacturer, the sensor and electronics design group of a major aerospace company, and a biomedical sensor and devices laboratory of Food and Drug Administration. NanoSonic would improve the Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> materials and methods for their integration as sensor and interconnect materials into instrumented garments, design, fabricate and evaluate the performance of sensor jerseys based on the results of Phase I tests, develop data acquisition electronics needed to interface to standard storage and communication modules, and investigate requirements for scaled-up manufacturing.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> materials may be used as conformal and comfortable replacements for metal electrodes and wiring used in physiological sensor networks to monitor the status and performance of astronauts during long duration space missions. Due to its high conductivity and low mass density, it also may be used as a flexible, low weight alternative to conventional copper in instrumentation wiring onboard spacecraft. Electrically conductive, mechanically flexible, and ultralightweight Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> fabrics may be used as part of large area RF antennas, space-based radar and photovoltaic arrays that are foldable and stowable for launch, then deployable in space. Additional aerospace uses include as ultralow-weight RF/EMI shielding and ground planes for spacecraft and aircraft, as highly flexible conductive fairings and electrical interconnects in next generation morphing air vehicles that change their shape to optimize flight conditions, and as conformal "sensor skins" for the unobtrusive measurement of aircraft skin friction and pressure.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications of NanoSonic's Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP>-based instrumented sensor garments similar to the ones developed through this NASA program are for emergency first responders (firemen, police, disaster relief personnel), the sports clothing industry, automated home and institutional health care, and the military and homeland security market. NanoSonic's patented Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> materials and their unique combination of high electrical conductivity, low mass density, and low modulus will enable the penetration of this broad e-textile products area. Additional uses include as 1) electrical interconnects in truly flexible electronic displays, from large-area billboards to foldable computer screens, 2) large-area deployable photovoltaic fabrics for electrical power generation, 3) low-weight RF shielding and ground planes for cellphones, computers and other electronic instrumentation, 4) low weight, conformal RF phased array antennas for communication, asset tracking and surveillance, 5) air flow and water flow sensors for commercial aircraft and ship systems, and 6) electrical interconnects in next-generation prostheses.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Manned-Manuvering Units
Suits
Highly-Reconfigurable
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Wireless Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Nyx Illuminated Clothing Company
5314 South Slauson Avenue
Culver City, CA 90230-6060

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
john bell
niccollc@earthlink.net
5314 South Slauson Avenue
Culver City,  CA 90230-6060

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of producing a wearable health monitoring system for the human body that is functional, comfortable, bendable in 3 dimensions, durable, water-proof, washable, and light-weight. This new technology area of wearable health systems, sometimes referred to as smart-clothing, promises to allow for a secondary human nervous system that connects various different electronic devices positioned on or around the human body. As the shrinking in size and weight of electronic circuits has progressed, it is now possible for the modern human astronaut to carry increasing numbers of different electronic devices and sensors such as thermometers, gas monitors, microphones, altimeters, digital processors, digital memory, and push-button controls. These devices allow the astronaut to access data about their current environment and health status, and communicate with other astronauts and/or databases to send and receive information of value. As the variation in the number of devices and sensors that can be deployed increases greatly, a new technology is required to allow the seamless integration of these devices with the human astronaut so that the devices can be electrically powered, operated, re-charged, and communicate with each other over a digital pathway.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed invention for monitoring human vital signs in-situ will allow the health of an astronaut to be monitored at all times by the individual themselves and if desired, stored in digital memory for later use in a medical database. With additional wireless communication technology it will be possible for these vital signs to be monitored by other personnel in real-time, during flight preparation, take-off, travel, landing, eating, sleeping, exercising, working, and during any other general activity. In mission critical situations, wireless health monitoring allows remote personnel to assess the health of an unconscious individual even if they are unable to verbally communicate directly.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The use of wearable health monitoring systems for human beings promises wide potential use in various different sectors of the health industry. It allows medical researchers to monitor the daily vital signs of one or many patients participating in medical trials in a non-invasive manner. For example, it seems likely that a wearable monitor system could be linked to a central medical database through telephony or internet access such that patients may go about their daily routine without having to remain under strict supervision at a hospital or clinic. It also allows personal physicians to monitor the health status of individual patients during normal lifetime pursuits, or before and after surgical procedures. Individuals themselves will have access to greater personal health knowledge and in certain cases alarm triggers may be set to warn of excessive risk activities, e.g., core temperature critical status prior to onset of heat stroke. Wristband and armband health monitors are now commercially available along with hand-held blood sugar monitors. Wearable health monitoring systems appear to be a continuation of this trend.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Pilot Support Systems
Biomolecular Sensors
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Suits
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Alliance Spacesystems, LLC
1250 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 100
Pasadena, CA 91103-2466

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scott Stanley
sstanley@alliancespacesystems.com
1250 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 100
Pasadena,  CA 91103-2466

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Alliance Spacesystems, LLC produced a rotary percussive drill designed for space use under a NASA-funded Mars Instrument Development Program (MIDP) project – the Low-force Sample Acquisition System (LSAS). The flight-like drill prototype that was the end result of the project successfully drilled and acquired 1 cm³ samples from a variety of rocks and soils including the hardest anticipated Martian rock (basalt) and frozen soil. This ability was demonstrated not only in ambient conditions but also in a thermal/vacuum chamber replicating Mars pressure and extreme temperatures. The rotary percussive approach is simple, robust, and highly efficient with regards to power and mass. During the SBIR 2006 Phase I effort, Alliance took this heritage device and expanded its potential to include coring against a variety of rock materials anticipated to be encountered on Mars. Through the use of a breadboard fixture, coring bit designs and coring parameters were evaluated to identify optimum combinations. At the completion of test a conceptual design was generated taking this coring experience into account and adding core retention, break and ejection features. A bit change mechanism, identified as a requirement for successful operation while maintaining design robustness and simplicity, was added as well. A Phase II effort is now proposed that will take this conceptual design into prototype form. Primary activities to be performed during Phase II will include: • Additional coring test runs to work out final details of detail bit design • Detail design and prototyping of core handling mechanisms • Prototype testing of core handling mechanisms • Design and manufacture of full prototype LSAS Corer system • Testing of prototype LSAS corer • Integration of LSAS corer onto robotic platform and functional demonstration

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The feasibility of robotic geologic exploration capability continues to grow in importance with missions proposed or in the formulation stage for much of the solar system, particularly Mars and the Moon. Other destinations under consideration whose missions will potentially require coring capability include Titan, the moons of Mars, and asteroids. All planetary missions are mass and power constrained even beyond that typical even for orbital spaceflight hardware, and the mass and power efficiency of the rotary percussive approach along with its fairly low requirements for down force while drilling make the approach ideal for these applications. A mission currently in development that has been directly impacted by the unavailability of mature coring capability is the Mars Science Laboratory, which recently was forced to drop coring from its sample acquisition plan since the technology would not be available. Future mission applications include the Mars Sample and Return (MSR) mission, a number of proposed Mars Scouts, and any of the Discovery or lunar missions that entail geologic evaluations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The RPCT configuration is fairly specific to the requirements of interplanetary and lunar exploration. However most terrestrial technology has been developed for larger cores, and the ability to procure smaller diameter cores could potentially offer advantages by enabling less intrusive evaluations of rock formations or concrete structures. Additionally the ability to interface with light weight robotics would enable integration onto autonomous or telerobotically operated rovers, opening potential markets in the nuclear or other high risk/hazardous environment areas. The development of the percussive approach is proving beneficial in other areas. Recently Alliance Spacesystems has been developing a variation of the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, used to measure the compaction of soils for suitability for roadwork, airfields, etc., for Special Forces applications that takes advantage of some of the work performed in this area. Alliance was awarded a contract in June 2007 to develop a fully functional prototype of this device.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Manipulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc.
305 E. Haley Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-1723

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Bradley Short
bshort@adc3d.com
305 E. Haley Street
Santa Barbara ,  CA 93101-1723

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) has developed a 128 x 128 frame, 3D Flash LADAR video camera which produces 3-D point clouds at 30 Hz. Flash LADAR captures an entire frame of data from a single pulse of light, therefore platform motion and vibration will not affect the measurements. This is not true for any other laser-ranging system, such as scanning LIDAR. Additionally, with no moving parts, the system is smaller, lighter, and requires less power than traditional approaches. The Phase I project used an ASC camera at the JPL mars yard to gather test data. Hazard Identification, and Entry Decent and Landing applications were investigated. These data sets were taken and delivered to JPL. The analysis demonstrates that a Flash LADAR system can resolve landing hazards and is suitable as an EDL sensor. This data, together with inputs from JPL scientists, was used to develop a brassboard camera concept for NASA applications. The optimized camera will be fabricated and delivered in Phase II. This sensor will not be spaced qualified, but the Hi-Reliabilty module developed for phase II will be the first step. Space qualification will be the next necessary step for Flash LADAR.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The 3D Flash LADAR Camera developed on this project can support future EDL requirements for lunar or planetary exploration. Not only will the camera be able to support hazard mapping and navigation but it can also support other terrain mapping requirements. The camera includes a fog, dust and liquid penetration mode, which will allow landing and navigation in hazardous conditions. ASC will deliver a Phase II brassboard system that meet NASA's requirements for an EDL sensor. This sensor will increase the success of NASA operations such as: 1. Mars Landed Exploration 2. Exploration of Moons (ALHAT, Jupiter Icy Moons) 3. Asteroid and comet rendezvous and sample return 4. Rendezvous and Docking 5. Situational awareness 6. Rock abundance and distribution maps 7. Topographical mapping 8. Rover mobility and navigation

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The compact, low power 3D Flash LADAR Camera developed on this project will have direct applications to collision avoidance and navigation for military autonomous air and ground vehicles. These cameras will also be directly applicable to terrain mapping for military and commercial applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Apparati, Inc.
221 Carpenter Drive
Hollister, CA 95023-9320

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Charles Bryson
cbryson@att.net
19270 Quinn Ct.
Morgan Hill,  CA 95037-9320

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective in this project is the development of a monochromatic x-ray source for a small x-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS) suitable for NASA missions. This instrument will allow in situ elemental and chemical state measurements in off-earth NASA missions. The need for these measurements is for understanding resource availability, toxicity, and chemical issues like oxidants on Mars. The small XPS developed in a previous SBIR, NNC04CA20C, has a mass of 15 Kg and will reduce to 7 kg as refined for flight. It will operate with about 10 watts. This tool needs a monochromatic x-ray source for the capability to understand the chemistries expected on NASA missions as called out in Future Space Science Enterprise (SSE) missions. In Phase I for this proposal we designed a combination of sources that will accomplish this need. It uses both a monochromatic and a non-monochromatic x-ray source to provide the quality data needed at a data rate suitable for potential missions. It uses low power, has a small mass and has some redundancy to reduce risk. Non-NASA applications will be process monitoring for semiconductor, polymer films and bioprocesses manufacturing. This application will be made available by the small size

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A low mass XPS using low power is the ideal tool for in situ studying materials on planetary objects. The in situ measurement avoids contamination problems. Rapid measurements allow examining resources, potential surface chemistry dependant toxicity issues and the nature of surface chemistries, like the oxidant on Mars. A Planetary Instrument Definition and Development program in progress at JPL under Dr. Paula Grunthaner will provide a detail study of these applications using a modified small XPS. Apparati, Inc. will design and build the system. It uses a new film developed at JPL that allows measurement on samples at Mars atmospheric conditions. This film, with the small XPS allows simple measurements on Mars with samples near rather then into the instrument. The proposed x-ray sources reduce background signals and improving resolution. The improved signal to noise of the measurements and improving sensitivity allow looking for small chemical effects and concentrations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The small XPS instrument will be a useful and cost effective process-monitoring device. XPS has not been used because of expensive, difficulty and is easily misinterpreted. The cost of ownership was high. Our business model will allow process monitors with a XPS core but different sample handling and software for each application. This reduces development cost, maintains fit to each application and speed. Few functions allow simplicity and low cost. NRE charges will pay the cost of tuning the instrument for each application. Surface/Interface Inc., founded by the PI, used this model for hard disk media market. The small XPS, with a monochromator, will allow expansion to Semiconductor, polymer film and bioprocess markets We are in contact with potential customers about this approach for the polymer per-printing treatment and low k gate oxides. We have customers committed to purchasing dedicated process monitors based on the small XPS.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Spaceport Infrastructure and Safety
Biomedical and Life Support

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Microwave Power Technology
2551 Casey Avenue, Suite A
Mountain View, CA 94043-1135

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Espinosa
micpwrt@aol.com
1280 Theresa Avenue
Campbell,  CA 95008-6833

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of the proposed work is to develop a rugged, low power, passively cooled X-Ray source that is compatible with miniaturized XRD systems. The XRD instruments would be used for in situ measurements on planetary surfaces. This X-ray source will integrate an X-ray emitting vacuum tube and both low and high-voltage power supplies into a compact and lightweight unit. This X-ray source will enable further miniaturized X-ray instruments to be deployed for surface and subsurface exploration of the solar system. The objectives will be achieved with an X-ray source that combines the advantage of easy thermal management and simple control electronics. The concept relies on the use of state-of-the-art ceramic materials that combines very good electrical insulation properties with good thermal conductivity. This source will allow using the grounded-cathode geometry for simple and compact electronics, and rely on the heat-sinking properties of the electrical insulator for heat dissipation to ground. The most promising material for this application is Aluminum Nitride (AlN). Objective specifications for the source to be developed are as follows: Accelerating Voltage (25 kV), Electron Beam Current (200 uAmps), X-ray Spot Size (50 microns), X-ray Tube Dimensions (65 mm x 25 mm,lxd)

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Future NASA missions will require miniaturized light weight X-ray sources compatible with the deployment of XRD and other X-ray instruments in small landers and rovers with limited payload capabilities, such as Scout missions. The X-ray source designed in Phase 1 enables miniaturized instrumentation for in-situ definitive chemical and mineralogy analysis of surface materials. In-situ analytical X-ray instruments are critical tools for the geochemical and astrobiological investigation of surface planetary material. Spectroscopic instruments can make use of radioactive excitation sources. X-ray diffraction requires a bright and collimated beam that only electrical sources can produce. XRD instruments provide definitive analysis and together with other instruments are ideally suited for planetary exploration. Future surface exploration missions could benefit from the technologies being developed in this proposal including in situ analysis of the Moon, Mars or Venus.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There is a growing market for portable X-ray instruments in addition to the hand held XRF instruments that are available today. Examples are on site identification compounds in industrial spills, suspect materials and contaminated environments. The miniature X-ray source can be a key component in monitoring sensors for industrial processes. Other potential applications for portable XRD systems, like the X-ray source proposed here, could serve other applications where small size microfocus X-ray sources are required such as X-ray absorption imaging or micro-fluorescence analysis. We are currently developing XRD instruments for authentication of art works and in field geological analysis.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Manned-Manuvering Units
Ceramics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scribner Associates Incorporated
150 E. Connecticut Avenue
Southern Pines, NC 28387-5528

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kevin Cooper
kevin@scribner.com
150 E. Connecticut Avenue
Southern Pines,  NC 28387-5528

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Planetary exploration missions, such as those planned by NASA and other space agencies over the next few decades, require advanced chemical and biological marker measurement technologies that will help answer fundamental questions about the composition of the Solar System and the possibility of past and present extraterrestrial life. Electrical/electrochemical array-based systems are highly suited for space and terrestrial applications because of their robustness, high-sensitivity, low-power requirement, miniaturization capability, and diverse transducer mechanisms which permit detection of a broad range of target analytes. Scribner Associates Inc. will leverage its expertise in measurement science, analytical instrumentation for arrays, and impedance spectroscopy to develop a prototype high measurement channel density array impedance analyzer for use with existing (e.g., Mars Oxidant Instrument) and future chemical and biological sensor arrays for planetary exploration. The proposed low mass instrument has hundreds of measurement channels for use with arrays with a large number of sensors. The analyzer is capable of conducting DC and swept-frequency AC impedance measurement. Successful development of the impedance array analyzer will facilitate multiple mission deployments with arrays tailored to specific mission objectives therefore ensuring efficient investment of NASA resources.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The array analyzer system will find direct application in NASA's Space Science program as it seeks to answer fundamental questions about the Solar System and life. The small, low mass array analyzer could be deployed on landers and rovers sent to planetary bodies such as Mars and the Moon. For each mission, the analyzer's sensors could be configured for the specific mission objectives such as for the analysis of the planetary atmosphere (gases and particles), chemical and mineralogical analysis of materials (soil, dust, rock, liquid, and ice) and detection and identification of biomarkers of extinct or extant life such as pre-biotics, bio-molecules and bio-minerals. Alternative configurations of the array analyzer could be a bench-top or handheld instrument for astronaut health and space craft environment monitoring.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Small, low-power array analyzers will find numerous commercial applications. They are essential platforms on which to build chemical and biological detection and assay devices for a broad range of applications including remote and automated environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, near-patient clinical testing and monitoring, utility and industrial process stream monitoring, and homeland security. A near-term commercial market opportunity for the array analyzer is for a state-of-the-art drinking water pathogen detection system currently being pursued by the company. Additional commercial applications include new market opportunities for research instruments for combinatorial chemistry, electrochemistry, and materials science, and for sensor and sensor array development. The proposed array analyzer is a unique, innovative technology with tremendous commercial potential as the basis for a range of portable chem/bio detection systems for on-site, remote, and laboratory applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Biomolecular Sensors
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Biochemical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Honeybee Robotics Ltd.
460 W. 34th Street
New York, NY 10001-4236

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jerri Ji
ji@honeybeerobotics.com
460 W 34th Street
New York,  NY 10001-4236

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In response to the need for motors, actuators and sample acquisition system that can operate in the harsh Venusian environment for extended periods of time, on the order of several hours to days, Honeybee Robotics proposes development of high temperature scoop and joint; and continued development of an extreme temperature brushless DC motor and a resolver. All hardware will be demonstrated in simulated Venus surface conditions. During Phase I, a first-generation prototype BLDC motor and resolver were designed, built and tested in Venus-like conditions (460<SUP>o</SUP>C temperature, mostly CO2 gas environment). The Phase I tests demonstrated the feasibility of the design through verification that the motor and the resolver can operate at 460<SUP>o</SUP>C for an extended period of time. A further developed and optimized version of this motor and resolver could be used to actuate sample acquisition systems, robotic arms, and other devices outside of an environment-controlled landed platform on the surface of Venus. The motor and resolver's capability to survive for hours (and potentially longer) in that environment is a major benefit to future Venus science missions since it would allow time for communication ground loops to optimize sample target selection and allow for multiple samples to be acquired from the surface. The extreme temperature motor and resolver would therefore revolutionize the exploration of Venus. In Phase II, an extreme temperature resolver and a suite of different size of extreme environment brushless motor will be developed to TRL 6. High temperature scoop and joint will also be developed to TL 6. Aside from Venus exploration, other potential NASA and non-NASA applications for an extreme temperature motor include actuation of fluid pumps, gimbals, robotic joints and manipulation systems, as well as turbine, expendable launch vehicle and furnace tending system components.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The most promising and immediate application for the high temperature BLDC motor, resolver and the high temperature joint is on future exploration missions to Venus' surface. This application is the main driver for the development funded under this SBIR award. Currently, an extreme temperature motor, resolver and joint that can operate at Venus surface temperatures does not exist. Most high-temperature terrestrial motors can operate at a maximum temperature of 250<SUP>o</SUP>C, with a few that can reach 300<SUP>o</SUP>C for short durations. None of these motors could operate on Venus, where temperatures can reach 486<SUP>o</SUP>C. Based on the Phase I test results, Honeybee believes that the feasibility of designing an extreme temperature motor capable of operating for extended periods on the Venus surface has been demonstrated. A high temperature resolver as the output feedback can give us precision control. The high temperature joint can be used in the rover arm for any Venus surface operation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Electrical submersible pumps (ESP) are down-hole pumps used in oil and geothermal applications such as steam floods (used in many fields to improve mobility of heavy oil and bitumen), geothermal wells, and other high temperature/ poor cooling applications. ESPs have been identified by Schlumberger to be the most efficient and economical material lift method on a cost-per-barrel basis. The trend in the application of ESPs has been toward installation in higher temperature reservoirs. These higher temperature reservoirs are typically found as the operation depths become deeper. Baker-Hughes and Schlumberger are the main manufacturers of high temperature ESPs. Schlumberger's HOTLINE series and Baker-Hughes Centrilift series ESPs can operate at temperatures approaching 300<SUP>o</SUP>C. An extreme temperature motor could potentially allow oil and water pump operation at greater depths than those attainable using these existing ESPs. Other potential applications identified include (1) gas turbine starter/generators for aircraft engines, (2) actuators for turbine fuel and steam control, inlet guide vane positioning, bleed heat valve control and remote subsea system actuation, (3) high temperature electromechanical actuation systems for expendable launch vehicle thrust vector control and gimbaling of engines and adaptable aerodynamic surfaces , and (4) furnace tending for glass/ceramic manufacturing.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Control Instrumentation
Superconductors and Magnetic

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
FMW Composite Systems, Inc.
1200 W. Benedum Industrial Drive
Bridgeport, WV 26330-9687

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steven Spear
sspear@fmwcomposite.com
1200 W Benedum Industrial Drive
Bridgeport,  WV 26330-9687

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
For over 15 years, FMW Composite Systems has developed Metal Matrix Composite manufacturing methodologies for fabricating silicon-carbide-fiber-reinforced titanium components, also known as Titanium Matrix Composites (TMC), for the aerospace industry. These efforts have resulted in successfully flight qualifying three TMC components, including a piston rod used in the divergent exhaust nozzle actuator for the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine (F-22), and two exhaust nozzle actuator links for the GE F110 engine (F-16). TMC weight savings over the monolithic titanium and steel components being replaced typically varies from 35 to 45% depending upon the application load requirements. The relatively low density of TMC (10% lower than Titanium) combined with its excellent mechanical behavior, results in significantly higher specific static properties than conventional material systems. Additionally, creep resistance of TMC is dramatically enhanced over monolithic titanium due to the presence of the SiC fibers, which do not exhibit discernible creep at the temperature regime of interest. Currently, FMW is working with closely with the aerospace industry to develop TMC structural components for both Military and Commercial airframe applications. FMW proposes to use this same technology to work with the Jet Propulsion Lab to develop a TMC pressure vessel for the Venus Lander mission.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Expansion of FMW's TMC manufacturing base to include compound curvature parts with integral monolithic attachment points will facilitate the use of TMC in a variety of potential applications. In addition to the targeted NASA application of pressure vessels for planetary probes and landers, other hot metallic structure applications requiring compound curvature would also benefit. Near leading edge surfaces of future hypersonic vehicles and exhaust path surface structure on military aircraft are potential applications that would benefit from the development of the manufacturing methods needed to produce TMC pressure vessels.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
None

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Composites
Metallics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
UTRON, Inc.
8506 Wellington Road. Suite 200
Manassas, VA 20109-3988

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Karthik Nagarathnam
karthik@utroninc.com
8506 Wellington Road. Suite 200
Manassas,  VA 20109-3988

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In response to NASA's need to develop advanced nanostructured thermolectric materials, UTRON is proposing an innovative high pressure powder consolidation manufacturing to fabricate near net shape and net shape thermolectric components with improved densification and properties than possible conventional powder metallurgical methods. Potential candidate materials such as Tellurides, TAGs and SiGe micro/nano composites will be developed at high compaction pressures (150 tsi) using select geometries/shapes and optimized disk samples will be characterized for geometrical, shrinkage, mechanical, microstructure/microchemistry and thermolectric properties. The proposed work has been planned in close subcontract/collaboration with Teledyne and Auburn University-Space Research Institute. Other advanced nanocomposite alloys and scaling up to fabricate complex geometries will be done in Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Deep Space Mission Thermolectric Power Devices/Modules, Nanostructured Electrodes for High Energy Storage Batteries, High Temperature Propulsion Rocket Nozzle Liners, Ablative Liner Inserts, High Density Refractory and Composite Parts, Heat Pipes, Valves for Advanced Engine Systems, Solid Lubricant Composites for Spacecraft Bearings and Tribological Applications, Erosion Resistant High Temperature Materials, Heat Sinks, Dissimilar Bonded Materials.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The anticipated applications of CDC technology for near net shape net-shape fabrication include high performance engine parts such as valves/valve seats, connecting rods, gears, brake parts, bushing, spring retainers, washers, roller bearings, pump parts, x-ray targets, sputtering targets, ammunitions, heat sinks/shields/nozzle parts, electrical contact brushes for motors/generators, commutator rings, nuclear plasma components, electromagnetic devices, vacuum seals, welding electrodes, microwave components, microelectronic interconnects/thermal management systems, permanent/superconducting magnets and wear/corrosion/high temperature parts.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
Ceramics
Composites
Metallics
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Tribology
Energy Storage
Thermoelectric Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17601-5688

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
William Anderson
bill.anderson@1-ACT.com
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster,  PA 17601-5688

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The overall technical objective of the proposed Phase II program is to complete a system-level demonstration to show the capability and benefits of integrating this backup radiator/Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP) with the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). The Phase I project developed a feasible VCHP radiator design that can be integrated with the ASRG. In Phase II, a trade study will be conducted to optimize the VCHP design. A superalloy heat pipe will be fabricated from Haynes 230, which has good strength at the 850<SUP>o</SUP>C operating temperature and long term life tests with alkali metals. In addition to the VCHP, a General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) simulator and a Heater Head simulator will both be designed and fabricated. Testing of the VCHP with the GPHS and Heater Head simulators will verify the ability of the VCHP to provide backup cooling for the Stirling convertors. The goal at the end of the program would be to bring the concept to Technology Readiness Level 5: Component Validation in a Relevant Environment.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The immediate NASA application is to provide backup cooling for the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). The heater head lifetime decreases rapidly at temperature above the design temperature of 850<SUP>o</SUP>C, so the Stirling engines can only be stopped briefly before the heater head overheats. VCHPs allow the engines to be stopped to minimize electromagnetic interferences and mechanical vibrations while taking scientific measurements for as long as desired, without the danger of damaging the heater head. In addition to allowing multiple stops and starts of the Stirling engines, the VCHPs also help to isothermalize the heater head, increasing the engine performance.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
One potential commercial application based on a current product line at ACT is the pressure-controlled isothermal furnace liner. An isothermal furnace liner is an annular alkali metal heat pipe. Replacing the current heat pipe with a pressure controlled VCHP will allow much tighter temperature control. A second commercial application is the alkali metal VCHPs in fuel cell reformers. In a fuel cell reformer, diesel fuel and air pass through a series of high temperature reactors to generate hydrogen. The operating temperature of the reactors must be closely controlled to maintain their chemical equilibrium. A typical system must maintain inlet and outlet temperatures within ±30<SUP>o</SUP>C despite a turndown ratio of 5:1 in the reactant flow rate. The current scheme uses bypass valves, which has several drawbacks: it requires active control, consumes power, and has a large pressure drop. The alkali metal VCHP heat exchangers can replace the current heat exchangers and control valves with a passive system that automatically maintains the output stream from the heat exchanger at a constant temperature.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Nuclear Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
EpiWorks, Inc.
1606 Rion Drive
Champaign, IL 61822-9598

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Ahmari
dahmari@epiworks.com
1606 Rion Drive
Champaign ,  IL 61822-9598

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this proposal is to study and demonstrate novel GaAsNP/GaP/AlGaP technology for use in extreme photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion. NASA and the scientific community are interested in solar missions that go as far as Saturn or even into near sun conditions. Such missions present a challenging problem for PV technology. In addition to the requisite high efficiency and reduced solar cell payload mass, these missions require a PV technology that can withstand the increased solar intensity, radiation and temperature. We propose studying two possible solar cell designs: The first design utilizes novel, wide gap GaP-based materials to provide bandgaps well suited for high-temperature operation and to enhance function in high radiation and near sun missions. Such an approach will enable solar cells to operate at and above 450 Celcius with the highest possible efficiency. As part of this study we would investigate the deposition of AlGaP on GaP to provide materials with bandgaps at or above 2.4 eV. The second design we will investigate uses more standard materials that EpiWorks has already developed for different applications. This design would employ InAlP (2.4eV bandgap) lattice-matched to GaAs as the key wide gap material. We will study the expected temperature dependence and other key thermal properties of such a design and compare to the GaP-based approach.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary near-term applications for this technology are high-temperature and high-efficiency solar cell arrays for NASA missions and DoD satellites. For NASA, future missions will continue to probe closer and closer to the sun. A potential, but unlikely application would be solar probes, but the most likely application would missions such as a Mercury surface station with an equilibrium temperature of ~450 Celsius. In these future missions, it is critical to develop solar cell PV technology that can operate from 450-1000 Celsius in high radiation and high intensity environments. Our near term commercialization strategy will be to develop a solar cell PV technology that can operate at high-efficiency in these conditions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
EpiWorks plans to pursue NASA, military and potential commercial customers with a new GaP-based solar cell technology. In addition to NASA Saturn, near-sun and related missions, we will initially focus on the DoD and commercial space-based solar cell market. This market demands solar cell technology with high efficiency and low weights. If a lightweight, and thermally robust, efficient solar cell technology were available, it could provide significant opportunity with other space-based applications. These capabilities are especially important for next-generation DoD and commercial satellites. In phase II we will be developing an initial prototype device. In parallel, EpiWorks plans to team with at least one commercial partner as well as 1-2 government partners (preferably AFRL and NREL) to complete product development and begin production.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Photovoltaic Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NanoSonic, Inc.
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060-5556

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dr. Jennifer Lalli
jlalli@nanosonic.com
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg,  VA 24060-0618

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NanoSonic has developed a nanostructured spray self-assembly manufacturing method that has resulted in ultra-lightweight (< 0.4g/cc) textile interconnects for photovoltaic arrays, durable EMI shielding (-70 dB) solar collector membranes with unprecedented flexibility (> 1000%), and multi-layer, high efficiency thermal rejection coatings for deep space missions. NanoSonic has analyzed opportunities for its unique self-assembly processing techniques with the Photovoltaic and Space Environments Branch at NASA GRC. Focus was placed on radiant heat barrier coatings formed as multiple organic and inorganic well-defined segments using spray-based self-assembly processing. The spray technique allows the incorporation of materials required to achieve high coating reflectivity with low absorptivity and high emissivity over large-area NASA structures. The low &#61537;/&#61541;&#61472;coatings will be transitioned to use on NASA deep space mission structures, near space airships and commercial rooftops and buildings. NanoSonic has also developed ultra low mass density fabric materials with patterned conductive traces capable of conducting high electrical current densities and capable of withstanding extreme thermal (-140<SUP>o</SUP>C to 450<SUP>o</SUP>C) and mechanical environmental conditions required in deep space. Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> textiles will be transitioned to large area photovoltaic arrays. Such multifunctional Gossamer materials would provide adequate mechanical support and low loss electrical interconnect network functionalities for power generation arrays.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications for Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> multilayer metal-dielectric perfect mirrors include ultra-lightweight, high efficiency radiant heat barrier coatings or collectors for thermoelectric devices and protective coatings against electrostatic charging, EMI, radiation, and abrasion for deep space exploration missions. Reducing the effects of solar gain would reduce the power, weight and system complexity needed to cool critical components and compensate for large-scale structural distortion and attitude variation. At the systems level, the spacecraft power budget would be reduced, because a significant portion of power expenditure is related to compensating for unwanted thermal effects. Ultra-low modulus Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> membranes would serve as durable solar concentrator membranes with the added benefit of EMI shielding and unsurpassed flexibility. Highly electrically conductive Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> textiles serve as flexible, super lightweight PV array interconnect materials. NanoSonic's spray ESA process is an economically feasible option for manufacturing multilayer nanostructured stacks and shielding coatings for large area space structures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Dual use commercialization exists for nanostructured Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> perfect mirrors as the market for ultra-low absorptivity, high emmisivity coatings is large and growing, due primarily to pressing needs to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas production while conserving fossil fuels. Spacecraft structures are an important and specialized but limited total market for high efficiency ultra-low &#61537;/&#61541; coating materials. A significantly larger market commercial opportunity exists for similar coatings on civilian infrastructure – rooftops and buildings. The building market is the largest single commercial market worldwide, and in the U.S., more than a third of all energy consumed is used for heating and cooling. Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> nanocomposites and textiles serve as conducting electrodes for high strain mechanical actuator and sensor devices, and low-weight, electrically conductive and mechanically flexible coatings for systems requiring physically-robust electromagnetic shielding, ground planes or electrical interconnection. NanoSonic offers a unique alternative to metal foil and metal-coated polymer materials.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Solar
Ablatives
Inflatable
Cooling
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
RF
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Manned-Manuvering Units
Suits
Ceramics
Composites
Metallics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Energy Storage
Photovoltaic Conversion
Renewable Energy
Thermoelectric Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scientific Systems Company, Inc.
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn, MA 01801-6580

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Raman Mehra
rkm@ssci.com
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn,  MA 01801-6580

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Recent work on distributed multi-spacecraft systems has resulted in a number of architectures and algorithms for accurate estimation of spacecraft and formation states. The estimation accuracy achievable during spacecraft formation operation depends not only on the algorithms, but also on their actual implementation and communication related delays. Typically, the algorithms are implemented on a real-time multi-tasking processor that allocates on-board computational resources to multiple tasks according to some scheduling policy. The processor's task scheduler may induce delays and preempt measurement processing and estimation tasks in favor of other tasks. Hence, estimation accuracy and in general the performance of any embedded algorithm can be significantly lower than expected during execution. The goal of this project is to develop distributed spacecraft state estimation algorithms that account for real-time multi-tasking processor constraints and delays in the availability of measurements and make the best use of limited onboard computing resources. We bring together new advances in advanced Kalman filtering techniques to develop an innovative framework for the design of embedded distributed state estimation algorithms and software. We will deliver to NASA JPL a novel ``any time'' Kalman Filter (AKF) architecture and software for distributed state estimation that, i) selects and uses the best measurements under given CPU constraints, and ii) continues to improve the accuracy of estimates by opportunistically using any additional CPU resources that become available.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This SBIR directly addresses concerns in embedded control systems for formation flying spacecraft. NASA's Next Generation Air Transportation System will use real-time multi-tasking environment for control, estimation and integrated vehicle health monitoring tasks. Other NASA applications include embedded aircraft and jet engine control systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Embedded control and estimation systems are used in a wide range of commercial and military applications. This SBIR effort uses a novel Anytime Kalman Filter (AKF) approach to develop state estimation algorithms for implementation using real-time multi-tasking operating systems, which has vast commercial potential for industrial (electric power networks, distributed process control) transportation and environmental monitoring applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Architectures and Networks
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mide Technology Corporation
200 Boston Avenue, Suite 1000
Medford, MA 02155-4243

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Petra Botha
pbotha@mide.com
200 Boston Avenue, Suite 1000
Medford,  MA 02155-4258

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA is continuing its development of electric propulsion engines for various applications. Efforts have been directed toward both large and small thrusters, depending on the end use. A current program is focused on the development of a miniature thruster. Development of a Miniature Xenon Ion (MiXI) thruster will enable precision spacecraft positioning and formation maneuvers for formation-flying spacecraft. The current MiXI thruster prototype will provide 0.5 – 3 mN thrust at 3000 sec specific impulse and efficiencies around 50% or better. The MiXI thruster will use Xenon propellant, a noble gas, minimizing spacecraft contamination.(http://dst.jpl.nasa.gov/thrusters/) One of the challenges of such a thruster is to be able to accurately control the flow of propellant. The required flow rates are on the order of 0.1 to 1.0 sccm of Xenon. To this end Midé, in Phase I, demonstrated that a small flow control valve, based on piezoelectric technology, met all performance objectives. Midé is a world leader in this technology, demonstrated by its existing patented packaged actuator product line and past valve experience. Aerojet provided electric propulsion expertise for the duration of the program and serve as a technology integration and transition path.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The initial platform for the MiXI thrusters requires 18 thrusters per spacecraft. Since there are 5 spacecraft, and 2 valves per thruster for redundancy, there is a potential to deliver 180 valves. In addition, this valve helps to meet a technology gap that exists for this thrust range. One focus area of late in satellite design is a push for multiple, smaller satellites that are maintained in tight formations. This allows for larger aperture space telescopes without the need to build one large spacecraft. A key ingredient to the success of these formation flying spacecraft are the thrusters needed to maintain the tight distances from spacecraft to spacecraft. The station keeping thrusters of these small spacecraft must provide a sufficiently small impulse bit to actively and accurately control their position. The proposed piezo based valves can easily meet these requirements for all small scale thruster station keeping needs.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Midé is involved with a commercial partner to optimize oxygen respirator usage though the use of accurately controlled low powered piezo valve. The military also maintains a presence in space that can require accurate precision positioning of their assets. A small valve can find application in precision process control in the manufacturing industry and in the medical field for accurately controlling small amounts of fluids or gasses. A general trend towards smaller flow control devices can be seen across several industries. The driving force behind this trend is the large mass-to-power and mass-to-response capacity of the miniature device. These valves are widely used in dispensing of high purity or aggressive fluids. Some of the largest markets for miniature valves are in the biotechnology industry and in laboratory equipment. Typically these valves are mass-produced as OEM products for incorporation into smaller sensing products.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Micro Thrusters
Feed System Components
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
AGILTRON Corporation
15 Cabot Road
Woburn, MA 01801-1050

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
King Wang
qwang@agiltron.com
15 Cabot Road
Woburn,  MA 01801-1003

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Agiltron together with Prof. Michael Rubner's group at MIT is developing a new family of nanoporous, low refractive index coatings for next generation NASA UV anti-reflection (AR) application on large plastic optics. The initial application is intended for 2.5 m diameter PMMA Fresnel lenses which NASA anaticipates as part of the EUSO mission cosmic ray telescope. The new thin film technology combines MIT advances in nano-structured, self-assembled, low index multilayer structures with Agiltron's recently developed mist deposition process, a method for applying large area thin films at low temperature with precise layer thickness control. The proposed UV AR coatings consist of inter-connected oxide nanoparticles in the form of a 3D nanoporous network able to produce stable films with refractive indices as low as 1.1 and high transparency in the visible - UV. In Phase I of this program we successfully demonstrated AR coatings on PMMA substrates with UV reflectance less than 1% at 300-400 nm (compared to 5% for bare PMMA substrates). In Phase II, Agiltron intends to further develop the coatings to a higher technical readiness level (TRL) by improving the robustness and abrasion resistance of the films and engineering the deposition techniques to enable multilayer coatings of tuned refractive index (graded index) for broader band AR performance. By the end of Phase II, nanoporous films deposited by the mist process will possess high transparency, good environmental stability, and excellent abrasion resistance and mechanical integrity. The material can be applied conformally on large area glass and plastic substrates (polycarbonate, PMMA) using low annealing temperatures. Mist deposition is fundamentally inexpensive and may have commercial applications to the plastic optics industry for eyeglasses or cellphone camera lenses.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Nanoporous coating technology is applicable to anti-reflection coatings for the electromagnetic spectrum from UV through near-IR. An immediate need is for coatings on large (2.5 m) PMMA Fresnel lenses intended for the EUSO extreme energy cosmic ray telescope. Previous coatings have given poor adhesion on PMMA. NASA's contribution to this international mission depends on design of a plastic lens telescope whose antireflection treatments show very high optical efficiency over a wide UV band, large area uniformity, conformal deposition, low film stress, and minimal scattering and absorption.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Nanoporous coatings offer dual functionality of anti-reflection and anti-fogging. Potential military applications include goggles, laser safety eye protective lenses, chemical/ biological face masks, ballistic shields for explosive ordnance disposal personnel, and windows for vehicles. Mist deposition is fundamentally inexpensive and may have commercial applications to the plastic optics industry for eyeglasses and cellphone camera lenses, sport and diving goggles, auto windshields, windows in public transit vehicles, solar panels and green-house enclosures, and architectural products.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical
Photonics
Composites
Optical & Photonic Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Reflective X-ray Optics, LLC
1361 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 3B
New York, NY 10027-2589

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Windt
windt@rxollc.com
1361 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 3B
New York,  NY 10027-2589

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose to develop and commercialize a new class of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) multilayer coatings containing the rare-earth element gadolinium (Gd), designed as efficient narrow-band reflective mirror coatings operating near normal incidence in the 60-65 nm wavelength range. This long-wavelength region of the EUV includes the important solar emission lines O V near l=63.0 nm and Mg X near l=61.0 nm, formed at intermediate temperatures in the solar atmosphere. While narrow-band EUV multilayer coatings are by now widely used in NASA missions for high-resolution solar imaging at wavelengths shorter than 35 nm, the observations made at those wavelengths probe coronal and transition region lines formed at either low (e.g., He II at l=30.4 nm) or high (e.g., numerous Fe lines) temperatures. In contrast, the 60–65 nm wavelength region provides a unique spectral window in which to observe intermediate-temperature solar emission lines. However, efficient narrow-band multilayer coatings operating in this range have been unavailable until now. The successful development of efficient, stable Gd-based multilayers as we propose, based on preliminary experimental results, especially those obtained during our Phase I effort, will therefore enable the construction of new high-resolution solar telescopes tuned to O V or Mg X that will complement existing multilayer telescopes tuned to shorter EUV wavelengths, thereby providing more complete temperature coverage, and leading to better understanding of the solar atmosphere, its variability, and its crucial role in driving space weather. EUV imaging instruments incorporating the multilayer technology we propose to develop may be included in future missions such as RAM, Solar Probe, and Solar Orbiter, as well as future GOES satellites and new Explorer-class missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The successful completion of our proposed SBIR activities will result in the development and commercial availability of affordable, high-performance Si/Gd EUV multilayers that operate near normal incidence in the 60-65 nm range, a region of the EUV in which no narrow-band multilayers are currently available. These coatings will enable the construction of high-resolution, high-cadence, narrow-band imaging telescopes for solar observations of intermediate temperature O V and Mg X lines, thereby complementing existing EUV multilayer coatings that operate at shorter wavelengths. Such telescopes may find application in future NASA solar physics missions including Solar Probe and RAM, as well as future GOES satellites and Explorer-class missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The same Si/Gd coatings developed in this proposed SBIR project will also enable the construction of related high-performance imaging and spectroscopy systems, for other organizations engaged in solar physics missions such as ESA, ISAS, etc., as well as researchers in the US and abroad involved in a variety of non-solar scientific and technological disciplines including plasma physics, synchrotron radiation, photo-lithography, and EUV laser research. Our research and the resulting commercial products will therefore have a broad impact on the scientific community in general

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Seabrook Engineering
9310 Dubarry Avenue
Seabrook , MD 20706-3108

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Mozurkewich
dave@mozurkewich.com
9310 Dubarry Avenue
Seabrook ,  MD 20706-3108

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal is for funding to continue development of an alternative beam combiner for Stellar Imager (SI), a 30-aperture, interferometric telescope chosen as one of fifteen Vision Missions. Called the Spatial Frequency Remapper, SFR, it trades the large field of view of a Fizeau design for simultaneous observations at multiple wavelengths. Since SI does not require a large field, SFR, is a clearly better design. It can produce better images and allows tight control requirements to be relaxed. The SFR is also the heart of a full-aperture interferometric imaging system that will dramatically improve the performance of AO equipped telescopes. The Phase I study was remarkably successful. The SFR design was rejected during the Vision Study because of its perceived optical complexity. That concern was retired; the design is robust, even with many apertures. It needs only three optical surfaces, down from the five-surface design of the Vision Study. Tolerances are not tight. The inputs can be divided between combiners, further simplifying the optics and data flow with negligible effect on mission performance. The search for better sparse-aperture configurations worked. The search was sped up 1000 fold, enabling the discovery of the 30-aperture configurations needed for SI. The main commercial application, improving images from AO equipped telescopes, requires a seemingly impossible to build optical fiber interface. We found an alternative assembly procedure that is standing up well to detailed study. A data reduction technique was developed that should improve sensitivity by a factor of 1000, increasing the range of possible applications. The configuration search found ways to divide a full-aperture into the multiple configurations, tying off another loose thread in the design. Finally, a testbed and prototyping plan was developed since in our view the success of the Phase I study clearly supports continuing the development of this technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The direct NASA application of the Spatial Frequency Remapper (SFR) is to the Stellar Imager where it significantly improves the capabilities of that mission by providing simultaneous observations at multiple wavelengths. Seabrook Engineering plans to be in a position to provide hardware for Stellar Imager, a precursor mission or for ground testing in preparation for one or both of those missions. Also, one could imagine deploying SFR at ground-based optical interferometers to jump start the Stellar Imager science program. Another exciting NASA application is to direct planet detection with a high-dynamic range coronagraph. Full-aperture interferometric imaging, has the remarkable ability to form an image that is not corrupted by wavefront errors. In particular, interferometric imaging eliminates the speckle noise present in images from a typical astronomical telescope. Since the performance of TPF-C is limited by speckles, using interferometric imaging instead of a traditional CCD camera for the detector could potentially revolutionize the mission. Full-aperture interferometric imaging can also work as a powerful wavefront sensor and is potentially useful where ever the wavefront quality is not good enough for the required task. Space-telescopes with large, deployed apertures are a possibility. Undoubtedly, more applications will become apparent as the technology develops.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
SFR technology is the heart of a full-aperture interferometric imaging system, an improvement over the already successful aperture masking. Aperture masking is a proven technique that has produced repeatable, high dynamic range images of complex sources at the diffraction limit of the telescope. It has consistently outperformed adaptive optics in image quality but lacks the sensitivity of an AO system. The new system improves on aperture masking both by enabling better amplitude calibration, which will further improve the images, and by using light from the entire aperture. Placed behind a good AO system, it should approach the sensitivity of the AO while maintaining its high-precision calibration. Applications should be numerous with the Air Force satellite imaging community targeted as the first customer. Other major observatories are also potential customers. An exciting possibility is that this may be the technology that, when coupled with a good AO system, will provide the image quality needed for the next generation of large (30-meter) ground-based telescopes to move forward. Seabrook Engineering plans to pursue this link and to be in position to provide instrumentation for those facilities.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
DR Technologies, Inc.
7740 Kenamar Court
San Diego, CA 92121-2425

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Daron Giles
dgiles@drtechnologies.com
7740 Kenamar Court
San Diego,  CA 92121-2425

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of the Phase II effort will be an affordable demonstrated full-scale design for a thermally stable multi-meter submillimeter reflector. The Phase I effort resulted in a design for a thermally stable reflector which by analysis should survive the launch environment and satisfy the as manufactured surface tolerance and on orbit thermal stability requirements for operation at 660 GHz, as in a CAMEO SMLS type mission. The Phase I effort motivates the Phase II effort to demonstrate with flight-like hardware the thermal stability of the design developed in Phase I. The Phase I study answered fundamental questions about the important parameters affecting the hygro-thermal stability of a reflector. In the Phase II, we plan to develop the technology required to realize the important parameters for thermal stability and then demonstrate the predicted thermal stability with a flight-like test article.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications involve development and production of large high accuracy reflectors for application in civil science missions such as the NASA / JPL Composition of the Atmosphere from Mid-Earth Orbit (CAMEO) mission where scientific instruments are intended to operate at frequencies up to 660h GHz.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This advance would both meet the needs of next generation instruments, as well as provide a technology stepping stone to far term missions that envision apertures on the order of 10 meters. In the near term, Japan's SPICA mission will need a 3.5m cryogenic telescope in the 2010 timeframe. In the far term, the SAFIR mission is a high priority in Space Science that is envisioned to feature a 10m class aperture operating at 4K. This large of an aperture would certainly require a segmented design, and assembly (or deployment) would be accomplished without a full aperture master tool.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF
Microwave/Submillimeter
Optical
Composites
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hittite Microwave Corporation
20 Alpha Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824-4123

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Donald Herman, Jr.
herman@hittite.com
1069 Elkton Drive
Colorado Springs,  CO 80907-3539

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Future detectors and arrays for visible, IR, and submillimeter imaging and spectroscopy require much higher speed digitizers than are currently available. In particular, low-power (< 5 W) space-qualified digitizers with > 10 GHz bandwidth and sampling at > 10 Gs/s are needed to enable next generation digital submillimeter spectrometers. These digitizers must also interface to typical digital signal processing logic using e.g. LVDS I/O. To meet these needs, Hittite proposes an innovative digitizer combining a high-speed (10 Gs/s), wideband (10 GHz), moderate-resolution (6 bit) ADC with a companion digital demux to reduce the data rate and present LVDS-compatible outputs to e.g. Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs. The proposed SiGe HBT technology offers high reliability and radiation tolerance for space missions. A conceptual design was developed in Phase I. During Phase II, the ADC and demux chips will be designed, laid out, and fabricated. Prototype digitizer modules will be assembled into a small module, tested, and delivered during a Phase III effort. The initial two-chip digitzer reduces development risk. The technology will readily support a single-chip solution to further reduce size, weight, and power while improving system reliability in future programs.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed digitizer is an enabling component for ultra-wideband submillimeter spectrometers and other coherent receiver systems. Planetary missions such as Marvel, Vesper, and Cameo can be significantly enhanced. Additional applications include wideband radar and gain control applications, transient recorders for high-energy particle detection and other systems, wideband imagers, and broadband signal capture and analysis systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Government agencies (DoD, MDA) will utilize the digitizer in advanced phased-array radar and signal/electronic intelligence (sigint/elint) systems. It will enable temporal and spatial averaging in large radar and lidar systems to provide very high resolution. Real-time gain control and ultra-wideband signal acquisition will benefit digital receivers both in the field and for hardware in the loop (HWIL) simulators. Commercial radar and spectrometers will also benefit, as will transient recorders and test instruments such as DSOs and spectrum analyzers. The digitizer can improve the performance of 10 – 100 Gb/s data links, and reduce the power and complexity of large storage arrays using high-speed VSR optical links. Multi-GHz test and emulation systems for e.g. next-generation hard disk drives will also benefit.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Particle and Fields
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Microwave/Submillimeter
Optical
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Intevac, Inc.
3560 Bassett Street
Santa Clara, CA 95054-2704

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Leslie Tack
ltack@intevac.com
3560 Bassett Street
Santa Clara,  CA 95054-2704

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The innovation is a Near Infrared Photon-Counting Sensor (NIRPCS), an imaging device with sufficient sensitivity to capture the spectral signatures, in the wavelength range 0.9-1.7 um from very faint extra-solar targets and events with high resolution. The NIRPCS will have near zero read noise and dark rates below the read noise to support photon counting for frame capture times as high as 10 seconds. Up to 10/5 frames can be sequentially captured and digitally averaged. Important NASA applications for the NIRPCS include spectral measurements on extra-solar planets in search of water and bio-markers and measuring the dynamics of galaxies at high redshift to better understand the formation process. The technical objectives of Phase II are centered on more focused study on the behavior of the TE photocathode at the very low cooling temperatures anticipated for the ultimate implementation of this sensor technology by NASA for the astronomy application. The modeling results of the Phase I effort showed that reduction of the electric field in the InP, due to applied cathode bias, reduced the bias dependant hole avalanche and absorber generation contributions to the cathode dark current. Factors of 3.8x and 48.2x reduction in dark current resulted for two redesigned cathodes at an operational temperature of 200K and +2V cathode bias. This occurred by redesign of the epitaxial structure in which the p-doped cap layer was eliminated. However, too much reduction of the electric field in the InP may also reduce the escape probability of hot electrons in the InP to vacuum thereby reducing quantum efficiency. Therefore a technical Phase II objective is to execute a design of experiment (D.O.E) to determine the best epitxial design for maximum quantum efficiency and reduced dark current.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1. Improve all NIR measurements in the 950-1700 nm band where performance is presently limited by sensor and rad noise and dark current. 2. Spectral measurements on extra-solar planets in search of water and bio-markers. 3. Measuring the dynamics of galaxies at high redshift to better understand the formation process. 4. Space communications systems that require 2-D near infrared photon counting sensors (currently under development at NASA/JPL)

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1. Intevac's MOSIR<SUP>TM</SUP> camera platform: The NIRPCS will allow Intevac to advance the sensitivity of Intevac's MOSIRTM camera platform to support many important scientific and commercial applications including (i) ground based astronomy applications that require photon counting capability; and (ii) low light Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy (iii) detection of very small defects in semiconductor products (iv) optically monitoring and controlling the photo induced cancer chemotherapy treatments 2. Stand-Off bomb detection and stand-off hazmat/first responder platform: The MOSIR with the NIRPCS will support detection of threats at stand-off distances as much as 50 meters including bomb detection. Hazardous materials, and stand-off chemical analysis for first responder teams. 3. Intevac's Military Night Vision Products and Technology: We foresee reuse of this technology for DOD passive night vision imaging applications, including soldier mobility and target identification, in the 0.9-1.7 um wavelength band.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
EPIR Technologies
590 Territorial Drive, Suite B
Bolingbrook, IL 60440-4881

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jun Zhao
jzhao@epir.com
590 Territorial Drive, Suite B
Bolingbrook,  IL 60440-4881

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA's next generation of x-ray observation missions require x-ray calorimeters with superior energy resolution. Semimetallic HgTe has already proven itself as an excellent soft x-ray absorber material due to its low heat capacity. Hg0.834Cd0.166Te was shown in Phase 1 to have a heat capacity superior to that of HgTe. Hence Hg0.834Cd0.166Te-based microcalorimeter arrays are expected to have an energy resolution superior to that of HgTe-based ones. We propose the growth of single crystal Hg0.834Cd0.166Te layers by molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates. Mercury vacancies will be filled after growth to reduce the possibility of them acting as acceptors and introducing a significant electronic heat capacity. The samples will be characterized by x-ray diffraction to assess their structural quality and crystallinity, FTIR mapping to confirm the uniformity of their energy gaps and alloy compositions, Hall measurements to assess their electrical transport properties, etch pit density counts to determine dislocation densities, transmission electron microscopy to determine microscopic structural information, and heat capacity and thermalization efficiency measurements at mK temperatures. These assessments will further test their promise as high energy resolution quantum calorimeters and will help optimize material and processing parameters. The thermal property measurements will be performed on samples specially processed to remove some or all of the Si substrates and CdTe buffer layers. Finally, the development of a broadband infrared/mm wave reflective coating will be undertaken. The produced samples will be compatible with incorporation into microcalorimeter arrays for NASA missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The principal application will be as next-generation soft x-ray calorimeters for astrophysical observations. The material system to be developed under this program, Hg1-xCdxTe/Si with x=0.166, promises high x-ray energy resolutions and benefits from well-established device and array processing technology (already developed for infrared arrays with x>0.166). Hence the fabrication of large (greater than 1000 pixel) arrays is feasible with energy and spatial resolutions superior to the current state of the art. Achieving heat capacities lower than HgTe would also make high resolution microcalorimeters more feasible for hard X-ray and gamma-ray instruments, where much thicker absorbers are required.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Soft x-ray calorimeters have several industrial applications including X-ray microanalysis and ground-based scientific instrumentation, for example in the fields of laboratory atomic physics and the analysis of biological materials at synchrotrons. The materials to be developed under this program also have broad ranging applications in the defense and commercial markets. Specifically, Hg1-xCdxTe/Si with x>0.166 material is of great importance to the US infrared focal plane array industry that desires the lower costs, higher formats and greater mechanical robustness that Si substrates provide. Applications include night vision; daytime navigation aids in the presence of fog and other atmospheric obscurants; sensors for manufacturing quality control and nondestructive evaluation; medical applications such as non-invasive thermal imaging for the diagnosis of cancer and other life-threatening diseases; environmental monitoring; drug and law enforcement; and search and rescue.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
High-Energy
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Creare, Inc.
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755-0071

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Weibo Chen
wbc@creare.com
P.O. Box 71
Hanover,  NH 03755-0071

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA's future missions to investigate the structure and evolution of the universe require highly efficient, very low temperature coolers for low-noise detector systems. We propose to develop a highly efficient, lightweight space magnetic cooler that can continuously provide remote/distributed cooling at temperatures in the range of 2 K with a heat sink at about 15 K. The proposed magnetic cooler uses an innovative cryogenic circulator that enables a lightweight magnetic cooler to operate at a high cycle frequency to achieve a large cooling capacity. The ability to provide remote/distributed cooling not only allows flexible integration with a payload(s) and spacecraft, but also reduces the mass of the magnetic shields needed. The circulator has heritage in Creare's space-proven micro-turbomachinery technology which has demonstrated long-life (>10 years) with no-discernable emitted vibrations. The proposed system will be lighter than current multistage ADRs. In Phase I, we proved the feasibility of the magnetic cooler by showing its high thermal efficiency, light weight, and high reliability through detailed component design and system performance analysis. In Phase II, we will design, build, and test a prototype circulator module at design conditions. We will deliver the circulator module to NASA for integration into a prototype magnetic cooler.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed magnetic cooler will enable NASA's future science missions using cryogenic infrared, gamma ray, and X-ray detectors, as well as the detector systems in the Constellation-X (Con-X) and the Single Aperture Far-Infrared observatory (SAFIR). These detectors need to operate at temperatures in the range of 4 K to below 1 K to reduce the thermal emission of the detectors themselves and to achieve high sensitivity and resolution. The proposed vibration-free, lightweight magnetic cooler can provide multi-year cooling for these missions at the required temperature ranges.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The military applications for the proposed magnetic cooler include cooling systems on space-based surveillance, missile detection, and missile tracking systems. Scientific applications include cooling systems for material microanalysis using X-ray microcalorimeter spectrometers, cryogenic particle detectors, and biomolecule mass spectrometry using superconducting tunnel junction detectors. The cryogenic circulator itself has many cryogenic thermal management applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Xinetics, Inc.
115 Jackson Road
Devens, MA 01434-4027

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Blaszak
dblaszak@xinetics.com
115 Jackson Rd
Devens,  MA 01434-4027

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Future advanced telescopes require active mirror compensation without the complexity of real-time adaptive control. Current wavefront correctors, while dimensionally stable, require closed loop control using a wavefront sensor and complicated electronics to maintain mirror shape. For space based systems, simplified open loop control is desirable since it reduces power and weight while greatly improving system reliability by reducing complexity and electronic parts count. Xinetics proposes a Programmable Relaxor Open-Loop Mirror using Integrated Spatial Encoders (PROMISE) that uses a high frequency and/or high channel count surface parallel actuator array, made using ferroelectric micromachining originally developed for silicon based MEMS. The programmable actuator array enables the dimensionally stability and angstrom level control provided only by relaxor ferroelectrics, as has been demonstrated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mirror will feature both larger excursion and lower power consumption as compared to commercially available actuators.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Surface parallel actuated deformable mirrors capable of open loop control offer a greatly simplified approach to future NASA adaptive optics programs for both ground based and large (20m) space telescopes. The proposed device maintains the large scale integration feature of Xinetics' Photonex mirrors while enhancing the stroke response and enabling open loop control. The system complexity and resultant processing are greatly reduced while improving the dynamic range of high density deformable mirrors. This also overcomes the problems of optical quality, dimensional stability, and bandwidth associated with present MEMS devices while retaining the fabrication methods developed for MEMS. Open loop control significantly reduces the complexity, cost, and weight of using adaptive optics in space while greatly enhancing mission assurance. Given the development go ahead, PROMISE could be applied to primary, secondary and tertiary optics as well as in the instrumentation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These types of mirrors hold great promise in extending adaptive optics to a wider community including amateur astronomers. Also, imaging, laser propagation, and laser control would all be able to use these mirrors, since they don't suffer from the MEMS limitation of little or no coating compatibility. Immediate application would be within the Airborne Laser program, where weight and control are critical. Solid state laser development could use these mirrors inside the resonator cavity with great success. Also, commercial applications in the ophthalmic market already are beginning to use deformable mirrors to aid in research into the properties of the human eye.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MetroLaser, Inc.
2572 White Road
Irvine, CA 92614-6236

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Christina Arnold
carnold@metrolaserinc.com
2572 White Road
Irvine,  CA 92614-6236

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This is a Phase II SBIR proposal to develop an extremely versatile optical inspection tool for aspheric optical components and optics that are not easily inspected with conventional interferometry. Modern optical design and manufacturing procedures have begun using such components more and more in routine applications to improve optical system capability. Since the optical tolerances achieved in the manufacture of such components have an important bearing on the performance capabilities of the systems that employ them, instrumentation and techniques for precision metrology are vital for quality assurance. Inspection tools required for these types of optical components have lagged the capability to manufacture them. The proposed work will build upon a successful Phase I project that demonstrated the feasibility of a novel technique for full aperture precision metrology of such optical components. In Phase II we will deliver a complete turnkey instrument based on the Phase I research. The instrument incorporates an extremely robust, reliable, and accurate wavefront sensor for precision metrology of a transmitted or reflected wavefront, together with a projection system that covers the full aperture. Achieved through a unique combination of digital holographic interferometry, Hartmann wavefront sensing, and adaptive optics the resulting instrument will be an extremely flexible tool.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The ability to evaluate modern optical components to high tolerances is anticipated to provide new standards for manufacturing and quality control. This development will, therefore, have a corresponding and widespread impact on the performance capabilities of the many NASA systems that incorporate these components. The improvements gained by these measures may also provide substantial cost benefits compared to alternative, more complex, and expensive solutions. The versatile optical inspection system proposed here would be extremely valuable to NASA in manufacturing and acceptance testing of a wide variety of optics.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This program can provide a unique system for high accuracy testing of test objects and optics vital to a variety of military seeker and sensor systems. Both the US Army and the US Navy have requirements to develop metrology procedures for a new generation of infrared aspheric transmitting test objects with aerodynamic shapes that can depart from spherical by as much as millimeters. Further potential applications and commercial possibilities are predicted for systems employed in security monitoring, marine observation, and metrology.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Starodub, Inc.
3504 Littledale Road
Kensington, MD 20895-3243

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Nicolas Gagarin
nicolas.gagarin@gmail.com
3504 Littledale Road
Kensington,  MD 20895-3243

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The NLNS software developed in phase I is a robust and user-friendly environment that NASA researchers can use to customize the latest HHT technologies for their applications in astrophysics, earth sciences, and exploration. The proposed technology includes the latest discoveries and inventions not available in the state-of-the-art. Its taxonomy includes gravitational sensors and sources, expert systems, portable data analysis tools, software development environments, and software tools for distributed analysis and simulation. The Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) and related analysis technologies were successful in detecting non-linear and transient LISA-signal components of very small magnitude with respect to the signal noise. Other types of NLNS analyses will include de-noising (filtering), spectral analysis, reconstruction, and registration, potentially extended to two-dimensional data. The proposed research and development team has participated in the latest cycle of technology development related to the HHT at the theoretical, implementation, and application levels. Not only will the creation of the proposed software contribute to the detection of gravitational wave signals (for both LIGO and LISA data) or understanding patterns of climate change temperature records from ice cores or monitoring structural dynamics, but also in other non-linear and non-stationary applications within and outside NASA's mission.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Starodub and its team propose to develop a HHT-technology software over the first two phases that will supersede earlier HHT products with newer methods that address previous limitations. Phase I focused on the LISA and LIGO black hole merger data, the climate change temperature records from ice cores, and monitoring structural dynamics. The new methods discussed in the work plan are generally applicable to most sensors data that capture non-linear, transient signal components embedded in noise and other signals. The current and potential NASA applications of the latest HHT technologies cross-over astrophysics, earth sciences, and exploration. They are cosmological gravity wave and planets hunting, global primary productivity evolution map from LandSat data, climate change temperature records from ice cores, non-destructive evaluation for structural health monitoring, and vibration analysis of NASA equipment. A two-dimensional application on hurricane data (NOAA) illustrates the potential for non-linear and non-stationary image analysis.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Starodub has worked with FHWA to study many problems. Based on the positive reception in the highway community known for its traditionally conservative approach, most Government agencies, in research, develop-ment, and operations, may benefit from this product with a reduced learning curve with the proper exposure to this technology. Starodub shall focus its marketing effort on illustrating the software with solutions from NASA applications output from this SBIR project and from a plethora of applications previously developed and revisited in the new analysis product in collaboration with Dr. Zhaohua Wu and Dr. Norden Huang. The current list of potential non-NASA application areas includes non-destructive evaluation for structural health monitoring in highway infrastructure, vibration, speech, and acoustic signal analyses, earthquake engineering, manufacturing processes, bio-medical applications, and financial market data analysis

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Training Concepts and Architectures
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Expert Systems
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
SVT Associates
7620 Executive Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3677

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Yiqiao Chen
chen@svta.com
7620 Executive Dr
Eden Prairie,  MN 55344-3677

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposed Phase II program seeks to create dual-band pixel-collocated MWIR/LWIR photodetector arrays based on III-V semiconductor materials in a Type-II superlattice structure. The Type-II superlattice offers a customizable cutoff wavelength while maintaining a lattice-matched condition to the host substrate. This superlattice also has lower Auger-recombination, which reduces dark current noise, than HgCdTe solutions, and is sensitive to normal incidence radiation, in contrast to QWIP approaches. The Phase I efforts successfully designed, fabricated and characterized a Type-II dual band IR photodetector. The superlattice material growth will be further optimized in the Phase II, along with modifying the fabrication steps required to realize dual-band photodetector arrays.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA can apply multi-band IR photodetectors for myriad purposes. Of current interest is pollution monitoring by remotely sensing gases based on their infrared absorption spectra. Multi-band IR can also be used to determine the temperature of distant objects with unknown emissivity.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Defense has a strong need for multi-band IR photodetector arrays for such applications and target detection and tracking. Cold objects in space require sensors operating in the MWIR/LWIR/VLWIR regimes. Chemical detectors can also utilize these devices by identifying toxic species based on infrared signatures.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support
Optical
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
TRS Ceramics, Inc.
2820 East College Avenue
State College, PA 16801-7548

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Xiaoning Jiang
xiaoning@trstechnologies.com
2820 East College Ave, Suite J
State College,  PA 16801-7548

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
TRS Technologies, Virginia Tech., and MTech, Inc. propose to develop high torque (>1.5 kg-cm), lightweight (< 250 g), low power (< 2 watts), high precision (<0.2<SUP>o</SUP>), cryogenic stepping motors using single crystal piezoelectric technology. The ultrasonic motors developed on this program will be targeted for use in passive optics positioning systems and interferometers in IR remote sensing and space telescope applications. The above metrics were achieved during the Phase I program using a traveling wave ultrasonic motor with single crystal drive elements. Motor operation was also demonstrated at 77K. In Phase II, motor torque and speed will be increased and size, weight, and power will be further decreased by optimizing the motor design and crystal element configuration. Drive electronics optimized for operation from 300 to 77K will also be developed. Finally, the motor and electronics will be extensively tested at cryogenic conditions and under thermal cycling for reliability and repeatability. At the conclusion of the Phase II program TRS and our partners will have optimized and characterized piezoelectric ultrasonic motors capable of operating over a very broad temperature range (400 to < 77K) with significant performance improvements (torque, speed, precision, and power) over competing technologies with narrower temperature ranges.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Etalon scanning mirror motion control and tip-tilt mirror control in airborne and space-based interferometers such as geoscience satellites, SIM PlanetQuest, and TPF. Deformable mirror figure control and mirror deployment and precision positioning for large space telescopes such as JWST and SAFIR (CALISTO). Motors for manipulator arms and precision stages for robotic landers used in solar system exploration (Moon, Mars, outer planets and moons). Motors for compact, lightweight tools and robotic aides used by astronauts.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Precision optics position systems for satellite and ground based line-of-sight laser communications. Deformable mirrors for ground based telescopes and high energy directed energy weapons. Servo motors, rotary motors, and linear actuators for robotics. Actuators for precision positioning stages used in scientific instruments and semiconductor fabrication equipment. Compact, low power motors for precision industrial and medical valves and pumps. Compact low power motors for vehicle accessories (windshield wipers, electric windows, headlight positioners, mirror positioners, etc.).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Manipulation
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Testing Facilities
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Instrumentation
Photonics
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Superconductors and Magnetic

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Flight Landata, Inc.
One Parker Street
Lawrence, MA 01843-1548

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Xiuhong Sun
xhsun1@aol.com
One Parker Street
Lawrence,  MA 01843-1548

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Gimbal-stabilized Compact Hyperspectral Imaging System (GCHIS) fully integrates multi-sensor spectral imaging, stereovision, GPS and inertial measurement, gimbal-stabilization, and gimbal-pointing-and-tracking capabilities into a compact light weight package. Advanced adaptive Kalman filter and attitude calibration algorithms are embedded for precision inertial measurement and real-time platform stabilization, motion compensation, and pointing control. Innovative multi-thread-coded, fully concurrent execution software is implemented with the latest multi-core CPU, which makes operation of GCHIS seamless. GCHIS concurrently acquires pushbroom hyperspectral imagery and multispectral snapshot stereo pairs. It features: 1) at least a 1392 pixel swathwidth and 5nm spectral resolution in the VNIR range for hyperspectral imaging; 2) at least 2600 x 1920 pixel frame size for four band multispectral imaging; 3) 12 bit digitization depth for all imaging components; 4) about 20lbs complete instrument mass; and 5) 1/100 degree platform stabilization/pointing accuracy. GCHIS has a fast data rate for high resolution and large area coverage. GCHIS can deliver one-foot resolution orthorectified hyperspectral imagery and inch level resolution multispectral stereo imagery. With gimbaled stabilization and programmable pointing, GCHIS is highly resistant to air turbulence and can handle diverse flight profiles, e.g. non-linear corridors and block areas, high and low altitudes, re-visiting or repeated measurement for change detection, and etc.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
GCHIS is designed for NASA's interests in compact remote sensing instruments suitable for aircraft or space flight platforms with low mass, low power, fast measurement times, and a high degree of robustness to survive vibration in flight or at launch. GCHIS is cost-efficient for high performance spectral imaging/stereovision data collection. It is developed for Earth UAV operations first and Moon, Mars and beyond afterwards. GCHIS near term applications include: 1) NASA aided international Earth remote sensing program in Thailand for airborne agricultural/environmental applications; and 2) deployment with UAV/Airship for field-expedient or persistent launch range surveillance/intrusion data collection. Long term NASA applications include providing direct-geo-referenced hyperspectral and stereovision imagery to map: 1) the extent of certain Moon/Mars surface resources for identifying promising outpost/science sites and traversable terrains; and 2) the surface topography and roughness for identifying promising safe landing sites for human, robotic, pre-provisioning missions, and to guide pinpoint accurate landing algorithms.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
GCHIS offers a fully integrated compact spectral imaging and stereovision system, which can be fitted into diverse light aircraft, small UAVs, and airships to provide low-cost and high performance commercial remote sensing solutions. Its competitive advantages include its foot resolution hyperspectral and inch resolution stereovision capabilities. As a programmable gimbaled instrument, it is also capable of performing most challenging remote sensing missions. That include: 1) homeland and national and international border security, 2) disaster and emergency response for recovery and rescue, 3) law enforcement, and 4) IED detection. As a cost-effective remote sensing tool, GCHIS has a great potential for other general remote sensing applications, including rainforest, forest and park services; corridor ecosystems; environmental application; vegetation species mapping; surface pollution detection; land-use surveys; precision agriculture for crop growth status monitoring; water color, quality, waste discharge, and etc.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Optical
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Structured Materials Industries, Inc.
201 Circle Drive North, Suite 102/103
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3723

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Gary Tompa
gstompa@aol.com
201 Circle Drive North, Suite 102/103
Piscataway,  NJ 08854-3723

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Manned planetary exploration has become re-invigorated, thanks to President Bush's recent call for a lunar base to be established within two decades and manned landing on Mars sometime after 2030. Such exciting explorations will demand innovative technologies for the next round of manned exploration of space. One such technology that is desired to be advanced is LIDAR – the LIght Detection And Ranging, for which SMI and Cornell University jointly proposed to develop a 1 x 10 electrically switched silicon nano-optic switch/multiplexer for use with high power lasers in LIDAR systems, especially the fiber-based fixed-array laser transmitter for use in NASA planetary explorations. Specifically, we have invented a few approaches to minimize optical absorption and optical loss in silicon nano-photonics and extend the applicability of silicon from infrared into visible and near-infrared spectrum with wavelengths shorter than 1100nm. These methods will serve as the groundwork for striding progress in Phase II. The prototype 1x16 photonic switch array will have < 10 nano-second switching time, < 3dB optical loss, complete temperature stabilization circuit, electronics driver circuits, and can transmit greater than 200 micro-Joules transmission over 5 nano-second pulse at 10 kHz repetition rate for LIDAR applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Elevation measurements for manned and unmanned landing vehicles on the moon and on Mars.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Chemical concentrations can be analyzed using a DIfferential Absorption Lidar (DIAL). A Doppler LIDAR is used to measure the velocity of a target. These LIDAR devices also have wide-ranging civilian uses, such as range finding in civilian aviation and land topography, wind and atmospheric monitoring using Doppler LIDAR, and environmental chemical monitoring using DIAL as well as in Homeland security applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Biochemical
Optical
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Voxtel, Inc.
12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 230
Beaverton, OR 97005-1687

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Andrew Huntington
andrew@voxtel-inc.com
12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 230
Beaverton,  OR 97005-1687

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Leveraging Phase I SBIR successes, in Phase II, a single photon sensitive LIDAR receiver will be fabricated and delivered to NASA. In Phase I, high-gain, electron-initiated avalanche photodiodes (e-APDS) were designed, manufactured, and characterized over a range of temperatures. The e-APDs, sensitive from 1064 nm to 4300 nm, were fabricated in single-layer p-type HgCdTe films grown using liquid phase epitaxy on IR-transparent CdZnTe substrates. Variable-diameter e-APDs, large-area 250-micron diameter e-APDs, and segmented 1-mm x 1-mm e-APDS - each with sixteen 250-micron x 250-micron pixel elements - were mounted to ceramic submounts, tested, and characterized. Under receiver bias, the e-APDs exhibited exponentially increasing gain that exceeded 1250. The devices showed exponentially increasing gain as a function of cutoff wavelength, and with decreased temperature - in agreement with our models for HgCdTe e-APDs. In Phase II, we will optimize HgCdTe films for 1.5–3.6 micron response and fabricate 250-micron diameter e-APD elements, designed for operation with gains exceeding 1250, without excess noise. These e-APDs, when integrated with custom-designed <100 e- rms noise transimpedance amplifiers and optimized to match the e-APDs' capacitance, will realize single photon sensitive LIDAR receivers for NASA LIDAR applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
High sensitivity HgCdTe APDs have utility in applications in deep space optical communications, as well as NIR through the LWIR LIDAR/LADAR applications. HgCdTe FPA-enabled LADAR instruments can provide measurements from both the dark side and the sunlit portion of a celestial body, thereby significantly increasing the useful observational coverage.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential markets for the NIR APDs include: telecommunications, quantum cryptography, computed tomography, confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy, LADAR/LIDAR, chem/bio hazard detection, astronomy, and neural imaging. Military applications for these low-noise NIR APDs include LADAR and 3-D imaging, both for existing 1064 nm systems and for eye-safe 1550 nm systems. Other markets include unmanned aerial vehicle navigation and tracking, tactical missile seekers, and armored vehicle protection.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ADVR, Inc.
2310 University Way, Building 1-1
Bozeman, MT 59715-6500

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Christopher Kaleva
kaleva@advr-inc.com
2310 University Way, Bldg. #1-1
Bozeman,  MT 59715-6500

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
AdvR, Inc. proposes the development of a highly efficient, fiber pigtailed, waveguide-based UV frequency converter module. This UV module will be an important element in future NASA sponsored Doppler lidar and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) aerosol missions. The key innovation is the use of dual-element periodically poled waveguides embedded in a nonlinear optical substrate. This innovation results in a vast improvement in the measurement capabilities of lidar systems by enabling the use of a single stabilized laser to both operate a high power transmitter and generate low power frequency tripled light for synchronous calibration and frequency locking of the Fabry Perot filter on the lidar receiver. To be used in a space-based system, the UV module must be rugged and must perform optimally in a radiation environment over the mission lifetime. To achieve this goal, the proposed dual-element structure will be packaged in a compact, robust fiber-pigtailed package which will readily lend itself to future space qualification for mechanical stability of the package and radiation damage resistance of the non-linear optical material.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary near-term NASA application for the fiber pigtailed UV converter module is in Goddard Space Flight Center's Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE) project, an instrument that measures the Doppler shift of aerosols in order to measure wind speed. Beyond the TWiLiTE demonstration the UV module with its capability to produce, highly efficient, light in the ultra-violet region will be an important technology for future NASA Doppler lidar and High-Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) aerosol missions. Incorporation in TWiLiTE will be a system level validation of the approach to advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for the future NASA space based lidar system development. The Atmospheric Sciences Competency (AtSC)/Chemistry Dynamics Branch (CDB) at the NASA Langley Center also uses a similar lidar system that will benefit from a robust efficient UV converter module.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
AdvR's development of a non-linear dual-element periodically poled waveguide is the basis for a robust UV source. By enabling a single-pass configuration in a sealed, compact package, the resulting UV lasers can be cost effectively mass produced, and provide end-users with convenient hands-off operation. This technology will enable new applications including wildland fire assessment, bathymetry, weather and water quality assessment, as well as being used in highly effective blood coagulation tools, time-of-flight fluorescence spectroscopy systems, and sources for optical lithography.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ADVR, Inc.
2310 University Way, Building 1-1
Bozeman, MT 59715-6500

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Philip Battle
battle@advr-inc.com
2310 University Way, Building 1
Bozeman,  MT 59715-6500

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR Phase II effort proposes the development and integration of a Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) into an all fiber-based seed laser system used in high spectral resolution aerosol and cloud lidar applications. The PLC integrates a frequency doubling element, a waveguide splitter, and phase modulator into a monolithic, waveguide-based device. This technology is important for lidar systems requiring high frequency stability and accuracy. The proposed device, with the proper IR input, will generate the required visible radiation, spectrally formatted for the HSRL seed laser stabilization scheme. The PLC concept advances NASA's lidar systems due to its compact, efficient, and reliable design, thus enabling use on small aircraft and satellites. The key objective in this SBIR Phase II proposal is to develop and incorporate the PLC into a deployable, all fiber-based seed laser system for NASA-LaRC's HSRL cloud and aerosol measurements.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary customer is NASA Langley's High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) program for aerosol and cloud characterization. The proposed PLC will find multiple uses in other NASA's lidar remote sensing programs, such in altimetry and DIAL lidar in which a waveguide phase modulator is used to stabilize a single frequency seed laser, and also has potential application in spectroscopic measurement techniques.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to NASA's use in various lidar systems, the PLC has applications in free space communications, metrology, spectroscopy and the medical industry. A number of medical applications such as phase-modulation fluorimetry in bioprocess and clinical monitoring may benefit from this technology. A number of commercial lidar or lidar-like systems will benefit from the insertion of the PLC. These markets, which are presently inadequately accessed, include security, defense, space, forestry, floodplain measurement, land use assessment, bathymetry, robotics and machine vision applications. As costs are reduced, a host of lidar-based applications will emerge, such as smart cruise control, lane change notification, traffic flow and robotic control. Non-lidar applications for the PLC also offer opportunities in medical imaging, therapeutic lasers, fiber optical channel switching, active Q-switching, free space communication.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
PolarOnyx, Inc.
470 Lakeside Drive, Suite F
Sunnyvale, CA 94085-4720

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jian Liu
jianliu@polaronyx.com
470 Lakeside Drive, Suite F
Sunnyvale,  CA 94085-4720

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR phase II project proposes a single frequency high energy fiber laser system for coherent Lidar systems for remote sensing. Current state-of-art technologies can not provide all features of high energy and efficiency, compactness, narrow linewidth, super frequency and power stability, low noise, and high extinction ratio at the same time. PolarOnyx proposes, for the first time, a high energy (1 mJ) single frequency (< 1 KHz) fiber laser transmitter to meet with the requirement of solicitation. It is a specialty fiber based MOPA operating at 1550 nm. PolarOnyx proposes a revolutionary approach to fundamentally resolve the issues of nonlinear effects by employing our patent pending proprietary technologies in fiber lasers. Our unique spectral shaping techniques enable us to reduce the SBS and ASE noise significantly in the amplifier for commercially available EYDFs and to reuse the residual pump to further increase the efficiency. These will make the fiber laser transmitter system superior in terms of wall plug efficiency (over 30%), energy(1 mJ), noise, size, and cost. In Phase I, we have demonstrated all major functions of the proposed idea and shown a practical energy scaling capability in proof of the concept. A prototype of 1 mJ level fiber laser will be delivered at the end of Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Immediate applications include coherent lidars applications for atmospheric parameters measurement. Other NASA applications include coherent laser communications, remote sensing, windshear detection, et al..

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are a number of potential applications for the proposed high power fiber laser transmitter system: • Medical equipment and biomedical instrumentation. The high power laser can be applied to ophthalmology, refractive surgery, photocoagulation, general surgery, therapeutic, imaging, and cosmetic applications. • Military / aerospace. The proposed fiber laser can be directly used in military applications, and space, aircraft, and satellite applications such as LIDAR systems, remote sensing system, illuminator system, and phase array antenna system. • Optical fiber communications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support
Biomolecular Sensors
Laser
Optical
High-Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Anasphere, Inc.
6597 Maltse Lane, Unit D
Bozeman, MT 59718-6954

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
John Bognar
jbognar@anasphere.com
6597 Maltse Lane, Unit D
Bozeman,  MT 59718-6954

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Phase 1 has seen the development of a revolutionary new type of sensor for making carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements from small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and other platforms such as sounding balloons. The chemistry behind the new sensor has been proven, example sensors were fabricated, and the technique has shown its immunity to many interferences (notably humidity and temperature) which affect other carbon dioxide measurement technologies. Phase 2 will involve optimizing the new sensor in terms of sensitivity and manufacturability. Several field tests will be conducted with the new sensor, including baseline atmospheric CO2 measurements as well as CO2 flux measurements. Four sensors of the final design developed in Phase 2 will be delivered to NASA for use on small UAS platforms. Anticipated results include the completed development of a revolutionary new type of CO2 sensor for atmospheric research and its demonstration in the field prior to the conclusion of Phase 2. A medical variant is expected to quickly result in part from this work as well. It is also foreseen that several sensors for other gases may be developed based on this all-new measurement technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Two of the six Earth Science Focus Areas are Atmospheric Composition and Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems. Both orbital and suborbital science components supporting research in these Focus Areas can directly benefit from the new CO2 sensor. The new sensor will be of use in studies of CO2 fluxes and transport carried out using suborbital platforms. Another NASA need the sensor will address is the need for a sensor to fly on sounding balloons to obtain vertical profiles of CO2 for the calibration and validation of satellite (e.g., the upcoming Orbiting Carbon Observatory and follow-on missions) and other remote-sensing measurements. Disposable CO2 sondes based on this technology will provide an inexpensive and efficient means of addressing this need.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Other federal entities, notably NOAA and DOE, have researchers engaged in similar missions to those outlined above for NASA. The work of these researchers will benefit from the new CO2 sensor as well. A very large market will be found in capnography (the medical measurement of exhaled CO2) for a variety of emergency treatment and diagnostic purposes. The new CO2 sensor offers major advantages in several areas over existing technologies for this market. An industrial application is demand-control ventilation (DCV), in which CO2 measurements are used to keep the CO2 level of air inside a building at a safe level while minimizing the need for fresh air intake.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Atmospheric Observing Systems, Inc.
1930 Central Avenue, Suite A
Boulder, CO 80301-2895

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Smith
jim@aosinc.net
1930 Central Avenue, Suite A
Boulder,  CO 80301-2895

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose to build and evaluate NDIR Analyzers that can be used to observe Eddy Covariance Flux and Absolute Dry Mole Fraction of CO2 from stationary and airborne platforms for a great range of environments. Both open- and close-path analyzers are to be evaluated. Phase I succeeded in building a fast CO2 analyzer with 100 Hz modulation frequency and sensitivity within a factor of two of the target value of 100 ppb. For Phase II, we propose upgrades to the technology that are designed to reach that target sensitivity. We are further proposing individual projects within restricted airspace that will demonstrate the potential of the technologies for significant kinds of observations for Observational Climate Change. Two robotic platforms are to be utilized, the Unmanned Airborne Vehicle (UAV) and The Portable Tower Observatory (PTO). The PTO will provide fluxes and eddy spectroscopy of CO2. The UAV will give CO2 eddy spectroscopy that can be compared for a range of practical heights (5- 30 m) of the PTO. Samples of air are to be dried, and the site is chosen to minimize the impact of H2O vapor on this first deployment of the technologies.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We are proposing to develop observational platforms with full technological capabilities. They are the Portable Tower and the Unmanned Airborne Vehicle. By execution of this proposal we will have much of what we require for eddy covariance observations of CO2 from both. The missing subsystem is the 3-D wind probe for the UAV, and we are proposing to develop it by a separate proposal. A fast, sensitive CO2 Analyzer Technology will be required for several of NASA's monitoring programs. The Southern Ocean Carbon Cycle Project, a component of the Suborbital Science Program, has listed CO2 eddy covariance flux as one of the principle measurements from all observing platforms (UAV, tower, and buoy). The NASA Earth Observing System will require in-situ support for satellite measurements of CO2 concentration. UAV suborbital technologies will be an ideal platform for verification and validation of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory to be launched in 2008.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A CO2 Analyzer System without sensitivity to platform motion and associated artifacts would be a valuable tool for many projects of climate change. DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement facility makes both piloted and unmanned flights to monitor climate related phenomenon. DOC's Office of Atmospheric Research oversees several labs that monitor climate from ships, piloted aircraft, and buoys. The use of CO2 technology on all those platforms would no doubt prove informative for models of Climate Change. An attractive platform of opportunity for climate monitoring is the weather balloon. Approximately 75,000 are launched world wide each year. If CO2 instrumentation were deployed on one third of them, then 25,000 systems could be sold each year. Applications outside of climate monitoring include detection of human cargo by the Department of Homeland Security.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Launch Assist (Electromagnetic, Hot Gas and Pneumatic)
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Mobility
Teleoperation
Airframe
Kinematic-Deployable
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Testing Facilities
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Database Development and Interfacing
Expert Systems
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Optical
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hittite Microwave Corporation
20 Alpha Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824-4123

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ahmed Khalil
khalil@hittite.com
20 Alpha Road
Chelmsford,  MA 01824-4147

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
An innovative, ultra-low phase-noise, fully integrated single-chip cavity oscillator is proposed. The cavity is built on a standard MMIC process and has a quality factor of 120 at 50 GHz, and an insertion loss of 7 dB. This proposed technique is very well suited for MMW applications with emphasis on the frequency range 50-100 GHz. The achievable phase noise at 50 GHz is -112 dBc/Hz at 100 KHz offset. This is at least 10dB better than the best fully integrated oscillator reported today. To our knowledge this is the first ever implementation of a waveguide cavity on standard MMIC process. This new technique will allow the realization of ultra-small, high-performance integrated oscillators for future market demands. The oscillator can be readily integrated with digital blocks to form a Phase Locked Oscillator (PLO). The PLO will consist of a cavity oscillator, phase frequency detector, prescaler, and a loop filter. All components can be integrated on InP HBT process.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Signal sources are critical components in all communications and radar systems. Miniaturized fundamental frequency oscillators will serve the need for receivers in small platforms for deep-space transponders, radars for monitoring planets and earth atmosphere, radio-frequency spectrometers, radiometers, and others.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Miniaturized MMIC sources will be useful in all microwave transmitters and receivers for all applications. Commercial systems operating MMW frequencies include: satellite terminals for video and data transfer, high data-rate portable terminals, point-to-point radio links, automotive radars, and others. Many of those systems require portable and unattended terminals in which the size/weight of components become a major limiting factor. The proposed program will lead to partial solution of those problems in all those commercial systems. The projected number of terminals for those systems add up to millions, representing a large market comparable to cellular and personal communication systems operating in lower frequency bands. Examples: 1. VSAT and USAT satellite networks for broadband multi-media (voice, video, and data) communications such as Hughes Network. Hittite is a supplier of MMIC components for signal sources used in Hughes Spaceway Terminals operating in the 20/30 GHz band. 2. High-capacity point-to-point radio links operating in 11, 23, 26 and 38 GHz bands. 3. Collision avoidance and cruise control radars used in automobiles operating in the 77 GHz band.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF
Microwave/Submillimeter

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MicroLink Devices
6457 Howard Street
Niles, IL 60714-2232

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Noren Pan
npan@mldevices.com
6457 Howard Street
Niles,  IL 60714-2232

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The goal of this Phase II project is to deliver an integrated L-band transmit/receive (T/R) module which will be fabricated from a GaAs-based combined HBT/PHEMT epistructure. The T/R module will consist of a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, and two switches. The performance goal for the low noise amplifier is 30 dB gain with a less than 1.0 dB noise figure. The performance goal for the power amplifier is 30 dB gain, 34 dBm (2.5 W) output power, and efficiency greater than 60%. The performance goal for the switches is that they not materially affect the operation of the amplifiers. All components will be fully integrated on a single substrate. Post Phase II work includes the integration of a phase shifter, amplitude modulator, and control and interface circuitry on the same chip. We estimate the technology readiness level at the end of the Phase II program to be 6 or 7.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A key potential customer for an L-band T/R module is NASA. The module would be used in L-band radars on remote sensing satellites, which are a critical component of NASA's exploratory mission. Synthetic aperture radar can provide measurements of water cycle, global ecosystems, ocean circulation, and ice mass. L-band radar is particularly attractive for these applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The major potential application for L-band T/R modules is in wireless communications. As the capabilities of wireless devices expand, there is an increasing need for compact, efficient T/R modules. The proposed HBT/PHEMT structures are an excellent technology platform for meeting the market demand for improved power amplifier performance at high efficiency levels and with lower DC power consumption. Specific customers would be the manufacturers of T/R circuitry for mobile applications. Another potential customer is X-band radar systems for military applications. The L-band technology described in this proposal could be readily adapted for X-band use. X-band radars are used in both ground-based and airborne applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Microwave/Submillimeter
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Nightsky Systems, Inc.
3916 Lauriston Road
Raleigh, NC 27616-8612

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Carl Blaurock
carl@nightsky-systems.com
3916 Lauriston Rd
Raleigh,  NC 27616-8612

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Reaction wheel mechanical noise is one of the largest sources of disturbance forcing on space-based observatories. Such noise arises from mass imbalance, bearing imperfections, and other sources. It takes the form of a number of discrete harmonics of the wheel speed, often also with a broadband noise component. Jitter problems can arise when harmonics sweep across observatory modes, and can be exacerbated by gyroscopically coupled spin-rate-dependent wheel structural modes that dynamically amplify the tonal and broadband disturbances. For a well-balanced wheel, higher harmonic forces can be on the same order as the fundamental, therefore when there is a jitter problem it can occur at very low wheel speed. These higher harmonics are generally less well-characterized than the fundamental. The proposed Reaction Wheel Disturbance Model Extraction Software (RWDMES) is a tool for fitting a hybrid physical/empirical model to wheel induced-vibration data. The physical model captures the wheel structure including gyroscopic effects, while the empirical model captures the harmonic forcing and broadband noise. The Phase I effort demonstrated the ability to fit a highly accurate harmonic/broadband/structural model, including 43 harmonics up to 14.63 times the fundamental, to measured wheel disturbance data in a point-and-click environment in about 2 hours. The benefits of the technology include reduced program effort to produce wheel disturbance models, leading to more accurate jitter prediction earlier in a mission. This in turn allows jitter problems to be mitigated at the design stage when changes are relatively inexpensive.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Any three-axis-stabilized pointing instrument would benefit from a reliable reaction wheel disturbance modeling capability. Such a capability would greatly simplify the analysis of pointing performance. A short list includes the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I), Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory (SAFIR), Vision Mission – Stellar Interferometer (VM-SI), Thirty Meter Space Telescope (TMST), Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI), and the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT). All of these missions pose the challenge of a large, lightweight aperture with extremely tight pointing requirements.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Earth observing community would benefit from the RWDMES technology, as would any spacecraft with tight pointing requirements for a three axis stabilized spacecraft. Other applications would include ground-based systems that are sensitive to mechanism induced disturbances, for example large ground based telescopes with rotating mechanisms such as filter wheels. The CELTCO Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is one specific example.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Science and Novel Technology
27 Via Porto Grande
Rancho Palos Verdes , CA 90275-4078

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vladimir Katzman
traffic405@cox.net
27 Via Porto Grande
Rancho Palos Verdes ,  CA 90275-4878

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
High-bandwidth, Radiation Hardening, low-power, low-EMI, easily reconfigurable and upgradeable transponder-based interconnects between processor nodes, subsystems, and blocks are of utmost importance for the achievement of high performance computing on orbit and for providing reliable electronic systems in natural space and terrestrial radiation environments. In response to the described needs, we will develop a novel, monolithic radiation-tolerant transponder, which will be integrated into a hermetically-sealed pigtailed multi-chip module, containing opto-electrical and electro-optical components. Module will be featuring FPGA-friendly parallel interface and will provide an improved radiation tolerance, high data rate, low power consumption, and advanced functionality. The developed ASIC transponder will utilize our patent-pending high-speed current-mode logic library of TID-tolerant-by-technology and SEU/SEE-tolerant-by-architecture cells. 8B10B encoding will be used to achieve data disparity equal to 0, optimize performance of the optical receiver, and perform a reliable clock recovery. The encoder and decoder will utilize our patented radiation tolerant half-rate architecture. A fully functional module will be delivered and tested at the end of Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The successful accomplishment of this project will result in the development of a compact RH ASIC or MCM, which has the potential to revolutionize intra-spacecraft system development for near Earth and deep Space exploration. The universal software-reconfigurable interface will not only speed-up the system's design and assembly process, but will open the way for the implementation of a true Plug and Play architecture and in-situ hardware adaptation. This is extremely important for the realization of future innovative concepts for space exploration over the next decade. The immediate NASA applications for the developed technology include: CEV, CLV, Lunar Lender, and Lunar Outposts.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The developed technology will be critical to all space programs performed by DOD and will have a great impact on the TacSat development. The proposed solution provides a scaled-down, simple design that can be used and reused, and will save precious development time and resources while giving system engineers plenty of flexibilities. NORT commercial version will be a critical component for upgrading private/enterprise networks, reducing latency while transferring data from memory storage to individual users including production of motion pictures, intra-hospital networks, inventory management, last mile fiber at home, oil industry (well management), and a variety of other applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.
2750 Indian Ripple Road
Dayton, OH 45440-3638

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Fisher
fishermj@crgrp.net
2750 Indian Ripple Road
Dayton,  OH 45440-3638

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) will develop new shape memory polymer (SMP) deployment mechanisms for actuating thermal protection system (TPS) panels to create a deployable, large surface area aeroshell. This innovation will exploit Veriflex(R) -- CRG's high-performance SMP material -- to create a low-mass actuation system for a deployable aeroshell design. Veriflex(R)-based mechanisms will deploy the aeroshell without the use of motors, springs, or mechanical controls. These simple, self-deploying, self-aligning mechanisms will reduce the mass and the complexity of the aeroshell design. Veriflex(R)-based deployment mechanisms will enable use of panels made from existing TPS materials to create a large surface area aeroshells that will stow in a highly compact pre-launch and storage configuration and then self-deploy before entry to the operational configuration. The TPS panels will deploy outward and increase the diameter of the aeroshell. For every 10 percent increase in the diameter, there will be a 21 percent increase in the total surface area of the aeroshell. The relative volume of space needed to stow the entry vehicle would not increase. This innovation directly addresses the need for aeroassist/aerocapture technology for planetary exploration spacecraft as defined by subtopic S7.04 of NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation 2006-1.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Supporting NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and addressing NASA's need for aeroassist/aerocapture technology for planetary exploration spacecraft as defined by subtopic S7.04 of NASA SBIR/STTR Solicitation 2006-1, this project's technologies enable low mass, large surface area deployable aeroshells for providing aerocapture functionality for future planetary exploration missions similar to the Phoenix Lander, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Science Laboratory.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This project's technologies developed for NASA systems would also directly apply to deployable subsystems for spacecraft operated by other Government and commercial enterprises. This project's deployment technologies will be easily tailorable to actuation of instrument booms, instrument covers, and solar arrays for a wide variety of remote sensor and communication spacecraft. Furthermore, materials and design modifications could prove the technology's suitability for a myriad of applications in terrestrial and air vehicles, including drag reduction to drag modification, stabilization and control, and boundary layer control on airfoils and other vehicle bodies.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Kinematic-Deployable
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Aerobrake

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
APECOR
3259 Progress Drive, Suite A
Orlando, FL 32826-2930

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Khalid Rustom
krustom@apecor.com
3259 Progress Dr. Ste A
Orlando,  FL 32826-2930

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To meet the increasing power demand of today's spacecraft systems, an integrated power electronics system capable of interfacing, and simultaneously controlling, three power ports is proposed in this project. This new proposed power electronic architecture employs a single-stage power topology, thus allowing cost-effective control of power flow with improved efficiency, power density, and reliability. The project is developing an innovative, dc-dc converter which can effectively manage the interface of a source, a load, and an energy storage function within a single-stage, three-port topology. Modern advances in digital control, in conjunction with a novel power processing concept make this logical next-step possible. This unique topology and controller function together to realize three power processing paths which simultaneously utilize the power devices, allowing increased functionality while promising reduced losses and enhanced power densities. Control objectives include battery charge regulation, solar array peak power tracking, and/or load voltage regulation. The Phase I efforts completed the preliminary analysis and the proof-of- concept prototyping. A demonstration test was successfully conducted substantiating feasibility. Phase II will focus on system level control in order to demonstrate the concept in a relevant application with a solar array source, a lithium-Ion battery, and an electronic load bank as the bus.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The power system of a spacecraft is the major contributor to overall mass. The sources and the energy storage devices are the heaviest and bulkiest components. The design of a spacecraft power system is dominated by the compromise between system architectures. A limited number of conversion stages yields a simple non-flexible system, often with over-sized sources and storage. This effort targets the need for oversized systems by developing control and power conversion protocols that can greatly reduce the required size of arrays, batteries, and converters without reduced functionality. The concept proposed here promises to address these mass issues and could find use on all NASA programs – manned and unmanned. Current programs like Constellation and its Crew Exploration Vehicle would greatly benefit. In addition, the work will have a direct application to unmanned satellite design where battery management and array power extraction can be greatly enhanced - a requirement for interplanetary missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Tax credits have resulted in an exponential growth in the photovoltaic market. While grid-tie systems are becoming more common, there has been no significant move to store energy for power outage contingencies or nighttime-operation. A significant reason for this is the market lacks a power conversion topology and control structure to manage the functions required effectively. While grid-tie inverters are very low complexity, a PV system suitable for island mode operation must include ports for bidirectional battery management, a PV array, and a load connection. Further, an overarching control scheme is required for power transfer management. No product handles these functions entirely, largely because of the complexity of the control and the number of converters required is cost-prohibitive to a very cost-driven market. APECOR believes the 3-port topology with a microcontroller-based management structure will represent the minimal solution and will present the industry's first economically-viable product offering.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Energy Storage
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17601-5688

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Peter Dussinger
pete.dussinger@1-ACT.com
1046 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster,  PA 17601-5688

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The principal Phase II objective is to refine and further develop the prototype PCHP into a useful thermal management tool. The Phase I program established the feasibility of thermal control an axially-grooved heat pipe with a variable-volume reservoir. The follow-on Phase II program will address control system optimization, component longevity, reductions in mass and power, and show that the device can be flight qualified. It is expected that the Phase II results will bring the PCHP to TRL 6: Prototype Demonstration in a Relevant Environment.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The immediate NASA application is to provide an alternative to a heater-controlled VCHP that had been used as a temperature-regulation element for an LHP. This device regulated the amount of heat that was transferred between the liquid and vapor lines and thereby allowed control of the LHP operating temperature. The PCHP would provide a device with much faster response time and more repeatable performance and could also consume less power. A second, more general NASA application is thermal management of satellites, in particular those carrying highly temperature-sensitive components such as laser diode arrays. As well as providing cooling for those components, the actual operating temperature is important because it affects the output wavelength. The PCHP would provide much tighter temperature control than existing VCHP solutions. The PCHP would also allow on-orbit adjustment to adjust for uncertainties in performance of the other thermal management components or to compensate for aging of components such as radiator coatings.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
VCHP heat exchangers: ACT is developing VCHP heat exchangers for a diesel fuel reforming process. The PCHP would yield an improved since it would allow for changes in exchanger set point after manufacture, improve set point stability, and provide more rapid transient response. Thermal Calibrators: ACT has a product line of high temperature heat pipes which are frequently sold to national standards laboratories in several countries. The PCHP technology could be extended to high temperature fluids such as sodium or potassium and allow sales of improved high-temperature calibrators. A similar market may exist for a low-temperature device such as a PCHP based on ammonia or ethane. Laser Diode Cooling: Laser diode bars generate substantial amounts of waste heat. Since the emitted wavelength is temperature dependent, as well as removing waste heat any cooling solution must also maintain the diode bar within tight temperature limits. The PCHP would be ideal for this application since it can carry significant amounts of power while providing tight evaporator temperature control.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station, TX 77840-4027

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Roger van Boeyen
roger.vanboeyen@lynntech.com
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station,  TX 77840-4066

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
With the increasing power demands and longer life spans of space vehicles, their thermal management becomes ever more critical. Accompanying this is an unprecedented need for reduction in spacecraft size and weight. However, reduced weight leads to higher power densities, and waste-heat dissipation densities have grown by an order of magnitude with the use of smaller, more powerful electronics. Active thermal control methods are needed to cope with the increasing heat dissipation requirements and environmental extremes. In recent years, spacecraft have employed mechanically pumped fluid loops to efficiently transfer large amounts of thermal energy between two points by means of a forced liquid convention loop. The development of long-life fluid pumps, however, has not kept pace with the demands of advanced thermal control systems. Conventional electric motor-driven fluid pumps are heavy, bulky, inefficient, and prone to wear. In Phase I, the operation and storage of Lynntech fluid pump over a range of environmental extremes was demonstrated. In Phase II, Lynntech will develop a fluid pump significantly smaller, lighter, and more efficient than conventional pumps currently used in NASA spacecraft.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A rugged, long life, low power, miniature pump capable of operating in extreme environments will have applications in the advance thermal control systems that will be required in future robotic missions and spacecraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
With the increasing power density of electronics, there is a growing market for miniature, low-power pumps for use in the thermal management of consumer electronics. In particular, the interest in a low-cost, lightweight, quiet, efficient liquid pump for laptop cooling is high. Another potentially large market is thermal management systems for small fuel cell power systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
EM Photonics
51 East Main Street
Newark, DE 19711-4676

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
John Humphrey
humphrey@emphotonics.com
51 E. Main St. Ste 203
Newark,  DE 19711-4685

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The recent performance increases in graphics processing units (GPUs) have made graphics cards an attractive platform for implementing computationally intense applications. With their numerous parallel computational pipelines and SIMD architecture, modern GPUs can outperform high-end microprocessors by one to three orders of magnitude, depending on the problem. Most work to date at EM Photonics and elsewhere has focused on accelerating specific applications by porting core engines onto the GPU. In this project, we propose the development of general purpose computational libraries capable of solving numerous core numerical functions on commodity graphics cards. These solvers will be based on accepted, industry-standard interfaces and will be easy to integrate with current and future applications. The result will be a GPU-based numerical coprocessor capable accelerating a wide range of computationally intense functions, thereby reducing processing times in applications where numerical computations are the primary bottleneck.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Virtually all software requiring extensive numerical processing could benefit from the solvers developed in this project. Most such software is already created using BLAS or similar libraries, thus requiring very little modification to be used with these accelerated solvers. They can have an immediate impact on numerous NASA applications such as vibration analysis for a number of multi-body spacecraft configurations such as Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), and rotorcraft and computational fluid dynamics for space craft flight through the atmosphere and rocket design. Other application areas of interest to NASA include mechanical and stress modeling, heat transfer analysis, and image processing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These solvers could be integrated into everything from specialized computational engines to general purpose tools such as MATLAB. MATLAB currently integrates BLAS compliant routines to solve computationally intense problems. Some versions of MATLAB even ship multiple implementations of this interface and allow the user to select between them. The solvers developed here could simply become another option for users to select, thereby offloading processing to the system's graphics card. Specific application areas include automotive design, civil and mechanical engineering analysis, electromagnetic simulations, computational fluid dynamics, acoustics, signal/image processing, and financial modeling. We also anticipate being able to accelerate commercial packages such as NASTRAN and HFSS with these libraries.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Simulation Modeling Environment
Computer System Architectures
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
TerraMetrics, Inc.
P.O. Box 270101
Littleton, CO 80127-0002

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Gregory Baxes
gbaxes@terrametrics.com
PO Box 270101
Littleton,  CO 80127-0002

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
TerraMetrics, Inc., proposes a Phase II R/R&D program to implement the TerraBlocks<SUP>TM</SUP> Server architecture that provides geospatial data authoring, storage and delivery capabilities. TerraBlocks enables successful deployment, display and visual interaction of diverse, massive, multi-dimensional science datasets within popular web-based geospatial platforms like Google Earth and NASA World Wind. TerraBlocks is a wavelet-encoded data storage technology and server architecture for NASA science data deployment into widely available web-based geospatial applications. The TerraBlocks approach provides dynamic geospatial data services with an emphasis on 1) server and data storage efficiency, 2) maintaining server-to-client science data integrity and 3) offering client-specific delivery of large Earth science geospatial datasets. The TerraBlocks approach bridges the gap between inflexible, but fast, pre-computed tile delivery approaches and highly flexible, but slower, map services approaches. The pursued technology exploits the use of a network-friendly, wavelet-compressed data format and server architecture that extracts and delivers appropriately-sized blocks of multi-resolution geospatial data to geospatial client applications on demand and in interactive real time. The Phase II project objective is to provide a complete and fully-functional prototype TerraBlocks data authoring and server software package delivery to NASA and simultaneously set the stage for commercial availability. The Phase III objective is to commercially deploy the TerraBlocks technology, with the collaboration of our commercial and government partners, to provide the enabling basis for widely available third-party data authoring and web-based geospatial application data services.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1) Dissemination of large Earth science datasets into widely-available, geospatial web applications including imagery (e.g., multi-band, hyperspectral) and other 2D datasets, and 3D volumetric datasets 2) NASA World Wind 3) NASA's visualization labs

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1) Government DoD/Intelligence data provisioning and delivery, science/research labs, mapping 2) Commercial web-based geospatial platforms 3) Broadcast television map and weather applications 4) Next-generation interactive GIS

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Computer System Architectures
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
General Public Outreach
K-12 Outreach
Mission Training

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Summation Research, Inc.
751 North Drive
Melbourne, FL 32934-9289

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Thomas Drago
drago@summationresearch.com
751 North Drive
Melbourne,  FL 32934-9289

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Current and upcoming NASA space links require both highly reliable low-rate communications links supporting critical TT&C, ranging and voice services and highly efficient High-data rate links supporting Mission or Payload Data. Investing in re-usable elements, such as Programmable Communications Radios, for ground and flight data handling that are capable of receiving both kinds of links would address current Communication and Navigation needs without foregoing future capabilities. Additionally, the development, test, and optimization of new algorithms and modulation schemes require a high-speed platform able to be reconfigured as needed. Such a product would feature an open and modular architecture, allowing users to independently load and route custom code blocks. A modular and flexible High Rate Receiver Backbone (HRRB) would allow customization of some processing firmware and should accommodate advances in deployed link formats more easily than units "factory loaded" for particular signal types. SRI's Phase 1 SBIR researched, developed an architecture and test bed, and coded and tested an initial set of waveforms as a baseline for a Programmable High-rate Multi-mission Receiver. The results of this effort showed the technical and commercial viability of such a unit. The proposed Phase 2 effort will extend this innovation by developing and implementing an IF front end, refining and extending the performance of the ADC/DAC sections and hardware architecture, extending the architecture to support programmable and configurable decoding processing capacity, testing performance with both extended development support modulators/coders as well as other available high-rate modulators, and delivering a realized HRRB for further NASA use. Additional market segmentation, analysis, and prospect identification would be conducted in preparation for either a Phase 3 or independent SRI development of a market-ready Programmable High-rate Multi-mission Receiver (PHMR).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A Programmable High-rate Multi-mission Receiver will enable NASA to support multiple missions and link types with a single, flexible receiver. Utilizing highly reconfigurable receivers for Communications and Navigation tasks in Network and Trunking links, SRI anticipates that NASA will benefit from a design that supports (1) high rate links for Deep Space, Near-Earth, Lunar and Martian Relay missions, (2) low rate links for critical TT&C, ranging and voice services, (3) GEE and Range Upgrade and Modernization within the DSN, GN, SN/TDRSS, STDN and related networks. Additionally, NASA often conducts research and development with a goal of increasing the understanding of and efficiencies in new and legacy modulation and coding methods. Since sometimes in advanced research "you don't know what you don't know", a receive test platform that is flexible enough for many as-yet undefined decoding algorithms and modulation schemes and, similar to an Arbitrary Waveform Generator, would provide an affordable, flexible, and reusable platform for just such R&D and optimization efforts. Such a High-Rate Receiver Backbone (HRRB) might be appropriate for both Lab and Operational tasks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are many non-NASA business applications and deployment possibilities for a highly programmable satellite, space, and range link receiver supporting low-rate TT&C as well as high-rate imaging and other bandwidth intensive mission data links. The proposed PHMR would be applicable to a wide range of Governmental and Commercial requirements including (1) the DoD ISCN, (2) TSAT, FCS, GIG and other DoD networking initiatives envisioning data rates at or near 1Gbps, (3) commercial networks such as Universal Space Network, Inc. and DataLynx that would be interoperable with NASA assets, offering potential offloading for particular missions, (4) imaging organizations such as Orbimage, DigitalGlobe, USGS, and NOAA missions such as GOES-R and LDCM that provide bandwidth intensive satellite imaging and Earth Observation products, and (5) links required for imaging and other TT&C and high-bandwidth payload transmissions from UAVs and related non-satellite/non-space platforms. There is also a nascent market for Synthetic or Virtual Instrumentation. This market uses general purpose hardware that is intended to perform many different kinds of signal capture and analysis functions. These tasks often require high-speed, low noise digitization and signal processing equipment that is flexible enough to be used for a variety of tasks. Although SRI has not studied this market in any depth, the requirements of a PHMR or HRRB can be similar to equipment available in this market.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Architectures and Networks
RF
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Princeton Satellite Systems
33 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ 08542-3207

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Paluszek
map@psatellite.com
33 Witherspoon St.
Princeton,  NJ 08542-3207

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal is for a flexible navigation system for deep space operations that does not require GPS measurements. The navigation solution is computed using an Unscented Kalman Filter that can accept any combination of range, range-rate, planet chordwidth, and angle measurements using any celestial object. The UKF employs a full nonlinear dynamical model of the orbit including gravity models and disturbance models. The filter will estimate both states and parameters. The integrated system employs a sensor measures solar chordwidths and angles between planets, stars and the sun vector. The proposed sensor is is called the Twin Quad Sensor (TQS). Two independently gimbaled telescopes each with a zoom lens comprise the sensor. The sensor includes redundant processors and data networks to provide a high degree of fault tolerance in a single package. The focal plane of each telescope uses four 256 by 256 pixel arrays. These are used to measure the chord width of the Sun, angles between planets and angles to stars. In addition each telescope can be used independently and the angles between planets or to stars can be measured by high accuracy angle resolvers.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This system can be used for navigation of any manned or unmanned spacecraft in any orbit. The Unscented Kalman Filter can be used for any navigation system including satellite and aircraft. It can also be used for lunar or planetary surface navigation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This system can be used Air Force satellites that require complete autonomy and must navigate with out external signals such as GPS.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NAL Research Corporation
9300 West Courthouse Road, Suite 102
Manassas, VA 20110-1807

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ngoc Hoang
nth@nalresearch.com
9300 West Courthouse Road, Suite 102
Manassas,  VA 20110-1807

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NAL Research Corporation proposes to develop a small, light-weight, low-cost transceivers capable of establishing satellite communications links for telemetry and control during the launch and ascent stages of flight. The proposed transceiver will offer continuous and truly global coverage. When data are sent from a launch vehicle, the signals are received immediately by one of the LEO satellites and relayed in real-time to command and control center via either Public Switched Telephone Network/Public Data Networks (PSTN/PDN), directly to another transceiver, through the Internet or through a direct IP address. The entire process can take a fraction of a second. This will provide electronic global access to airborne vehicles from any place.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Satellite transceivers have many useful applications within NASA. They can be implemented on the following platforms to relay data from remote regions including launch vehicles, sounding rockets, high-altitude environmental research aircraft, general aviation aircraft, oceanographic platforms, remote sensor platforms, high-altitude balloons, just to name a few.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Satellite transceivers can be extremely useful in many applications. Ships, airplanes and trucks have relied on geostationary satellites to provide mobile satellite services for years. Now, LEO satellite transceiver will soon make mobile satellite services available for individuals. Any type of transmission, internet connection, voice, fax, data or paging, will soon be able to reach its destination anywhere on the planet. The system will simplify communications for business professionals such as salespeople, field producers and reporters for television networks, construction engineers sending plan revisions, oil-company geologists uploading test results, just to name a few. People who live in thinly populated areas that will never be covered by regular cellular phone service, travelers, private pilots, yachtsmen and disaster relief teams will benefit from the LEO satellite-based transceivers as well.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Toyon Research Corporation
6800 Cortona Drive
Goleta, CA 93117-3021

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Cagley
rcagley@toyon.com
6800 Cortona Drive
Goleta,  CA 93117-3021

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Wireless transceivers used for NASA space missions have traditionally been highly custom and mission specific. Programs such as the GRC Space Transceiver Radio System (STRS) seek to abstract the radio waveform from the hardware platform itself; this is meant to improve flexibility and promote component and subsystem reuse. In this Phase II effort Toyon proposes to perform work that will advance the state of the art in reconfigurable wireless transceivers in order to help realize the vision of STRS. Specifically, we propose to develop a modular, but highly integrated, digital and analog signal processing platform along with a standards-compliant waveform. The space-ready reconfigurable radio will serve a range of NASA missions and can be easily modified or enhanced for future needs. The RF front-end will be direct conversion with high integration of the frequency translation subsystems. For digital processing, we will pursue a system-on-a-chip (SoC) design with both reconfigurable logic and a soft-core processor implemented in a radiation-hardened Xilinx FPGA and PROM. The entire system architecture will leverage an EXP board-to-board connector design developed in Phase I. This system concept was validated in Phase I through Toyon's demonstration of a fully-functional packet-based 500 kbps waveform. In Phase II Toyon will pursue development of a waveform that is standards-based in order to further promote reuse and interoperability. Specifically, Toyon will develop a baseline implementation of the IEEE 802.16a standard. In addition to physical layer connectivity, such a waveform is well suited to IP-based networking, easing integration and increasing portability.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A wide range of technologies will need to be further developed in order to fulfill the needs of future manned and unmanned space exploration. While there are a range of NASA mission needs Toyon's reconfigurable wireless transceiver could target, one of the most promising is high-speed data links for surface exploration. For instance, with lunar missions there will be new needs, and associated challenges, with regard to data communications to and from vehicles, persons, and command centers. In one configuration, Toyon's software defined radio (SDR) could be paired with a high definition imager and associated codec in order to transport high-rate image data among several nodes in a multi-hop, ad hoc network. Such links could be used for general situational awareness, remote piloting of vehicles, airlock guidance, in addition to a range of scientific and marketing applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As a space-ready wireless transceiver is a relatively niche market, the potential non-NASA applications for the complete Phase II system outside NASA are limited. Potential transition customers could include the Air Force, DARPA, or MDA; these organizations work with systems that require operation in a wide temperature range and have radiation tolerance. Another market could be a wireless camera or other high-rate data links at nuclear power facilities. However, with the abstraction of hardware and software that Toyon is pursuing in this effort, it is very feasible that subsystems could be readily reused for a wide range of non-radiation hardened applications. Particularly as we are developing a solution around the IEEE 802.16 waveform, there are a host of potential end-user and business-to-business markets that Toyon could pursue. One option would be to license design services or intellectual property developed in the Phase II effort. This could be for both the RF and digital designs themselves as well as the hardware and software cores that will reside in the FPGA and SoC processors.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Architectures and Networks
RF
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NxGen Electronics, Inc.
9771 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite C
San Diego, CA 92124-1324

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Don Hayashigawa
donh@nxgenelectronics.com
9771 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego,  CA 92124-1324

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Purpose of this effort was to offer a novel solution to the pressing need for radiation tolerant memory for the demanding satellite and space probe worldwide community. The effort included radiation testing of the Ferro Electric Random Access (FRAM) memory developed under NASA/JPL contract NNG04CA25C, and the design of stacked versions resulting in up to 16Mb of storage in a footprint smaller than a standard TSOP. The work done resulted in a number of tested samples of 2Mb FRAM die fabricated using the 0.35 um process at Fujitsu, and designed by Cellis Semiconductor. The packaged parts were electrically tested then subjected to radiation testing. The enclosed radiation test program conducted and the successful results are contained herein. For higher density configurations, a preliminary design of stacks in 2, 4, and 8 high die was done using our µZ Ball Stack<SUP>REG</SUP> technology, offering a total of up to 16Mb of addressable memory.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Virtually all NASA space programs have a demand for dense, radiation hardened, non-volatile memory. These applications range from shuttle, space station, earth sensing missions and deep space probes. The world's most common 1 megabit EEPROM just obsolete, creating an immediate demand for radiation guaranteed non-volatile memory ICs. Some of the NASA missions which will benefit are Mars Surveyor missions, solar system exploration e.g. (Titan, Europa landers, Comet Nucleus Return, New Discovery Program, and Living with a Star).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A Radiation hardened high density non-volatile memory device is a key component for any commercial system in a radiation environment. These applications include commercial space platforms, both GEO and LEO such as the Boeing Space HS-601 and Lockheed A2 100. Telecommunication satellites and sensing applications (NOAA) require this memory to store critical data and support on board data processing. New Missile Defense Agency (MDA) interceptor programs will likely have radiation requirements. Terrestrial applications include nuclear power plants and research accelerators (Fermi Lab). A potentially large market could be commercial aircraft avionics which are becoming increasingly sensitive to single event effects (SEE) as commercial IC feature sizes and voltages decrease.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Harmonic Devices, Inc.
2269 Cedar Street C
Berkeley, CA 94709-1549

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Justin Black
justin@harmonicdevices.com
2269 Cedar Street Apt. C
Berkeley,  CA 94709-1549

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase II of this SBIR, Harmonic Devices (HDI) proposes to develop miniaturized MEMS filters at UHF, S-band and Ka-band to address the requirements of NASA's next-generation software defined EVA radio. The filters are a key enabler for this highly reconfigurable, fault tolerant, cell-phone sized EVA radio. For UHF and S-band, HDI will employ its proprietary contour-mode aluminum nitride MEMS piezoelectric resonator technology. Processed on silicon substrates, the resonators have their natural frequency defined by the lateral, in-plane dimensions of the structure. This feature enables the definition of different frequencies directly at the CAD layout level. Thus, the low insertion loss UHF and S-band filters can be monolithically integrated into a single chip. For the Ka-band, HDI will employ coaxial 3D MEMS interdigital filters that exhibit low insertion and ripple in a miniaturized form factor. Several US companies have expressed a keen interest in HDI's technology. In Phase I, HDI successfully proved the feasibility of employing the proposed UHF, S-band, and Ka-band filters in NASA's software defined EVA radio through simulation and microfabrication pilot studies. The filters can be monolithically integrated onto the same silicon substrate, resulting in substantial savings in board space. The objective of Phase II is to build the filter prototypes and deliver them to NASA for testing. The results of the Phase I feasibility study convincingly justify Phase II continuation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The UHF, S-, and Ka-band filters are a key enabler for NASA's next-generation cell-phone sized EVA SDR radio. This miniaturized, low power, and light-weight EVA radio improves astronaut maneuverability and provides fault-tolerant, reliable communication in harsh conditions. Miniaturized, inexpensive, high-Q filter banks composed of high-Q MEMS filters also present opportunities for novel transceiver, data conversion, and clock synthesis architectures that span the UHF, VHF, P-, S-, L-, X-, and Ka- bands. Important areas include active microwave / synthetic aperture radar, short-range radio modules for miniature satellites, radio astronomy, and GPS. Because of its inert physico-chemical properties, the AlN resonators function over a wide-range of harsh temperature, power, and pressure conditions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The filters proposed by Harmonic Devices will provide a compelling value proposition to mobile phone OEMs by reducing component count and freeing up valuable board space so designers can continue to add new features, reduce costs and shrink form factors. The current directly addressable market size is estimated at approximately $1.7B per year. Since these AlN resonators are fabricated with standard CMOS semiconductor processing steps on silicon substrates, they could ultimately become less expensive than legacy surface acoustic wave (SAW) and quartz crystal passives. Several US companies have expressed a keen interest in HDI's technology. There is an extensive market for filters and resonators outside of the wireless handset market. Other applications include frequency control semiconductors for space, consumer, military, automotive, and industrial electronics. In the VHF / UHF range, contour-mode AlN filters and resonators can be orders of magnitude smaller than their SAW counterparts.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
RF
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Toyon Research Corporation
6800 Cortona Drive
Goleta, CA 93117-3021

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scott McNally
smcnally@toyon.com
6800 Cortona Drive
Goleta,  CA 93117-3021

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this Phase II effort Toyon will increase the state-of-the-art for video/image systems. This will include digital image compression algorithms as well as system level integration, encompassing the image sensor all the way to compressed imagery data transport. To accomplish these goals Toyon will design a complete FPGA-based video compression system. The novel aspect of this design lies in the dynamically reconfigurable hardware IP cores that will interface to an embedded processor. Similar to a software defined radio (SDR) system where separate RF waveforms are loaded at runtime, Toyon aims to reload separate image compression encoders. This enables the use of several different image/video compression standards, all on the same hardware platform. The dynamically reconfiguring architecture of this system enables a single image sensor and hardware platform to handle the two most common space video camera applications, while still maintaining low power consumption in a highly integrated package. First, H.264 for high framerate, real-time video for situational awareness and surveillance. Second, lossless JPEG200 encoding for scientific and research post-processing. However, due to limited funds for this Phase II design, we will most likely work with a purchased H.264 IP core along with a standard JPEG compression core, which Toyon developed on the Phase I of this program. Providing the capability to reconfigure for both motion video and still image compression will provide near-term utility and demonstrate feasibility for Phase III development. Toyon will target the solution to a custom fully radiation hardened hardware platform. Potential radiation hardened components include a Xilinx FPGA, Xilinx PROM, Atmel SRAM memory, Aeroflex voltage regulators, and a Cypress CMOS image sensor paired with space-ready optics.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The universal applicability of video systems, as well as the adaptable, reprogramable nature of our design, allows a wide range of NASA applications to be targeted. Possible deployment platforms can be both mobile and stationary. Several possibilities include mobile ground vehicles, personnel helmets, spacecraft, and planet surfaces. The system can be designed around the desired application parameters, such as high or low image sensor resolution or output bitrate. With the system's high radiation tolerance it can be targeted to permanent deployment applications. Additionally, the use of digital data and standards-based CODECs allows for ease of integration into higher level networks, specifically IP-based networks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications have direct non-radiation hardened terrestrial counterparts, with possible platforms including vehicles, personnel helmets, aircraft, and permanently mounted structures. There would be particular interest in air-borne surveillance platforms. All these applications could be for other DoD agencies as well as private industry. In addition to non-radiation hardened applications, there would be a range of hardened commercial applications. A standard platform would be a commercial satellite. There has also been a recent surge in interest in space tourism, where there would be quite a range of applications for a video system. However, there are also terrestrial radiation hardened applications, the main source being from nuclear power and research facilities.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Optical
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Wang Electro-Opto Corporation
2140 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 110
Marietta, GA 30067-8766

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Johnson Wang
jjhwang@weo.com
2140 Newmarket Parkway, Suite 110
Marietta,  GA 30067-8766

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA is planning a series of human and robotic missions to explore the Moon and later Mars. According to NASA SBIR topic O1.10, directionally selectable, steerable antennas for mounting on human helmets, robots, and fixed structures (e.g. habitats) are needed in surface networks for these missions. These antennas must meet the specific performance requirements for lunar/planetary surface network and the demanding transport and operational space environments. In Phase-1 research, WEO established specific RF performance and physical/environmental requirements for the antenna, and designed, fabricated, and tested a breadboard smart antenna model to see whether it is feasible to meet these requirements. The Phase-1 results demonstrated the feasibility of this technical approach, thus justify Phase-2 research. WEO now proposes a two-year Phase-2 program to develop a brassboard "Smart Multifunction Antenna for Lunar/Planetary Surface Network." In the proposed Phase-2 research, the deliverables include an optimized brassboard model of a smart multifunction antenna. The parts and materials used in the hardware, the fabrication process, as well as other issues regarding this brassboard model will be compatible with and scalable to those of the final deliverable antennas for Phase-3 and deployable models, which must meet NASA's stringent transport and operational requirements, constraints of space mission environment, and the limited weight and size for mounting on astronauts and robots, fixed nodes, and other platforms.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As announced in NASA 2006 SBIR O1.10, NASA needs directionally selectable, steerable antenna arrays for human spacesuits, robots, and fixed structures (e.g. habitats). The proposed "Smart Multifunction Antenna for Lunar/planetary Surface Network" is expected to cover various frequency bands at high transmission rate for data, video, and voice for lunar, Mars, and planetary exploration missions. The proposed smart multifunction antennas will also be small, low-profile, and platform-conformable for mounting on the limited room on human, robot, and other small platforms in surface networks as well as other space applications. The timeline for the human missions is starting with a human return to the moon by 2020. Robotic missions involving surface networks on the drawing board are likely to start several years earlier. The lead center for surface exploration is Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of Cal Tech, which is supported by other NASA centers closely related to the procurement and operation of the surface networks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Wireless is considered to be the most important technology for the coming decade; and antenna is its center piece. The proposed smart multifunction antenna has non-NASA military and commercial wireless applications. The basic technology of the smart multifunction antenna technology can be applied to other platforms facing an ever greater number of wireless systems with increasing bandwidth in both military and commercial applications. Military applications include many JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) platforms, aircraft, tanks, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), the Future Combat System (FCS), etc. Commercial applications include cell phone array antennas for basestations, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WiFi, WiMax, etc. In addition to terrestrial communications, the technology is also applicable to communications between the earth and satellites for both military and commercial users. Key components of the smart antenna technology also have other wireless applications in which the WEO antenna technology has major performance and cost advantages.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mobitrum Corporation
8070 Georgia Avenue, Suite 209
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4973

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ray Wang
ray_wang@mobitrum.com
8070 Georgia Avenue, Suite 209
Silver Spring,  MD 20910-1707

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A long-term center goal at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is the formulation and implementation of a framework for an intelligent rocket test facility (IRTF). The IRTF is to provide reliable, high-confidence measurements for a variety of propulsion test articles. Smart sensor components play key roles in providing the distributed intelligence needed to perform diagnosis of its overall health and to further develop the Integrated System Health Management (ISHM), which has been identified as a key component to design exploration systems for the mission to go back to the Moon and explore Mars. Requirements to achieve this mission include improvements in safety, life-cycle costs, and autonomous operation of exploration systems. The objective of the Phase II effort is to complete the development of the sensor fusion based on the architecture that was presented in Phase I. Specifically, we intend to succeed in: (1) Providing health condition monitoring capability at the intelligent transceiver; (2) Providing analytic and diagnostic intelligence at the intelligent transceiver; (3) Enhancing IEEE 1451.x based standard for sensor data management and distributions; (4) Providing appropriate communications protocols to enable complex interactions to support timely and high quality flow of information among the system elements.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
"Health-enabled smart sensor fusion" is a state-of-the-art technology offering wide ranges of capabilities for data sensing, condition monitoring, and acquisitions. This device will offer great opportunities to NASA for distributed sensor applications. The device when integrates with intelligent process it is powerful for remote sensing and monitoring control across many heterogeneous networks. The technology has the following NASA applications: Test Facilities and Test Article; Integrated System Health management (ISHM); Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) for Aviation Safety Program; Advanced Control Technology - Fundamental Aeronautics Test Program; Earth science applications; Field communications device for spatial data input, manipulation and distribution: Intelligent Rocket Test Facilities (IRTF) with smart sensor elements, measurement, and field verification applications; Sensing and monitoring for Aircraft - icing on wings - data from heaters and sensors and Aircraft emissions - collection of data around airports; Verification and validation of equipment (e.g., RFID); System Diagnosis and Prognosis.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Health-enabled smart sensor fusion technology has a big application for RFID industry. Intelligent transceiver has the potential to adjust its operating frequency spectrum to short-range wireless technology with flexible data transmission rates. It is applicable for the following: (1) Growth area of automatic identification and data capture; (2) Lower cost transponders offering multi-read and receiving voice and text-based messaging; (3) Read/write electronic storage; (4) Identification and communication – smart badge for voice and test messaging; (5) Road Transport and Traffic Telematics; (6) Transport Information and Control Systems; (7) Home control; (8) Energy management for cost saving; (9) Security (intruder detection); (10) Safety (sensing); (11) Utility – remote meter reading; (12) Building automation systems – real-time monitoring and control of security and surveillance systems, alarms, HVAC, etc., (13) Manufacturing and distribution – industrial automation using RFID; (14) Health care – wireless monitoring.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Intelligence
Mobility
Manipulation
Perception/Sensing
Teleoperation
Control Instrumentation
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Training Concepts and Architectures
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Particle and Fields
Structural Modeling and Tools
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Biomedical and Life Support
Biomolecular Sensors
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Instrumentation
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Computer System Architectures
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Database Development and Interfacing
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Substrate Transfer Technology
Portable Life Support
Tools
General Public Outreach
K-12 Outreach
Mission Training
Wireless Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Soneticom, Inc.
1045 South John Rodes Boulevard
West Melboune, FL 32904-2005

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Kingsley
JKingsley@Soneticom.com
1045 South John Rodes Boulevard
West Melboune,  FL 32904-2005

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA often must deal with the issue of protecting EMI sensitive payloads and instrumentation from damage due to radiated energy. Many of these EMI sensitive payloads can be damaged by seemingly benign sources such as communication networks or microwave ovens. The problem becomes more difficult when these sensitive payloads and instrumentation require movement from one location to another. It is extremely difficult and time consuming to identify and characterize the potential threat to these payloads with current tools and techniques. Soneticom proposes to utilize a small network of sensors to quickly and efficiently identify and locate sources of EMI radiation. Once the source is located Soneticom will utilize available signal parameters such as Received Signal Strength (RSS) at each sensor to estimate the signal strength at any point within the network's coverage area. Figure 2.1 is a conceptual diagram of how this innovation might look once displayed on a map. Soneticom will utilize the existing Lynx Geolocation platform which has the capability to identify and locate an EMI radiation source in the 20 MHz - 30 GHz range. The Lynx system will provide the hardware platform to develop algorithms required to estimate the signal strength across the network's coverage area

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are a number of potential NASA applications for Soneticom's EMI Field Strength Mapping Products: EMI Threat Mitigation would be a primary use for the field strength mapping system. It greatly increases the speed and efficiency of insuring that EMI sensitive equipment will not be compromised while in transit. The system will identify, locate and display relative signal strengths of potentially damaging levels of radiated power. Additionally, the system could be used to provide persistent monitoring of EMI levels for instance for the duration of a payload while in processing or on a launch pad. Communication Validation is another mission that a field strength mapping system could be used for. By deploying a field strength mapping system communication equipment coverage areas can be effectively mapped highlighting areas of poor coverage or potential interference issues. Interference mitigation around the Space Center is a problem that the EMI filed strength mapping system could help resolve sources of potential interference that may pose a threat to safe flight operations. Uninterrupted communication between flight systems and ground operations is critical to safe flight operations.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Interference mitigation around commercial airports is a problem that the EMI filed strength mapping system could help resolve, locate and evaluate sources of potential interference that may pose a threat to safe commercial flight operations. Uninterrupted communication between flight crews and ground operations is critical to the FAA's mission of safe flight operations. Cellular provider coverage mapping can be accomplished with the proposed system allowing commercial cellular providers to validate cellular coverage area. The field strength mapping system would allow providers to quickly identify poor reception areas and potential cross cell interferences. Interference mitigation for the FCC is another application for the EMI filed strength mapping system. The system can be deployed anywhere that the FCC has a complaint about interference. The system would allow the FCC to evaluate and monitor signal level emissions to efficiently enforce licensed spectrum issues.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Database Development and Interfacing
Human-Computer Interfaces
Microwave/Submillimeter
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors