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NASA 2005 SBIR Phase 2 Solicitation

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)
Leonard Haynes
lhaynes@i-a-i.com
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville,  MD 20855-2785

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
IAI proposes an innovative collision avoidance radar and communication technology to detect and track both cooperative and non-cooperative targets. The system includes an L-band RF transceiver-sensor package, which continuously transmits Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) compatible beacons to alert other cooperative aircraft and ATC (Air Traffic Control) ground stations regarding the aircraft's position and intent. In addition, it uses the reflected beacon signal as a radar signal to detect and track any non-cooperative targets within its effective range. A multifunctional RF transceiver serves as both the primary radar and secondary surveillance radar (SSR). The phase I effort has successfully demonstrated the concept of this technology in three areas: (1) Adding phase modulation to the 1090 ES carrier and proving it still complies with ADS-B waveform standard, (2) Coherent pulse compression for ranging (3) 3D angular estimation using TCAS-like circular antenna array and using innovative digital beamforming and spatial spectrum processing. In the phase II effort, we will work with commercial partners to build a 'brassboard' system and perform a series of system evaluation tests.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will directly serve NASA's Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies (IIFDT) program, especially for external hazard detection, as the proposed system provides see-and-avoid functionalities to handle non-cooperative air-traffic. Another NASA related application for this sensor system is UAV collision avoidance. The proposed research will add the ability to see and avoid both cooperative (transponding) and non-cooperative aircraft to UAVs. Such capability is crucial to providing military services and industry with sustainable, flexible UAV operations, sufficiently robust to safely deploy whenever and wherever needed.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed collision avoidance radar is a novel approach to achieve a low cost modification to existing aircraft avionics which will enhance safety and promote the JPDO NGATS initiative for adoption of ADS-B in the NAS. We estimate the commercial market for airborne collision avoidance radar to be potentially worth tens of millions of dollars as several manufacturers produce ADS-B avionics over the next 15 to 20 years. If the GA community and AOPA succeed in the removal of Mode C transponders after ADS-B implementation is mandated along with the installation of UAT avionics in GA aircraft, then it would be reasonable to expect that the FAA and commercial market will look to modify Mode S/TCAS equipped aircraft for collision avoidance radar capability such as we have proposed.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
RF
Microwave/Submillimeter

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)
George Zhao
xzhao@i-a-i.com
15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 400
Rockville,  MD 20855-2785

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The structural integrity of jet engine turbine or fan rotor disks is vital for aviation safety. Cumulative cracks at critical loading and high stress areas, if not detected and repaired in time, may lead to catastrophic failure. Traditional methods such as Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) and eddy current are limited to point-by-point measurement and are very time consuming. Disassembly of the engine is required for each inspection, which in turn may cause maintenance induced problems. We propose a wireless in-situ ultrasonic guided wave health monitoring approach. It applies light, thin, high temperature leave-in-place ultrasonic guided wave circumferential patch transducers around the root of the disk, and a pair of innovative tube antennae that wirelessly couple the transducers to the inspection instruments. Guided waves travel in the disk for crack inspection, and the inspection could be done even when the disk is rotating. Phase I results clearly demonstrate that the guided wave is very sensitive to tiny cracks on a rotating aluminum disk, and the tube antennae worked well. The envisioned system can inspect a relatively large area, has minimal effect on the rotor performance, instantaneously provides reliable and quantitative data such as crack location and severity level, and minimize and eventually eliminate the need for structural disassembly.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
It was reported that one-half to two-thirds of the maintenance costs of a turbine engine is attributable to the repair and replacement of the hot section high-value parts. The efficient and reliable in-situ DNI method addressed in this proposal will greatly facilitate fault detection and condition assessment of the turbine engine, and hence make possible condition-based maintenance instead of scheduled teardown inspection. The proposed system is applicable to gas turbine engines of both military and commercial aircraft, and other turbine engines. The technology is novel by itself and will have many practical applications in other structural diagnostics and prognostics applications. NASA applications The ability to detect and characterize defects in an early and accurate manner is always critical for reducing cost and improving safety for many NASA systems such as propulsion system, aircraft frames and wings, etc. At the end of Phase II, we will have a small, light weight, low cost, low power consumption and robust system with both hardware and software integrated together for various defect detection and localization. The success of such a system will enhance aviation safety while reducing the need for unnecessary scheduled maintenance.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In-situ health monitoring and fault diagnosis is equally important for many military and commercial systems such as aircraft, automobiles, trains, home appliances, nuclear reactors, etc. The system can either perform continuous monitoring for the critical high strength components or switch on-off when needed.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Innovative Dynamics, Inc.
2560 North Triphammer Road
Ithaca, NY 14850-9726

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jack Edmonds
jedmonds@idiny.com
2560 N. Triphammer Road
Ithaca,  NY 14850-9726

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Improvements in existing technologies for icing weather information systems are required to increase the level of safety for aircraft flying in the atmospheric icing environment. Icing forecasts cannot provide the needed accuracy at the present time. Under a NASA sponsored SBIR program, Innovative Dynamics, Inc. is developing a Radiosonde Cloud Assessment System (RCLASS) that measures liquid water content, drop size, and droplet phase using low-power infrared lasers. These parameters would be used to identify certain cloud conditions that pose airborne icing hazards to aircraft. The innovation is a new capability for measuring cloud properties that would consist of a small optical probe flown on an expendable weather balloon. Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of the IR-based approach. A series of tests were conducted in an environmental test chamber to demonstrate the overall detection capability. The proposed Phase II will continue development and calibration of the sensor package and integrate it into a commercially available balloonsonde system for evaluation testing in the atmosphere.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed in-situ expendable sensor package will improve aircraft safety by predicting when and where icing hazards exist. This is particularly advantageous to general aviation and to commuter aircraft which are most susceptible to icing accidents. This research is in support of NASA's goals to improve safety of flight by developing instruments that provide advanced warning of icing conditions. NASA conducts atmospheric studies using instrumented balloons that fly from just a few hours to over 100 days. A light-weight sensor that measures cloud content would be a useful addition.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to deployment in a balloon launched radiosonde, this detector would be extremely valuable for light aircraft flying in clouds at low altitudes, which do not currently have weather radar. The cloud property information is also important to the atmospheric research community, NOAA and other weather services. Current icing forecasts cannot provide the needed accuracy at the present time. An infrared sensor package could also address air pollution research and monitoring communities. Other potential commercial applications include a low cost roadway fog and icing detector that monitors and reports visibility to drivers.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

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)
SSCI proposes to further develop, implement and test the damage-adaptive control algorithms developed in Phase I within the framework of an Integrated Damage Modeling & Adaptive Control (IDMAC) system. The proposed IDMAC system design will be based on the following: (i) Development of a coupled structural and aerodynamic model of aircraft dynamics under structural damage, (ii) Generation of a set of models describing different damage cases; (iii) Model set reduction to arrive at a reduced set of control design models; and (iv) Use of the reduced model set to design multiple-model stochastic damage estimators and corresponding reconfigurable controllers to stabilize the aircraft and achieve acceptable performance of the closed-loop flight control system. The proposed IDMAC system will be tested on transport aircraft models selected in consultation with NASA Langley.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Due to increasing terrorist threats, in the recent years there has been a lot of interest in the development of effective adaptive reconfigurable control systems that can compensate for the damage in commercial aircraft caused by man-portable air defense systems (ManPADS), and NASA added this aspect of the fault-tolerant control problem to the existing Aviation Safety program. The proposed IDMAC system will be an important contribution to addressing the goals of this program. Technology that will be developed in Phase II has direct applications in the NASA Space Exploration programs where higher level of autonomy, including autonomous damage accommodation, will be required due to limited ground support.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications of the IDMAC system are in the area of commercial and military aircraft. Autonomous IDMAC will also find wide applications in other programs such as spacecraft control and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Simulation Modeling Environment
Structural Modeling and Tools
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Software Development Environments

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Valcor Engineering Corporation
2 Lawrence Road
Springfield, NJ 07081-3121

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Marcos Simon
marcossimon@electroid.com
45 Fadem Road
Springfield,  NJ 07081-3115

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Valcor Engineering Corporation proposes to develop an advanced On Board Inert Gas Generation System, OBIGGS, for aircraft fuel tank inerting to prevent hazardous in-flight conditions and to mitigate their effect when they do occur. Aircraft fires represent a small number of actual accident causes, but the number of fatalities due to in-flight, post-crash, and on-ground fires is large. The novel OBIGGS system will inert aircraft fuel tanks with nitrogen generated by a hollow fiber membrane module. The system will provide a cost effective method for fuel tank inerting, will be robust and resistant to chemical contamination. An OBIGGS system that is based on nitrogen generation is environmentally friendly and does not require hazardous chemicals for fire suppression. In addition to improving aircraft safety by mitigating hazardous in-flight and on the ground conditions the OBIGGS systems will also contribute to aircraft security and will mitigate aircraft damage from hostile attacks.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential fuel tank inerting for NASA aircraft/aerospace vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Advanced OBIGGS systems will be used to inert center fuel tank on new commercial aircraft such as; Boeing 7E7, and to retrofit the existing commercial aircraft fleet including the Boeing 747, and 737, as well as for fuel tank inerting of military aircraft including C-17.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Metis Design Corporation
222 Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1735

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Seth Kessler
skessler@metisdesign.com
222 Third Street
Cambridge,  MA 02142-1735

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Traditional instrumentation of an aircraft is a complex and time-consuming chore. Once the sensors are installed, long wires for power and data must be routed through to a central data collection location where several large off-the-shelf electronic components reside, adding weight, cost and increasing the probably of introducing noise or faults into the testing system. All of this necessary infrastructure leads to prohibit the use of some types of sensors and limit the total number of sensors used so save on time, cost, complexity and resources. During the course of this Phase II SBIR research, Metis Design Corporation (MDC) proposes to develop a standardized data acquisition hub for aircraft testing sensors dubbed a "sensor-logger". The sensor-logger would essentially serve as a durable sensor infrastructure node capable of autonomously facilitating local testing for multiple sensors of various types. Controlled wirelessly by PC or PDA, data could be displayed in real-time, or logged internally for up to 40 hours. The second half of the proposed research would then tie together the sensor-logger with the Phase I research, developing a power-replenishment device to attached to the sensor-logger to extend its operating capabilities. Finally both devices will be flight tested in true aircraft environments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Key factors to the device marketability is its versatility; the ability not only to be integrated into new applications, but also retrofitted into existing system. There are several areas of potential NASA applicability. The first is for experimental aircraft programs. This device will give the ability to collect more data, with less complexity cost and risk to the testing program. Next, another important aerospace market would be for expendable launch vehicles (ELV) to help facilitate launch/no-launch decisions. Of probably greatest importance, this device could be a key technology for reusable launch vehicle (RLV) for quick turn around times, to avoid lengthy manual tear down inspections. Long duration spacecraft, such as satellites and deep space exploration vehicles, could also benefit from cheap, simple and light monitoring systems for launch or deployment. Lastly, these devices would also be useful for various components of the space station to help guide wear and maintenance.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Beyond NASA space applications, there exists a broad commercial market for a reliable sensor infrastructure system. MDC has had prior work with the NRO, who would use this technology for DoD ELV's. UAV's would also be good platforms since they may be stored for long periods of time before being deployed. Airlines that chose to use these systems would be able to reduce the number and time of required inspections, which would also give them the opportunity cost to capture profit due to more up-time. In this capacity, MDC has currently sold more than 400 prototype sensor systems to Boeing (commercial and military air), Honeywell and GE for aircraft application evaluation. Once SHM technologies have been proven in aerospace applications and have been around long enough to reduce their cost of implementation, systems such as these will likely be utilized in many naval, automotive and civil infrastructure applications soon thereafter.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Facilities
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Highly-Reconfigurable
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Energy Storage
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aerotech Research
11836 Fishing Point Drive, Suite 200
Newport News, VA 23606-4507

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Robinson
paulrobinson@atr-usa.com
11836 Fishing Point Drive, Suite 200
Newport News,  VA 23606-4507

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Financial constraints, government recommendations, and the need for improved operational efficiency are requiring airlines to review their "on-condition" maintenance practices. Many of the specific conditions and events of interest to airline maintenance are not being monitored by automatic systems, and some events are being identified through a subjective determination by the aircrew. This subjective determination can result in both maintenance being performed unnecessarily and maintenance not being performed when needed. AeroTech will develop a multi-tier, Quantitative Condition Alerting and Analysis Support (QCAAS) system for aircraft that will in real-time, automatically downlink to maintenance personnel, reports on the occurrence of specific conditions and events (e.g. loads exceedance). The reports will be displayed on a web based, ground station network. The system will also track individual aircraft's exposure to particular in-flight conditions allowing airline personnel to tailor maintenance programs to individual aircraft. By providing quantifiable data in real-time, operational decisions can be made to minimize the impact and maximize the benefits of on-condition maintenance. The QCAAS system will be comprised only of software that can be implemented on most current fleet aircraft, keeping costs low, minimizing the time to market, and therefore maximizing the likelihood of industry adoption.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This system will directly support the Aviation Safety Program's focus of protecting and preventing damage to aircraft due to abnormal operations and system failures, and can be directly applied to two research thrusts of this program: 1) Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM), part of whose focus is development of computationally efficient tools for in-flight prognosis of aircraft health, self-awareness of airframe issues, mitigation of airframe failures, and the development of preventative and adaptive systems for in-flight operability and informed logistics and maintenance; 2) Aircraft Aging and Durability, whose focus is detection and mitigation/management of aging-related hazards of civilian and military aircraft. The fact that the system comprises software only, lends itself to straightforward integration into simulations, laboratory tests, and flight experiments on NASA research aircraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed QCAAS system will have numerous benefits to airlines (including regional jet operators) and business jet operators in their efforts to keep their aircraft in top working condition, to ensure safe operation of aircraft, to reduce maintenance costs, and to reduce operational delays (and therefore costs) due to unscheduled maintenance. The system also has applications within the Department of Defense, including UAVs. The real-time information provided by the system will enable maintenance personnel to make immediate decisions regarding the need for and the scheduling of the maintenance. Maintenance will then be able to collaborate with operations personnel to minimize the impact to overall operations. QCAAS will assist aircraft operators in meeting NSTB Safety Recommendations on high load inspections and will enable implementation and execution of the recommendations of an industry/FAA committee studying special inspection procedures. Delta has stated that QCAAS may help substantiate extending the operational limits/life of aircraft.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Database Development and Interfacing
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Sentient Corporation
850 Energy Drive
Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Sean Marble
smarble@sentientscience.com
380 Hurricane Lane
Williston,  VT 05495-2084

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this research is to develop algorithms for online health monitoring and prognostics (prediction of the remaining life of a component or system) in aerospace applications. The specific areas of need addressed by this project relate to fusion of sensor-based diagnostics with degradation models, management and propagation of uncertainty, autonomous model updating, and practical considerations such as reducing data volume and storage requirements. The algorithms developed in this project represent the generalizable aspects of predictive prognosis; the only application-specific portions are the fault model and the diagnostic signal processing. The Phase I work successfully demonstrated the basic features of the prognosis algorithms using data for several bearing fault examples. In Phase II, Sentient will develop these algorithms into a complete, full-featured prognosis architecture. Application-specific fault models and diagnostics for a NASA relevant application will also be developed in Phase II, and these will be used to demonstrate the complete Phase II prognostic system. Sentient will leverage extensive test data available from other closely related projects to thoroughly evaluate the new prognostic algorithms. This data includes studies of bearing cage instability phenomena conducted in a unique space environment test rig. Combined with the new prognosis algorithms, this will be directly applicable to help understand and predict recent bearing anomalies observed in the CMGs of the International Space Station.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
During Phase I Sentient signed a separate contract to assist with analysis of telemetry data and ongoing CMG bearing anomalies for the ISS program. One of the ISS CMG bearings failed catastrophically after approximately 18 months of operation, and while there is some concern that the other CMGs might also fail unexpectedly, there are many aspects of bearing operation in this environment that are not understood. The ISS program is interested in algorithms, models, or test data that can provide insight into the cause of the anomalies, and information on how to best operate the CMGs in the future to maximize their useful life. Phase II of this NASA SBIR will provide the key link between the ISS CMG consulting effort and a separate MDA project which is focused on testing and experimentation on bearing cage instability phenomena. The ISS program would very likely be a customer for the algorithms and models developed.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed toolset will have extensive military and commercial applications. Any system that uses sensor-based diagnostics to indicate state and models to predict fault progression would benefit from the proposed toolset. Both the Joint Strike Fighter Program and the Army Blackhawk (UH-60) program have already expressed strong interest in applying the results of this project to predict remaining life in engine bearings and tail rotor Drivetrain bearings, respectively.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Comet Technology Corporation
3830 Packard, Suite 110
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2051

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
S. Raveendra
rraveendra@cometacoustics.com
3830 Packard, Suite 110
Ann Arbor,  MI 48108-2051

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Communities near airports are often exposed to high noise levels due to low flying aircraft in the takeoff and landing phases of flight. Propulsion source noise is the major contributor to the overall noise level. The noise generation mechanisms for a typical turbofan engine are complicated, which makes it a significant challenge to identify the noise sources. Each engine component, such as fan, compressor and turbine, can generate both broadband and narrowband noise. Particularly, the fan noise, more specifically the interaction of the rotor with the downstream stator, is important due to the trend towards the development of civil aircraft turbofan engines with higher and higher by pass ratios. Nearfield acoustical holography (NAH) refers to a process by which the noise sources and the resulting sound field can be reconstructed based on sound pressure measurements taken on a surface in the neighborhood of these sources. Thus, the development and application of appropriate generalized acoustical holography (GAH) system by extending NAH to handle arbitrary geometry and complex noise sources, novel measurement and data processing methods, and innovative inversion and regularization techniques will conceptually allow the identification and ranking of complex turbomachinery noise sources that are otherwise difficult to characterize. This system will also enable the use of more effective active and/or passive noise control measures by providing useful information that is impossible to obtain by direct measurements.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The source identification system developed at the end of the proposed Phase II project will enable the identification and ranking of tonal and broadband turbomachinery noise sources, and the visualization of three-dimensional sound field. The information generated can be subsequently used to reduce the radiated noise associated with turbofan engines, rotorcrafts and advanced propeller aerodynamic noise. The adaptation of the system will also enable source identification and subsequent noise reduction in applications such as aircraft and helicopter cabins.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed system can be adapted for the resolution of a wide range of problems such as internal combustion engine exhaust noise, low frequency radiated noise by industrial systems like vacuum pumps and forced air blowers, and automotive interior noise. There are many other situations in automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment and consumer product industries where the noise generation and interaction mechanisms are complex and as a result the applications of noise control procedures are not effectively performed. The proposed GAH system can be extended to identify these noise sources that are otherwise difficult to characterize.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MetaHeuristics
209 W. Alamar Avenue, Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93105-3701

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kannan Premnath
nandha@metah.com
209 W. Alamar Ave, Suite A
Santa Barbara,  CA 93105-3701

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The research proposed targets airframe noise (AFN) prediction and reduction. AFN originates from complex interactions of turbulent flow with airframe components that are extremely difficult to compute efficiently and accurately. In Phase I the feasibility of an innovative generalized lattice Boltzmann equation (GLBE) approach as a computational aeroacoustics (CAA) tool was evaluated. A subgrid scale (SGS) with wall damping was introduced into the GLBE to enable large eddy simulations. GLBE results on wall turbulence statistics compared well with direct numerical simulations and experiments. The GLBE approach, which uses multiple relaxation times, was significantly more stable than, and as computationally efficient as, the more common single-relaxation time LBE at high Reynolds numbers. It was also computationally competitive with finite-difference methods on single processors, but GLBE had the major advantage of scaling near-linearly on large parallel computers. GLBE computations also accurately reproduced the tonal frequencies for cross-flow over a single, and a pair of cylinders, and feedback-generated tonal frequencies for flow over cavities, which are CAA benchmarks for AFN. With feasibility demonstrated in Phase I, further developments of GLBE, including innovative use of wall-layer models, dynamic SGS models, improved boundary condition implementation and grid refinement strategies in Phase II would enable simulations of very high Reynolds number CAA problems of complex geometry with high fidelity. The GLBE approach developed will then be interfaced to an existing far-field acoustics prediction code to efficiently address AFN in configurations of interest, including high-lift systems and landing gear.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed GLBE approach for computational aeroacoustics will be applicable for high Reynolds number flows over structures with complex geometrical shapes. These include noise prediction from airframe structures such as landing gear, flaps and slats during take-off and landing. The approach is also well suited for acoustic analysis of aircraft internal systems. In addition to prediction of noise, the computational package would also be applicable to computational fluid dynamics of low Mach number flows in aircraft systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The potential applications include prediction of noise from a variety of transportation systems, e.g. automobiles and trains, and HVAC systems. For accurate prediction of noise generation in such systems due to turbulence-structure interactions, the same technology as that for AFN is required. Current commercial packages cannot adequately handle the unsteady turbulence field which requires a high degree of parallelizability and capability to represent turbulence by dynamic models in complex geometries. The extended GLBE approach would be developed to handle these issues and could penetrate this market rapidly.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Structural Modeling and Tools

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NanoSonic, Inc.
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060-0618

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)
The objective of this NASA Phase II program is to develop and increase the Technology Readiness Level of multifunctional Metal RubberTM (MR<SUP>TM</SUP>) materials that can be used as 1) large strain sensors, and 2) strain-insensitive electrical interconnects for aerospace systems and structures. The aerospace systems-level problem these materials would help solve is the inability of currently available metal-based sensors and wiring/interconnects to undergo the large strains and displacements associated with shape changes of inflatable, flexible and morphing structures. During Phase I, NanoSonic demonstrated the feasibility of the MRTM family of free-standing nanocomposite materials to serve as 1) electrically-conductive, low-modulus electrode wiring for a) large displacement mechanical actuators required to affect large shape changes, and b) embedded or attached electrical data buses that are not affected by strain, and 2) strain sensors capable of measuring very large strains to allow mapping of the deformation of adaptive structural components. During Phase I, NanoSonic also developed a first-principles physical model of electrical conductivity percolation in Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP>, and performed experimental analysis to validate model assumptions. During Phase II, NanoSonic would work cooperatively with a large aerospace contractor to optimize material properties, upscale material production, and evaluate material performance under simulated space environmental conditions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications of Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> materials include 1) highly flexible electrical interconnects for mechanical actuators, robotics, flex circuits, and flexible displays, 2) strain sensors capable of measuring very large strains in multiple directions, 3) low-weight replacements for metal electromagnetic interference shielding materials and electrostatic discharge materials, 4) low-weight, flexible RF antenna and waveguide components, and 5) low mass-density replacements for metal wiring and cabling on spacecraft and exploration vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-aerospace applications for Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> include as 1) lead-free material to replace conventional and environmentally hazardous tin-lead solders for the mechanical, electrical and thermal interconnection of electronic and mechanical components, 2) high performance, highly flexible and mechanically robust electronic flex circuits, flexible displays and smart electronic fabrics, 3) as embedded flexible power bus and data bus interconnects in biomedical prostheses, and 4) ultralow mass density EMI shielding for consumer communication devices such as cell phones and portable electronics.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Inflatable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Rolling Hills Research Corporation
420 N. Nash Street
El Segundo, CA 90245-2822

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Kerho
Mike.Kerho@RollingHillsResearch.com
420 N. Nash Street
El Segundo,  CA 90245-2822

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A novel and robust flow control technique for the virtual shaping of extended run Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) sections has been developed. The virtual shaping and separation control technology can be used to control the size and extent of extremely large separation bubbles to virtually shape the aft recovery region of the airfoil. The system uses a novel pressure porting technique that requires no external air source to produce a pulsed tangential jet in the separated region capable of partially or fully eliminating the presence of the separation bubble. The novel pulsed jet system was shown to produce equivalent results to continuous blowing using approximately a 42% lower jet velocity and 87% lower momentum coefficient. The virtual shaping of an extended run NLF section could offer radical performance enhancement in the form of increased lift-to-drag and maximum lift. Additionally, the system will produce a wing design enabling a hinge-less, full-span virtual shaping capability, which can be used for pilot reactive roll control, span load tailoring, and gust load alleviation. The system will provide significantly enhanced performance for the air vehicle throughout the entire flight envelope.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed virtual shaping and separation control technology has significant potential application in several NASA programs. The virtual shaping and flow control system could be fielded in several NASA unmanned aircraft systems, including m-UAVs, high-altitude long-endurance remotely operated aircraft (HALE-ROA) for reconnaissance, and Mars exploratory aircraft. NASA designers will be eager to exploit the advantages of the current virtual shaping technology in airfoil designs and flow control systems. The technology will deliver significantly enhanced performance as compared to traditional designs in a robust package. The system will be applicable throughout NASA's high altitude unmanned and m-UAV aviation community.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercialization potential is excellent for a robust and reliable low Reynolds number transition control system. Potential customers include the U.S. Military and UAV manufacturers. The U.S. military has begun to dramatically increase its use of unmanned aircraft. With electronic payloads becoming larger and the requirement for longer endurance sensor platforms, the opportunity for the application of virtually shaped extended NLF sections will increase. The aero performance and flight dynamics benefits of the novel technology will make the system appealing for current and future platforms. Much like the U.S. Military, private UAV aircraft manufacturers will also find the technology very appealing. With the number of manufacturers and the market for UAVs growing rapidly, UAV airframers will be eager to incorporate enhanced performance into their current and future designs in order to provide a competitive edge and make their product more appealing.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Testing Facilities
Highly-Reconfigurable

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)
An-Dien Nguyen
a.d.nguyen@lgrinc.com
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View,  CA 94041-1518

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Los Gatos Research proposes to develop a new automated vehicle health monitoring sensor system capable of measuring loads and detecting crack, corrosion, and disbonding in advanced aerospace structures using a novel lock-in laser interrogation technique combined with a Bragg grating array (BGA) technology for strain and guided Lamb wave (GLW) sensing. Los Gatos Research's novel sensor instrumentation offers a number of advantages including sensor compactness (0.2mm x 0.2mm x 10mm), lightweight (few grams), remote data acquisition capability, low-cost, and low power consumption. The inherently reliable lock-in laser demodulation technique permit simultaneous measurements of strain, temperature, and acoustic fields with high resolution and high sensitivity. In Phase I, we have demonstrated feasibility by building a prototype instrument capable of measuring static and dynamic strain, temperature, and ultrasonic waves using a lock-in laser demodulation technique and a fiber Bragg grating array sensor network. In Phase II, LGR will deliver to NASA a rugged, compact, multi-channel instrument optimized for vehicle health monitoring studies including strain, temperature, and crack monitoring with high precision, high resolution, and high sensitivity. This dedicated prototype will include an integrated microcontroller, operate unattended, and address the power and stability requirements unique to in-flight studies.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Optical fiber technology provides significant advantages for advanced aerospace platforms because they are lightweight, immune to electromagnetic wave interference, rugged, and do not produce short circuits or ground loops. Therefore the development of high sensitivity fiber optic sensors has the potential to increase reliability, enable lower cost, and facilitate more effective health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation of NASA's advanced aircraft and spacecraft components and systems. The Bragg grating array sensor device LGR has demonstrated and proposed to further develop for Phase II will greatly enhance NASA efforts to develop state-of-the-art, compact, low-cost, waveform-based, quantitative strain and ultrasonic wave sensing technology for load, temperature, corrosion, and crack monitoring of advanced structures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Advances in high-resolution, high sensitivity, and large dynamic range load and ultrasonic wave sensing technology has immediate applications in civil engineering for monitoring cracks, corrosion, and fatigue in steel and concrete structures such as bridges, freeways, and buildings. High frequency ultrasonic signal detection method development can be utilized in ultrasonic testing, medical imaging, and other non-destructive testing technology. LGR's BGA technology development can be readily incorporated into current fiber optics and optical cross-connect technology for next-generation telecommunication applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Tao of Systems Integration, Inc.
144 Research Drive
Hampton, VA 23666-1325

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Siva Mangalam
siva@taosystem.com
144 Research Drive
Hampton,  VA 23666-1325

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Micron-thin surface hot-film gages are used to develop flow-angle and airspeed sensor system (FASS). Unlike Pitot-static and other pressure-based devices, which experience serious limitations in accuracy, pneumatic lags, and frequency response in thin upper atmospheres and at low speeds, FASS will measure airspeed all the way to zero knots and flow angularity to a fraction of a degree with practically zero-lag. It will perform equally well at sea level as well at high altitudes and even in the thin Martian atmosphere with relative immunity to EMI and RFI. Calibrated hot-film gages could also be used to simultaneously obtain total temperature. FASS addresses important flight-operation and flight research problems that have crucial impact on vehicle performance, stability & control, structural loads, and pilot action. FASS will permit direct integration with aircraft avionics systems including conventional instruments used for pressure, temperature, and density measurements. Hot-film gages are coated to withstand harsh environment and for protection from rain and ice. FASS is developed both as a stand-alone probe and as an embedded, non-intrusive system. Applications include aerospace and ground vehicles, submarines, ships, and measurements in the atmosphere, ocean, and in internal flows.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
All NASA flight-testing R&D applications, from low speeds to supersonic speeds. FASS can also used for flight in Martian environment. The hardware and software methodologies developed in the project will also allow NASA to use the technology to determine the leading-edge stagnation point location at a number of span stations of rigid and flexible wings. Such an approach could be used for in-flight determination of unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments generated by lifting surfaces, to develop advanced methods for the determination of stability and control parameters, and to develop advanced closed-loop active flow control systems for improved vehicle performance, safety, and ride quality.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
FASS has many military in aerospace applications similar to NASA. In addition, FASS could be incorporated in missiles and weapons to monitor and control their trajectory. Ground vehicles like tanks require real-time data on local flow conditions (speed and angularity) to apply proper corrections before the release of ammunition. FASS could be extended to underwater applications for submarines, ships, and boats using waterproofed hot-film gages. The underlying technology could be used to develop mass flow meters for fluid transport, semi-conductor, and food processing industries.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Control Instrumentation
Testing Facilities
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Fluid Storage and Handling
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Renewable Energy
Aircraft Engines

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)
Large-scale agent systems have become a key part of in modeling and simulation tools such as NASA's Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES), an agent-based simulation of the National Airspace System (NAS). As distributed real-world systems comprised of many autonomous decision-making entities become more complex, so do their corresponding individual models and simulation systems. However, existing tools for low-level single host debugging, data and event collection and local analysis do not adequately address the problem of understanding large distributed systems consisting of thousands of autonomously executing agents. In this Phase II effort, we propose to create a comprehensive semantic debugging and knowledge discovery and analysis system for agent-based simulations called IntelliTrace. The key innovation behind semantic and model driven system analysis is that it will bridge the gap between the semantics of model execution and the resultant implementation behavior realized within a software system. We will use theses tools and capabilities to develop and demonstrate a methodology and approach for application-level analysis, knowledge and discovery and data mining and analysis.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Ongoing ACES development, ACES concept development, and the related Aces with Communications Navigation and Surveillance (AwCNS) project and follow on will both immediate benefit from the IntelliTrace tool. The proposed capability and tools have immediate usefulness to the ACES and AwCNS development teams. It can be deployed concept developers within NASA, the ACES development team headed by Raytheon, and concept developers outside NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
IAI is actively and currently using agent-based applications on development efforts in the following areas: • Modeling and simulation for ad-hoc mobile networks (Army) • Teams of underwater autonomous vehicles(Navy) • Scheduling and planning for logistics and space operations (Air Force) • Cognitive architectures simulation and modeling framework (DARPA) and ACIP Program A generalized debugging and visualization approach is considered to be of key interest of all of these Cybele agent infrastructure users as agent-based development and software engineering becomes integrated into their deployed and/or modeling and simulation efforts.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mosaic ATM, Inc.
1190 Hawling Place
Leesburg, VA 20175-5084

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steve Atkins
atkins@mosaicatm.com
3 Primrose Lane
Westford,  MA 01886-3312

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This effort undertakes the creation of an Airport Ground Resource Planning (AGRP) tool. Little or no automation is currently available to support airport ground resource allocation decisions. The AGRP tool provides visualization both of the resource assignments as well as other information relevant to making resource assignment decision. In addition, AGRP automates or advises resource assignments, improving efficiency while reducing workload. In Phase 2, we propose to continue development of the AGRP tool through four work areas. First, we will complete the map and Resource Allocation displays. We will also complete the algorithm to automate resource allocation decisions and integrate it with the displays. The resulting AGRP prototype will be evaluated operationally. We will also extend the Phase 1 work to develop a block out time predictor, which would have tremendous application and benefit in other traffic management systems. In Phase 1, we proposed an architecture in which applications such as AGRP can subscribe to receive SMS data via a standardized interface. In Phase 2 we will complete the specifications for and implementation of this interface, which will replace the existing SMS client-server communication.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The outcome of this project may be divided into two parts – enabling infrastructure and the AGRP tool. These two outcomes have different potential applications. The enabling infrastructure consists of a documented and published interface standard for receiving data from and providing data to an SMS server, along with the modifications to the SMS server to support this service. This outcome is applicable to the FAA's vision for SMS in the NAS and includes research into predicting aircraft block out times. This aspect of the AGRP work would be an outcome that NASA could sucessfully complete a technology transfer to the FAA. NASA may be interested in the research to develop robust and efficient planning algorithms as well as the human factors research of designing the AGRP user interface.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The AGRP tool consists of the displays, methods for manual entry, and algorithms for automated advisories to help manage airport ground resources. Non-NASA applications include use of AGRP outcomes by the FAA, air carriers, airport authorities, and airport ground service providers. The principal FAA application of the AGRP work will be to adopt the re-designed interface between the SMS server and SMS client as a standard. In doing so, the FAA will facilitate receiving air carrier information which benefit the FAA's goal of providing safe and efficient traffic flow. Several air carriers currently use information from the Surface Management System (SMS) to improve the efficiency of their ground operations without any automation explicitly designed for this purpose. The AGRP tool directly addresses this need. Airport authorities or ground service providers may also use AGRP where they are responsible for managing particular ground resources.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Architectures and Networks
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
AeroAstro Corporation
20145 Ashbrook Place
Ashburn, VA 20147-3373

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Frank LaRosa
frank.larosa@aeroastro.com
12672 112th St. N.
Largo,  FL 33778-1953

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Modern electronic systems tolerate only as many point failures as there are redundant system copies, using mere macro-scale redundancy. Fault Tolerant Electronics Supporting Space Exploration (FTESSE) creates an electronic design paradigm using reprogrammable FPGAs to create swappable Circuit Object Blocks (COBs) – analogous to software objects – for the first time enabling redundancy on a micro-scale. The result is an increased tolerance of point failures by several orders of magnitude over traditional approaches. In the FTESSE approach, FPGAs are partitioned into COBs (groups of gates), each performing a specific function. Bad areas can be mapped like the bad sector data on a disk drive, enabling COBs to be placed in areas of working gates to recover system performance. Hardware tested during Phase I verified point failures could be introduced into an example circuit and corrected. As in the Phase I model, circuits to be monitored reside on a Slave FPGA, and a Master FPGA monitors outputs of all COBs, sensing faults and mapping non-working gates on the Slave FPGA. The Master is a rad-hard, triple mode redundancy (TMR) FPGA, but the Slaves need not be, opening the doors to higher performance applications while maintaining high levels of fault tolerance.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Reconfigurability will benefit all missions by providing orders of magnitude more tolerance of point failures in electronic systems, including graceful degradation of electronic systems upon further unexpected damage (e.g., that incurred at launch, those from micrometeorite impacts or high-radiation environments, etc). Examples of electronic systems benefiting from this design approach are radios, flight computers, and other systems demanding the highest reliability. The requirements of moon-base missions and interplanetary travel – beginning with the Mars exploration missions – are daunting. Not only are these much longer in duration, thus increasing the likelihood of failure because of operational time alone, there will also be powerful contention over the allocation of resources and inevitable compromises that reduce the availability of spare parts. A self-diagnosing, self-repairing system will go far in insuring the success of these bold ventures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Current Military systems use various devices to destroy or damage sensitive or valuable equipment if capture is imminent. Another approach would be to use stealth via reconfigurability, effectively cloaking the hardware by reconfiguring it to perform an entirely different function than its military application. Imagine a military radio that, if captured, would simply generate random tones! Other systems benefiting include today's aircraft, which depend on high-reliability fly-by-wire systems. Critical infrastructure systems such as power plants, electrical transmission and distribution systems, financial networks and homeland security-related systems depend on 100% availability of electronic systems. Life support electronics systems are vital in our hospitals' operating rooms. Inaccessible systems, difficult to reach to perform service, may have financial motives to adopt a reliable system; and in case of failures, they can report so that repairs to a diminished but still functional system can be scheduled for repair at the most convenient time.

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

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Science and Novel Technology
27 Via Porto Grande
Rancho Palos Verdes , CA 90275-2049

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 90275-2049

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Current and future programs of near-Earth and deep space exploration require the development of faster and more reliable electronics with open system architectures that are reconfigurable, fault-tolerant, and can operate effectively for long periods of time in harsh environments. Existing data transfer systems based on passive backplanes are slow, power hungry, hardly reconfigurable, and feature high latency, limited expandability, and low radiation tolerance. During Phase I, our company has proven in computer simulations the basic concept of a radiation tolerant switching fabric backplane with reconfigurable serial interfaces. During Phase II, the company proposes to develop a functional prototype of a novel, radiation-tolerant, switching fabric with user-programmable interfaces that support either Space Wire or the company's proprietary multi-level interconnect solution. The patent-pending multi-level interconnect technique provides improved serial point-to-point link functionality including lower latency, higher speed and lower power consumption. It eliminates the requirement of the second information channel utilized in Space Wire's data-strobe encoding scheme, which can be instead used as a redundant channel to improve the system's fault tolerance. The unprecedented reliability of the developed system-on-chip is guaranteed by utilization of inherently radiation-tolerant SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistors in proprietary circuit structures that are specifically hardened to single-event effects.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The successful accomplishment of this project will result in the development of a compact radiation tolerant ASIC or MCM, which will revolutionize intra-spacecraft system development for near-Earth and deep space exploration. Only a high bandwidth, radiation-hardened, Space Wire protocol utilizing switching fabrics allows for high performance computing in space vehicles. The switching fabric's software-reconfigurable interfaces 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 application areas in NASA of 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 under the US Air Force and will have a great impact on TacSat's development. Our solution provides a scaled-down simple design that can be used and reused, which will save DOD the project development time and resources while giving system engineers plenty of flexibility in spacecraft development. The commercial version of the switching fabric will be a critical component in the upgrading of private/enterprise networks by reducing latency while transferring data from memory storage to individual users in such applications as production of motion pictures, intra-hospital networks, inventory management, the last-mile fiber-to-home concept, the oil industry, and others.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc.
535 W. Research Blvd., Suite 209
Fayetteville, AR 72701-7174

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Roberto Schupbach
marcelo@apei.net
535 W. Research Center Blvd., Suite 209
Fayetteville,  AR 72701-7174

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase I, the research team formed by APEI, Inc. and University of Arkansas proved the feasibility of developing ultra-wide temperature (-230 <SUP>o</SUP>C to +130 <SUP>o</SUP>C) motor drives utilizing silicon-germanium (SiGe) asynchronous logic digital control electronics by the successful design, simulation and layout of an insensitive-delay asynchronous microcontroller. The microcontroller incorporates asynchronous-to-synchronous and synchronous-to-asynchronous interfaces (wrappers) using an IBM SiGe 5AM process. The complete asynchronous microcontroller was successfully simulated using temperature calibrated models to -230 ºC. Electronic components needed in the development of the DC-motor power stage were first characterized down to -184 ºC and then a complete 20W DC-motor drive power stage was successfully demonstrated while operating at cryogenic temperatures and driving a Maxon RE 25 permanent magnet DC-motor at full power (This motor is currently used on the Mars Spirit and Opportunity rovers). Ultra-wide temperature power electronics system will have a profound impact on deep space exploration craft enabling greater mobility and mission lifetime. The use of ultra-wide temperature power electronics will allow increased payload capacity of Lunar and Mars exploratory craft, while improving reliability through reduced system level complexity. The goal of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to deliver, to NASA JPL, a complete DC-motor drive that is fully functional over the entire temperature range required for lunar and Martian extreme environment exploratory robotic missions (-230 ºC to +130 ºC). This cryogenic DC-motor drive will encompass a SiGe-based 8051-compatible delay-insensitive asynchronous microcontroller with significantly enhanced capabilities for the advanced control of the DC-motor drive.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The first market for this technology will be in the power electronics systems of NASA Lunar and Martian science missions and deep space exploration vehicles, including spacecraft, balloons, rockets, and aircraft. APEI, Inc. plans to develop the technology throughout Phases I, II, and III with this purpose and goal in mind. There are a wide range of NASA applications in which this technology could significantly improve performance and/or reduce launch costs. Ultra-wide temperature electronics will eliminate (or reduce) the need for thermal control reducing size, weight, and power usage. This will enable greater mobility and lifetime for surface exploration craft. This technology can be also used on space-based observatories, such as the Next-Generation Space Telescope that need actuators and drives to operate at deep cryogenic temperatures. Deep space missions would greatly benefit from high density light-weight power management and electronics systems. There are, however, a number of other applications beyond NASA that would find this technology extremely valuable.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential new applications for this technology are found in the commercial avionics, medical, and defense sectors. The avionics industry is actively pursuing the development of extreme temperature electronics for sensors, radio-frequency power amplifiers, and actuators/motor drive application. This technology has the potential of simplifying the design of the next generation of crafts and commercial satellites, expanding their current capabilities. The medical fields and the defense sectors have particular interest in extreme temperature electronics since it has the potential of impacting several areas such as magnetic resonance imaging, particle accelerators, etc. This technology can also foster other research fields such as superconducting (i.e., cryogenic) power transmission and distribution, superconducting motors and generators, etc. It should be reemphasized that APEI, Inc. is in discussion with British Aerospace regarding technology transfer for both NASA and non-NASA applications, and as such, BAE has provided a letter of support indicating their view that this is a critical technology need in the industry.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Instrumentation
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ultramet
12173 Montague Street
Pacoima, CA 91331-2210

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Gautham Ramachandran
gautham.ramachandran@ultramet.com
Ultramet
Pacoima,  CA 91331-2210

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA and DoD are seeking high-performance, lightweight liquid rocket combustion chambers with future performance goals that cannot be achieved using state-of-the-art actively cooled metallic liners, silicided C103, or even carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Ultramet has previously developed and successfully demonstrated carbon fiber-reinforced zirconium carbide (C/ZrC) and zirconium-silicon carbide (C/Zr-Si-C) matrix CMCs for use in liquid propellant applications up to 4200<SUP>o</SUP>F. In Phase I, Ultramet demonstrated the feasibility of combining the light weight of C/C with the oxidation resistance of ZrC and Zr-Si-C matrix composites in a unique system composed of a C/C primary structure with an integral CMC liner. The system effectively bridges the gap in weight and performance between coated C/C and bulk CMCs. Rapid fabrication was demonstrated through an innovative variant of Ultramet's melt infiltration refractory composite processing technology. In Phase II, Ultramet will team with ATK-GASL for process optimization, component fabrication, and comprehensive testing of lightweight, high-strength, elevated temperature oxidation-resistant liquid rocket combustion chambers. The fully developed system will have strength that is comparable to that of C/C, low density comparable to that of C/SiC, and ultrahigh temperature (>4000<SUP>o</SUP>F) oxidation stability.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed project directly targets future launch and exploration vehicle propulsion systems as potential end-use applications. More generally, the versatility of this concept makes it relevant to a variety of hot structures exposed to oxidizing environments including combustion chambers, leading edge, thermal protection system, airframe, and other propulsion components.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed refractory composite material would be directly applicable to a wide rage of aerospace and defense applications that require low-cost material possessing, ultrahigh temperature oxidation stability, high strength, and low mass. These applications include propulsion components such as combustion chambers, rocket nozzles, hot gas generators, and hot gas valves, using both liquid and solid propellants. Defense applications include the high temperature combustion environment of advanced gun barrels, where the use of C/C is desirable if survivability issues can be solved. Non-defense related uses may include components related to energy generation in which use temperature, environmental reactivity, and economy are increasingly demanding.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Ceramics
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
NEI Corporation
201 Circle Drive N., Suite 102/103
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3723

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Stein Lee
slee@neicorporation.com
201 Circle Drive N., Suite 102/103
Piscataway,  NJ 08854-3908

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Silicone coatings are the system of choice for inflatable fabrics used in several space, military, and consumer applications, including airbags, parachutes, rafts, boat sails, and inflatable shelters. Commercial silicone coatings with improved mechanical, thermal and physical gas barrier properties are needed for a broad range of space, military, and commercial applications. The phase I program has demonstrated that addition of small amounts of nanostructured additives enhances tear strength, tensile strength, and hardness without significantly degrading other important properties, thermal stability, puncture resistance and air permeability of commercial silicone coatings. It was also shown that properties of coatings are strongly correlated with the chemistry and composition of nanostructured additives. The significance of the Phase I innovation is that commercially used coating formulations were utilized as the starting material, making it easier to be adopted in practice. Success in Phase I has enabled us to put together a strong Phase II team, composed of commercial silicone coating applicators, an airbag assembly developer, and a large supplier of silicone coating formulation. The focus of the Phase II program will be to develop nanostructured additives for several different types of commercial silicone coatings to meet their specific application needs. Additionally, nanostructured additive technology will be scaled up, and prototype airbags will be fabricated.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
While silicone coatings are used in a variety of space applications, we have focused on the Airbag application because of the impending need for new airbags for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The airbags will be made of coated fabrics, and NEI's nanostructured additive will enable a stronger and more tear resistant coating on the fabrics, thereby allowing the use of lighter and thinner fabrics and coatings. In addition to airbag applications, inflatable fabrics for escape ramps, habitats, and lightweight structural components would benefit from NEI's nanostructured additive.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
By the addition of small amounts of NEI's engineered nanostructured additives, improvements in relevant mechanical properties of commercial silicone coatings can be substantially improved. This technology being developed specifically for Airbags, has several commercial implications as well. These include automotive airbags, parachutes, paragliders, boat sails, cold air inflatables, hot air balloons, and coatings for enhancing the brightness of LEDs. In each case, NEI's product is an additive that our customer will easily add to their own silicone formulation.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Inflatable
Portable Life Support
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Folded Structures Company, LLC
1142A Old York Road
Ringoes, NJ 08551-1045

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Daniel Kling
kling@netcarrier.com
1142A Old York Road
Ringoes,  NJ 08551-1045

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A recently developed mathematical folding theory has great value for deployable space structures and in situ manufacture of large beams, panels and cylinders. The new technology offers diverse capacity to design, manufacture, and self-assemble periodically folded sheet material. The range of materials includes many customized core materials for laminated panels, cellular habitat walls, structural beams, parabolic reflectors, and efficient truss systems that can be packaged ideally as a roll of sheet material and deployed in space by inflation or passive radiation. The algebraic linkage conditions on the deployment of a folded structure forms an over-constrained system of equations. The deployment kinetics are only possible due to engineered relationships between the neighboring facet geometry, and globally requires a uniform angular change in fold extension across the pattern. This implies that fixing an individual fold angle fixes all of the fold angles in its neighboring region. If the fold angles are all made rigid, then the entire structure is highly over-constrained and forms a very robust truss system. The goal is to introduce the technology by demonstrating the diversity of folding architectures that can be directly applied to deployable space structures, and by developing the associated design and simulation software to transfer this know-how to the engineering community.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed research will explore a comprehensive list of potential applications for this innovative materials technology including deployable structures, habitats and in situ manufacturing. This technique will permit the merger of the deployable structure with the surface covering that has been folded to reduce its storage volume. Essentially, the structural frame and the skin become one and the same. Folded materials can be integrated into space structures as rigid panels, box beams, I-beams, large rings, large cylinders, and large tori. The key logistical advantages include structures that transport in a compact, low volume configuration; assemblies that self-deploy; and elements that can be easily manufactured in space. Deployment strategies can be designed and controlled through the manipulations of the mathematical algorithms that describe the folding patterns. Other applications include stretchable fabrics, self-assembling nano-devices, self-correcting parabolic dishes, and self-healing multi-laminate flexible cloth for space suits.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Kraft paper cores based on these folding techniques could yield a superior product to corrugated cardboard. Multi-layer paper blocks could replace Styrofoam for use in space-filling and shock absorbing. For aerospace, the folded materials could improve upon existing honeycomb cores which are used throughout any aircraft in the floors and airframe. In the civil infrastructure, doubly periodic folded steel sheets are stronger than comparable corrugated structures, and will significantly improve concrete floors. For aging bridges, the deteriorating concrete decks will be replaced by lightweight composite structures. For the transportation industry, aluminum or steel folded tessellations in flat laminated panels could be used for high strength but lightweight truck beds or automobile floors, to give resilient strength to the frame while also serving to dampen the overall vehicle vibrations. The lightweight strength and energy absorbing properties are also suited for bumpers, hoods and crash protection. The configurations can also be designed to absorb or reflect electro-magnetic waves.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Solar
Airframe
Erectable
Inflatable
Kinematic-Deployable
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Structural Modeling and Tools
Suits
Ceramics
Composites
Computational Materials
Metallics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Organics/Bio-Materials
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Microwave Power Technology
1280 Theresa Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008-6833

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 innovation proposed here focuses on cleansing air with high energy electrons. Bombardment by electrons has proven to be effective in removing a wide spectrum of chemical and biological pollutants. Electron beam systems have a significant advantage over conventional VOC and odor control technologies. The process requires less energy than other purification methods, generates no additional CO2, requires no additional reagents and does not produce any solid or hazardous waste. We propose to develop an e-beam source to meet the restrictive cost, weight and reliability requirements attendant to commercial passenger aircraft and manned space exploration. The key to this transition is to replace the thermionic cathode electron emitter with a carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission cathode. During Phase 1 we completed a design of an e-beam system suitable for maintaining air purity for an enclosed four men space station. The system is compact, light weight and will fit readily in line with an air conditioning duct. In Phase II, we will detail the design, and build a prototype of the e-beam system. That e-beam source can also be use for decontaminating small widely distributed pollution sources, such as small paint shops, gas stations, and restaurants.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
E-beam technology is highly effective in both purification and sterilization. A CNT cold cathode based electron beam system would be particular suitable for space applications because it is rugged, light weighted and compact in size, in comparison with a thermionic e-beam system. Direct NASA applications includes: a) purifying air in lunar and planetary exploration bases, orbiting space stations and long duration space missions; b) eliminating toxic products from, or, enhancing chemical reactions in space based manufacturing; and c) sterilization of material to be returned to earth or taken to space from earth. The e-beam requires only electricity that is available from either solar or nuclear batteries that are available power sources in space. In addition, it requires no expendable reagents to be transported with it and it does not generate large quantities of waste that cannot be released into the environment.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Thermionic e-beam technology is being used for non-burning destruction of chemical and biological pollutants, such as MPTB from unlead gasoline, gas fume from petroleum refineries, and odoriferous toxic compounds from hospital wastes. Replacing the thermionic cathode with a CNT cold cathode has the potential of significantly reducing the cost of the technology and simplifying the design of the system. A low cost and compact CNT cold cathode e-beam system also make it possible to apply the technology to smaller, but significant, and widely distributed pollution sources such as small paint shops, gas stations, restaurants, hospitals, small industrial boilers, emissions from dirt burners, and odors from drying manure and feedlots, et al.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MER Corporation
7960 S. Kolb Road
Tucson, AZ 85706-9237

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Withers
jcwithers@mercorp.com
7960 S. Kolb Rd.
Tucson,  AZ 85706-9237

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The completed Phase I work was directed at the application of nanotechnology to graphite/epoxy composites. A novel approach to the application of the nanotubes onto the carbon fiber surface was investigated. As a result, a very significant increase in compressive strength of 120% was attained, compared with 20% reported in the literature. The Phase II builds on the success of the Phase I. It will address the key issues of scale-up, reproducibility and component fabrication. The batch fiber coating process employed in the Phase I will be replaced with a continuous fiber coating process. Manual pre-pregging of the Phase I will be replaced with a continuous pre-pregging process. Specific CEV type composite applications will be identified. Subsequently, a cost/benefit ratio for CEV will be provided.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The key emphasis of this proposal is the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). In addition, all spacecraft systems can directly benefit from this work.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The non-NASA commercial applications include: commercial aircraft, racing cars, speed boats and sporting goods.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

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)
Jennifer Lalli
jlalli@nanosonic.com
1485 South Main Street
Blacksburg,  VA 24060-5556

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NanoSonic has developed revolutionary nanostructured, yet macroscale, multifunctional Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> films. In support of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration, low cost Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> freestanding or conformal skins are being optimized as protective coatings for human and robotic space exploration. Specifically, ultra-lightweight, nanostructured coatings with protection against electrostatic charging, abrasion and radiation over a wide range of mechanical and thermal fluctuations are offered. Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> is fabricated via layer-by-layer, molecular self-assembly, which enables thickness and placement control over multiple constituents for true nanostructured multifunctionality (nm scale), although advanced polymers have allowed scale-up to free-standing thick films (several mm thick, at less than 1 g/cc). Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> is not a conducting polymer or a sputter coated polymer film, rather a freestanding nanocomposite formed in situ, due to chemically reacting monolayers of nanosized components, eliminates residual stress between each component. Novel, ultra-low modulus Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> can be strained to > 1000% elongation while remaining electrically conductive; and returns to its original shape and nominal conductivity when released. Bulk resistivity (as low as 10-5 &#937;&#8729;cm), shielding (up to -70dB), and mechanical moduli (0.1 MPa to 500 MPa) have been demonstrated. Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> requires less than 1 vol% of metal, allowing the manufacturing a cost effective, advanced material.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications for Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> include ultra-lightweight protective coatings against electrostatic charging, EMI, radiation, and abrasion. Low modulus Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> can also function as conducting electrodes for high strain mechanical actuator and sensor devices, and as low-weight, electrically conductive and mechanically flexible coatings for systems requiring physically-robust electromagnetic shielding, ground planes or electrical interconnection.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA specific applications for Metal Rubber<SUP>TM</SUP> include lead-free material to replace conventional tin-lead solders for the mechanical, electrical and thermal interconnection of electronic and mechanical components. Such materials may also be used in high performance, highly flexible and mechanically robust electronic flex circuits, flexible displays and smart electronic fabrics.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Inflatable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
CFD Research Corporation
215 Wynn Drive
Huntsville, AL 35805-1926

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Significant improvements in photovoltaic materials and systems are required to enable NASA future exploration missions. In this project, CFD Research Corporation (CFDRC) with University of California Riverside (UCR), Rochester Institute of Technology, and International Photonics will: 1) develop and provide reliable, validated computational tools for assessment, design, and optimization of novel nanostructures based on Quantum Dots (QD) for future nano-devices for space applications; 2) investigate, design, and demonstrate new photovoltaic (PV) structures based on QD nanotechnology, with improved efficiency and radiation hardness. The inherently radiation tolerant quantum dots of variable sizes maximize absorption of different light wavelengths ("multicolor" cell), which dramatically improves photovoltaic efficiency and diminishes the radiation-induced degradation. Phase 1 included development of numerical tools for modeling electron-phonon transport in quantum-dot for photovoltaic applications, using experimental data from UCR Nano-Device Laboratory for validation and calibration of the models, computational and experimental proof-of-concept. In Phase 2, the new QD models will be integrated into CFDRC's advanced photonic-electronic device simulator and used for further optimization of QD superlattices. Novel QD photovoltaic nano-engineered materials and designs will be down-selected for further development to the point of testable prototypes. They will be fabricated and demonstrated by detailed electrical characterization and radiation testing.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA future exploration missions require improvements in solar cell efficiency and radiation hardness. Novel nano-engineered materials and multi-quantum-dot photovoltaic devices promise to deliver more efficient, lightweight solar cells and arrays which will be of extreme value to NASA space missions. The new modeling and simulation tools for quantum-dot-based nanostructures will help NASA to: - better understand and predict behavior of nano-devices and novel materials in space environment; - assess technologies, devices, and materials of new electronic systems; - better evaluate the performance and radiation response at early design stage; - set requirements for hardening and testing; reduce the amount of testing cost and time.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
All satellites, military and commercial, suffer from solar cell degradation due to the effects of radiation. The higher efficiency of the novel quantum-dot solar cells will increase capacity of the solar array at the beginning of life (BOL) to compensate for the degradation at the end of life (EOL), to maintain the minimal requirements of the spacecraft. Retarding the degradation will have substantive impact on the size and weight of the solar arrays for both military as well as civilian commercial space systems. The inherently radiation tolerant quantum dots will lead to more robust space defense systems. The new, more accurate modeling and simulation tools for Quantum-Dots based photonic devices will enable better understanding, analysis, and design of novel materials and nano-devices for aerospace systems and their radiation-response. The modeling and design tools will provide reduction in cost and time-to-market through significantly reduced experimental R&D, design cycle, and laboratory testing time and cost.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Photovoltaic Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Sunpower, Inc.
182 Mill Street
Athens, OH 45701-2627

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Seon-Young Kim
kim@sunpower.com
6773 Beechwood Dr.
Athens,  OH 45701-3532

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed effort will result in a design of a 30 kWe dual opposed alpha free-piston Stirling engine power conversion system for space applications, and provide proof of concept by the operation of a practical alpha engine. The stepped piston three-cylinder alpha FPSE has shown the highest efficiency and excellent specific power among various engines studied in Phase I. In addition, the three phase electric output of a three-cylinder machine is naturally better in the system context. Thus a high efficiency 15 kWe stepped three-cylinder alpha FPSE will be designed for a 30 kWe dual opposed operation by having two engines connected for perfect balancing in all harmonics. The program minimizes the development risks by combining proven technologies of Sunpower and Global Cooling Manufacturing Inc. (GCM). GCM has achieved the successful operation of a four-cylinder alpha free-piston Stirling cooler.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The resulting convertor will give spacecraft designers the option of utilizing a 1) compact, low mass, and highly efficient power supply, 2) a power supply module that can be clustered together to provide higher power levels, 3) a power supply which can be adapted to both space and planetary atmospheres via simple changes to the gas management system with no impact on the operation of the critical dynamic components inside the convertor, and 4) a controller design philosophy that allows the system to be easily adapted to varying mission requirements. Such a system is extensible to several areas of NASA's power generation needs including electric propulsion, robotic rovers, and backup power supplies for human surface expeditions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to the space applications which this proposal addresses directly, there is a significant potential market for commercial power generation, particularly in light of increasing attention to the environmental cost of fuel consumption and the new stringent fuel emissions regulations in some areas of the world. Sunpower licensee MicroGen, for example, has determined a substantial European and worldwide market for household cogeneration devices. Additionally there are numerous opportunities for remote and mobile power generation applications, including the marine market, auxiliary power markets, remote power generation, standby emergency power generation, peaking generation, truck-mounted power, power for oil and gas fields and other exploratory and off-grid sites.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Nuclear Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Thermodynamic Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ElectroChem, Inc.
400 West Cummings Park
Woburn, MA 01801-6519

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Pien, Ph.D.
mpien@fuelcell.com
400 West Cummings Park
Woburn,  MA 01844-6519

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ElectroChem proposes a Phase II program to advance its very successful SBIR Phase I PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) program. In Phase I, the unique integrated-flow-field design (IFF) has been shown to provide highly superior passive water management that results in a H2/O2 PEMFC that is gravity independent, achieves higher voltage efficiencies than conventional PEMFC designs, can be operated safely at high pressure (with resulting higher efficiencies), will enable passive operation, and requires extremely low excess O2 to maintain stable operation. The Phase II Program will bring ElecroChem's IFF PEMFC concept to the threshold of commercialization. In Phase II, scale-up and IFF optimization will be carried out. For complete passive operation, stack systems will incorporate an ejector to produce the low reactant flows and for product water removal. High performance membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) will be developed. These Ph II efforts will produce a 250W IFF stack deliverable that will be integrated directly into NASA's Exploration Energy Storage Plan. The use of the IFF innovation will significantly simplify PEMFC operation and will result in higher and safer performance. Specifically, for space applications, the higher voltage efficiencies produced and the lower excess O2 required by the IFF will result in significantly lower fuel cell power plant weight.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The IFF innovation represents a substantial breakthrough in PEMFC technology that will be capable of meeting a very wide range of NASA applications for years to come. In the near term, the successful completion of Ph II will enable the IFF to meet NASA's critical need for Lunar-type-Rovers (approximately 50-500W) over the next ten years. When the time comes, the IFF will be ready to meet NASA's need for a replacement fuel cell power plant (approximately 15 kW) for the successor to the Shuttle. And after NASA returns to the Moon and establishes a permanent presence there, it will have a need for a power system (approximately 25kW) that can meet the Moon's 14 day-long and 14 night-long unique requirements. The IFF, with its superior characteristics has the potential of meeting this future critical NASA need via a Regenerative Fuel Cell based upon the IFF concept.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The fact that the IFF fuel cell innovation will significantly simplify PEMFC operation and result in both higher and safer performance makes the IFF very attractive for a wide variety of non-NASA Commercial applications. In the near-term, its unique passive operation and exceptional stability (outside the normal range of PEMFC operating conditions) makes the IFF ideal for powering remote applications like monitors and sensors, which require very high reliability. Following scale-up and optimization, the IFF concept, applied to the regenerative fuel cell, will be able to meet the growing needs for reliable, non-polluting, and very versatile Uninterruptible Power Systems (in the range of 4-8 kW). And, following further development, the IFF will be able to replace conventional PEMFC systems in satisfying the special requirements of transportation applications, including passenger cars (50 kW and up).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Energy Storage
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Wireless Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
30 Forbes Road, Building B
Northborough, MA 01532-2501

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Roxana Trifu
rtrifu@aerogel.com
30 Forbes Road, Building B
Northborough,  MA 01532-2501

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Sprayable Thermal Insulation for Cryogenic Tanks (STICT) is a thermal management system applied by either an automated or manual spraying process with less sensitivity to process chemistry and environmental parameters than current spray-on foam insulations (SOFI) like BX-265, while providing better insulation performance. The sprayable insulation based on aerogel forms an aerodynamically smooth, uniform coating with better cohesion and lower thermal conductivity. Aerogel sprayed insulation has shown in Phase I better thermal performance than polyurethane spray-on foam insulation at similar or lower areal densities. Application of thinner layers of insulation combined with greater material resistance to cracking and debonding will eliminate the generation of in-flight debris. Minimization of volatile gas blowing agents and organic components will reduce gas expansion through intracellular pressures and reduces the risk posed by shedding events during ascent. The proposed sprayable insulation can render future space transportation systems safer and more reliable. Addressing lower temperature requirements of the thermal protection system, lightweight hybrid aerogel sprayable compositions will be developed. Hybrid aerogels with various dopants will be synthesized for better compatibility with the binders or organic foams. For the most stringent thermal and mechanical loads silica aerogel– silica foams will be developed as sprayable insulation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
STICT would replace some of the spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) products used on launch vehicles employing cryogenic propellants. In this application, it would exhibit higher thermal performance and mechanical durability than competing systems. Most importantly, it would minimize in-flight debris shedding, thereby improving the safety and reliability of US space transportation. The sprayable insulation can also be sprayed onto cryogenic feeding pipelines, elbows or other systems necessitating thermal protection and are difficult to insulate otherwise.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to benefiting the NASA space flight program STICT will fill application needs in commercial markets. STICT will compete against polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams. Subsea oil and gas pipelines, fuel cell systems, and LNG transport ships will benefit from adopting STICT insulation. The foamed plastic industry is the fastest growth potential area for insulative materials. This market is carried by the non-residential construction market (nearly 50%), followed by miscellaneous applications, residential construction, and industrial and HVAC equipment. The industry is experiencing growth in advanced technology application, such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs). Although these markets are relatively small, they are experiencing rapid growth from their small initial base.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Thermal Insulating Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
HyPerComp Engineering, Inc.
1080 North Main, Suite #2
Brigham City, UT 84302-0505

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ryan Noorda
ryann@hypercompeng.com
1080 North Main, Suite #2
Brigham City,  UT 84302-1470

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The intent of the proposed effort is to investigate the detailed composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) performance characteristics after being subject to irradiation, hypervelocity micro-meteor impact, and cryogenic environments. This will result in a safer, more reliable design for high performance COPVs. This intent will be achieved via empirical characterization of composite raw materials subsequent to exposure of the aforementioned environments. Phase I of this effort (NASA contract #NNM06AA56C) demonstrated a significant reduction in structural performance following exposure to various combinations of the aforementioned environments. This reduction in structural performance would seriously compromise the structural performance of any composite structure to be utilized in deep space applications. The data proposed in this effort would be extremely useful to NASA in what might be used in the upcoming CEV and CONSTELLATION missions. The aerospace and the commercial communities have shown significant interest in using filament wound COPVs for cryogenic applications. In addition there is serious consideration for using COPVs in deep space exploration which would sustain significant radiation exposure and possible impact damage. Constituent raw materials and existing COPV designs have not been characterized for the coupled effects of these applications and as such the safety margins for these applications are undefined. Therefore, the reliability of such usage is unknown.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications for the research proposed herein would include the following: • Cost efficient cryogenic storage vessels. These vessels could be utilized as both earth-based and space-based cryogenic storage vessels. • Habitat structures. The research proposed herein is applicable to space-based habitat and other structures manufactured with fiber-reinforced composite material. • Volumetric efficient cryogenic storage vessels. HEI's high pressure storage systems are highly volumetric efficient. • Reliable, long system life cryogenic storage. HEI have successfully designed, manufactured, and cycle tested COPVs with up to 20,000 cycles. • Space-based cryogenic COPVs. It is probable that COPVs utilized in space will experience impact damage due to micrometeoroids and other space debris and it is certain that the COPVs will experience radiation damage. The research proposed herein will assist the COPV designer by identifying the coupled effects of hypervelocity impact damage, cryogenic temperatures, and irradiation – thus developing mechanical property allowables for the designer.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications for the research proposed would include the following: • LH2 fuel cell. HEI is currently executing a contract for LH2 storage for a vehicle application. This research will aid the mobile fuel cell industry safety and reliability. • Vehicular CNG storage. The research proposed herein will aid the safety and reliability of the CNG vehicle market. • Marine-transport of propane. The research proposed herein will develop knowledge and data applicable to transporting propane in tanker ships. • Environmentally-friendly earth-based cryogenic fluid storage. Composite structures do not react to environmental corrosion as do the typical cost efficient metals such as steel. • Safer earth-based cryogenic fluid storage. Due to the high strength of composite materials, little raw material is required to perform draconian structural feats when compared to typical cost efficient metals. Therefore, the manufacturing and movement of large COPVs is much less expensive and much safer.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Tankage
Fluid Storage and Handling
Instrumentation
Production
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Big Horn Valve, Inc.
1664 Terra Avenue #5
Sheridan, WY 82801-5018

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Zachary Gray
zg@WyomingSilicon.com
1664 Terra Ave #5
Sheridan,  WY 82801-4213

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Two cryogenic flow-control valves of diameters 1/2" and 2" will be built and tested. Based on cryogenically-proven Venturi Off-Set Technology (VOST) they have no stem-actuator, few moving parts, and an overall cylindrical shape. Intended to demonstrate a breakthrough in cryogenic flow control, VOST provides precise linear flow control across its entire dynamic range, holds position without power and requires low actuation energy.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Future spaceport systems, advanced cryocoolers, launch vehicles, high-pressure flow-control valves for engine testing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Petroleum refining, specialty chemical production, industrial flow-control valves, high purity pharmacuetical production and food processing equipment.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Micro Thrusters
Propellant Storage
Feed System Components
Fluid Storage and Handling
Manned-Manuvering Units

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Collier Research & Development Corporation
45 Diamond Hill Road
Hampton, VA 23666-6016

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Phil Yarrington
phil.yarrington@hypersizer.com
45 Diamond Hill Rd
Hampton,  VA 23666-6016

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The innovation of the proposed effort is a unique automated process for the analysis, design, and sizing of CLV/CEV composite and metallic structures. This developed process will permit hundreds of conceptual and preliminary design trade studies to be performed in a matter of only a few days rather than several months. This shorter time is made possible by replacing or reducing currently required experienced analyst interaction (man in the loop) with predefined knowledge based sizing templates for laminate strength and producibility optimization. Innovative virtual structural component definitions that 'float' between automatic HyperSizer to FEA iteration cycles redefine acreage surfaces areas while simultaneously including connecting bonded/bolted joints. The resulting capability will be an open architecture built within the HyperSizer<SUP>REG</SUP> commercial software suitable for internally integrating NASA or industry developed specialty discipline analysis codes and externally integrating HyperSizer with NASA larger design systems. This new capability will be unique in that no other commercial or non-commercial tool will have the same level of depth, breadth, accuracy, speed, verification & validation, and software robustness for performing weight prediction and reduction, structural integrity margins-of-safety reporting, and reliability prediction and improvement.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA Research and Flight Centers: Active CEV (Orion) and CLV 2nd stage (Ares) NASA users include at Langley primarily the Vehicle Analysis Branch, Structural Mechanics Branch, Computational Structures and Materials Branch, Structural & Thermal Systems Branch; at Marshall a large group of branches that include both the analysis and design groups, at Glenn the Life Prediction Branch, and at Johnson the Structures and Mechanics division. Industry: HyperSizer has and is currently being used by both Boeing/Northrop Grumman and the Lockheed Martin teams for their CEV designs and by ATK for their CLV 1st stage solid rocket booster skirts and frustum. The listed innovative new capabilities proposed in the work plan are direct requests from these companies and from our existing NASA users for application to their CLV/CEV trade studies that include cryogenic tanks, intertanks, interstages, skirts, frustums, service module, crew module, and launch abort system, etc.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA applications: Boeing's commercial transport 787, pylon integration, and vertical fin and 737RS wing box; Goodrich's 787 and A350 complete engine nacelles and thrust reversers, Northrop Grumman's UAVs such as J-UCAS, and composite ship superstructures, space launch structures; Lockheed Martin's F-22, C-130J, and space launch vehicles; Gulfstream's general aviation and new supersonic aircraft, Pratt Whitney's Hypersonic engines, and Scaled Composite's experimental planes and spacecraft, and the Air Force new Hybrid Launch Vehicle flight demonstrator.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Airframe
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Simulation Modeling Environment
Reuseable
Thermal Insulating Materials
Structural Modeling and Tools
Tankage
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Ceramics
Composites
Computational Materials
Metallics
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Time Rover, Inc.
11425 Charsan Lane
Cupertino, CA 95014-4981

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Doron Drusinsky
nasa_sbir@time-rover.com
11425 Charsan Lane
Cupertino,  CA 95014-4981

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal is for the creation of a system-level software specification and verification tool. This proposal suggests a major leap-forward in usability of modeling, code generation, Runtime Verification (RV), and Automatic Test Generation (ATG) from the component-level to the system-level. 1. We will create a specification and run-time verification environment for system-level specifications using J-MSC assertions and distributed assertions. J-MSC assertions are a UML-based system-level formal specification language. In phase-I we demonstrated J-MSC assertion and distributed assertion specification and monitoring. In phase-II we will construct an editor, code-generator, and run-time monitor for J-MSC assertions and for distributed assertions. 2. We will create system-level verification environment, compliant with the de-facto JUnit testing framework, including: • RV of J-MSC assertions for system verification combined with statechart-assertions for the component level. • RV of distributed assertions. • System-level white-box ATG of UML controller models and assertions: white-box ATG for a plurality controller modules and for a plurality of controller instances. • Combined black-box/Matlab and white-box ATG, with support for both open-loop and closed loop techniques. • White-box ATG based on real-time contracts of system components.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA/JPL relies heavily on Matlab for system modeling. On the other hand, existing tools and techniques for robust and scalable software verification are primarily component-level. In fact, the prevailing NASA organizational approach separates Matlab modeling from embedded-software development and verification, with separate teams working on those respective issues. Robust system-level verification that is also combined with Matlab environment data will provide significant improvement to the level of NASA's system and software safety in two respects: (i) raising the level of specification and verification from the component-level to the verification-level, and (ii) real-life Matlab environment models created by the Matlab modeling team will be usable in conjunction with robust formal methods for the verification of embedded software.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Time Rover's component-level, UML-based, modeling, specification, RV, and WBATG, are already commercially successful. For example, the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) project is using our tools instead of their initial plans to use IBM/Rational Rose Real-time. Time Rover's tools are the only such tools that have been successful on a commercial basis. The BMD is distributed in nature and therefore deserves system-level specification and verification techniques that rise above the component level, as suggested by this proposal. In addition, we see an emerging market of V&V of safety critical applications, which include: DoD related projects (automated army and navy safety critical embedded software control), civilian aerospace avionics and air-traffic control, railway control, and power generation and distribution control.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
S&K Technologies, Inc.
56 Old Highway 93 North, Box 339
St. Ignatius, MT 59865-0339

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Carroll Thronesbery
carroll.g.thronesbery@nasa.gov
201 Flint Ridge Plaza, Ste 102
Webster,  TX 77598-4362

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The purpose of this project is to develop a storyboard tool to assist with the generation, verification, and refinement of storyboard information and its subsequent translation into model data for systems analysis and design tools. The most important contribution is an improved communication of the concept of operation between prospective customers and system developers. It addresses the difficulty of communicating highly technical information among specialized engineering groups so that the concept of operations illustrated by the storyboard accommodates the consideration of context of use, user task performance, and effective application of new technologies. This difficulty is especially pronounced when the user's tasks are unusual (space operations) and the technology to support the task is novel (autonomous software with which humans interact and monitor). Communication is enhanced by focusing on the common language of storyboard sketches and related categories of information describing them. The storyboard tool will help authors manage versions of storyboards to track alternate approaches for human task support and to maintain libraries of storyboards from previous systems. After assisting with the creation of storyboards and refining them in concurrent engineering sessions, the tool will assist in translating the storyboard information into data forms importable by analysis tools used by NASA systems engineers.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Since most new NASA systems can benefit from storyboards and prototypes, the storyboard tool can provide valuable assistance to a large number of NASA system acquisition projects. Particular attention will be paid to Exploration Systems projects because of the principal investigator's association with an ongoing NASA study of tools to support human factors engineering participation in the early systems analysis for Exploration Systems. Consequently, the storyboarding tool should be particularly applicable to Exploration Systems early analysis activities. However, it is also expected to generalize quite well to a wide span of NASA analyses to support system acquisition.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA applications that could benefit from using the storyboard tool include military system acquisitions and early systems analysis for commercial applications. S&K Technologies has a number of projects associated with military system acquisition, and the principal investigator has a background involving system acquisition for the Army, including some MANPRINT and human factors engineering experience. Consequently, S&K Technologies has experience marketing software and analysis services to military customers. For commercial customers, our marketing strategy includes: • Bundling the toolkit with examples showing commercial applications • Demonstrating at trade shows and conferences • Internet advertising • Trade magazine advertising

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interfaces

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Stottler Henke Associates, Inc.
951 Mariner's Island Blvd., Suite 360
San Mateo, CA 94404-2627

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Stottler
stottler@stottlerhenke.com
951 Mariner's Island Blvd., Ste. 360
San Mateo,  CA 94404-1585

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose to develop the Intelligent, Semi-Automated Procedure Aid (ISAPA) intended for use by International Space Station (ISS) ground controllers to increase the efficiency and safety of flight operations while reducing costs for NASA. ISAPA is innovative in that it is centered on a "person-in-the-loop" approach to automation. While ISAPA executes procedures, it asks the user for confirmations, decisions and allows the user to easily override. To increase situational awareness, the aid clearly presents, through notifications and advanced visualizations, what is being performed. The second major innovation is ISAPA's intuitive authoring tool which enables controllers (without programming skills) to build new and modify existing semi-automated procedures using drag-and-drop graphical widgets. As space station construction progresses and procedures change, authoring utilities allow the straightforward updating of procedures. ISAPA also supports gradual procedure automation, allowing flight controllers to migrate a manual procedure towards automation as confidence is gained. The system will integrate with existing mission control center systems, specifically: "Thin Layer" for sending commands, "Information Sharing Protocol" for receiving telemetry, and use official formats, such as "PRL", for persisting procedure data. ISAPA will also include a simulator to assist in the validation process of procedures. During Phase I, Stottler Henke developed a prototype of the ISAPA execution tool, authoring tool and simulation tools while constructing two sample procedures based on real-life controller procedures. During Phase II, Stottler Henke will develop a full ISAPA system ready for integration into the ISS MCC. Special emphasis will be placed on compliance with NASA ground console software certification. ISAPA technologies from the Technology Taxonomy are Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interfaces from the Information section.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will help NASA create and use intelligent job aids that help ground controllers perform ISS complex procedures more quickly, with fewer errors. As the technology is accepted, ISAPA could be applied to other NASA domains: it can help crews carry out a wide range of procedural tasks such as payload operations; medical operations; and equipment maintenance, diagnosis, and repair. Its extensible architecture will enable integration of application-specific software to support gradual or immediate procedure automation of diverse tasks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will also be targeted toward satellite operations, Naval ship operations, maintenance, and damage control and could also be used by corporations to help their employees, customers, suppliers, value-added resellers, and other partner companies carry out procedural tasks such as performing common tasks using software or hardware products or manufacturing equipment; and maintaining, diagnosing and repairing equipment.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Computer System Architectures
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Innosense, LLC
2531 West 237th Street, Suite 127
Torrance, CA 90505-5245

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Kisholoy Goswami
kisholoy.goswami@innosense.us
2531 West 237th Street, Suite 127
Torrance,  CA 90505-5245

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Spaceports, spacecrafts for planetary missions, future projects on the moon and mars – they all need to monitor mission critical propellants. This project established the feasibility of a tapered optical fiber-based sensor (TOFS) that can be fitted into narrow orifices of plumbing junctions to detect the leakage of cryogenic fluids such as hydrogen. Complete reversibility and response/recovery time of less than 30 seconds for the hydrogen sensor were demonstrated in Phase I. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirmed that the sensor suffered no degradation upon soaking in liquid nitrogen (LN2, 77 K). Tests with LH2 will be conducted in Phase II. The underlying sensor technology will support NASA goal of reducing vehicle and payload cost, and increase safety of operations by measuring hydrogen in real-time and in situ. A prototype device will be engineered, field-tested and delivered to NASA in Phase II establishing technical maturity approaching TRL 6. InnoSense LLC has received a strong endorsement letter from a major Aerospace company in support of the project. InnoSense LLC has also received Phase III follow-on funding commitment totaling $500,000 from commercialization partners. An engineering team having 80 person-years of cumulative experience in developing commercially viable products has been assembled for this project.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA and its contractors will benefit from this project. Currently, Mass spectrometer (MS) is widely used on and around launch vehicles to detect hazardous gas. An MS can detect gases with ultrahigh sensitivity, specificity, and speed. MS requires a skilled operator, an air-conditioned room, vibration free environment, and frequent calibrations. Samples are brought to the instrument creating a time lag for leak detection. During intense solar activity, an MS can experience an "overload" condition, leading to a possible malfunction at a critical time. The real time and in situ measurement capabilities of the TOFS system will complement mass spectrometer. TOFS will also be able to phase out MS for exploratory missions. The entry market for the hydrogen sensor includes the spaceport facilities. Hydrogen is stored and transported in pressure vessels or transmitted by pipeline to the point of end-use. Being a very small molecule, hydrogen is prone to leakage through seals and joints, and even through the pipeline material (hydrogen-induced embrittlement). This leakage creates an explosive atmosphere for concentrations between 4% (v/v) – the lower explosive limit (LEL) and 74.5% (v/v) – the upper explosive limit (UEL) at room temperature and pressure. Early detection of hydrogen leakage, therefore, is of extreme importance for reasons of safety, reliability, and economy.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Other applications for downstream market entry include: (a) Stationary fuel cells, (b) Vehicular fuel cells, (c) Portable fuel cells, and (d) Process control industries. InnoSense LLC recognizes that each application holds potential for successful market entry, and we plan to pursue these markets. The hydrogen sensor market is still emerging. The transition from fossil fuel into a hydrogen economy could push the $120,000,000 market today into annual sales as high as $1,800, 000,000 by 2010 for hydrogen safety sensing according to current available estimates. Hydrogen feed stock sensors, needed to manage gas flow and purity, will further increase the demand for sensors. Consulting the Thomas Register, a business directory, we have identified 119 companies in North America engaged in the production, storage and transportation of hydrogen gas. These companies would be our potential customers for the downstream market. The hydrogen economy represents a growth market, and at present, there is no market leader. New customers and competitors are expected to enter the market constantly. Because TOFS incorporates innovative technology, we expect our market penetration to be slow initially. Over a five year period, we expect our market share to be 60% overall.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
High Energy Propellents (Recombinant Energy & Metallic Hydrogen)
Launch Assist (Electromagnetic, Hot Gas and Pneumatic)
Monopropellants
Propellant Storage
Tethers
Mobility
Perception/Sensing
Control Instrumentation
Airlocks/Environmental Interfaces
Launch and Flight Vehicle
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Cooling
Reuseable
Structural Modeling and Tools
Tankage
Feed System Components
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomolecular Sensors
Sterilization/Pathogen and Microbial Control
Waste Processing and Reclamation
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Fluid Storage and Handling
Instrumentation
Production
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Biochemical
Optical
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Portable Life Support
Tools
Mission Training
Highly-Reconfigurable
Photonics
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
In-situ Resource Utilization
Microgravity
Ceramics
Composites
Computational Materials
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Combustion
Energy Storage
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Aircraft Engines

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Orion Propulsion, Inc.
105 A-4 Commerce Circle
Madison, AL 35758-1863

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Timothy Pickens
tpickens@orionpropulsion.com
105 A-4 Commerce Circle
Madison,  AL 35758-1863

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Two main innovations will be developed in the Phase II effort that are fundamentally associated with our gaseous oxygen/gaseous methane RCS thruster. The first innovation is that of an integrated torch igniter/injector which, provides simple and reliable ignition for the thruster. The second innovation is the thruster's capability to operate with both gaseous and liquid propellants. This innovation enables greater system flexibility that is inherent in the capacity to function over a much wider range of operating conditions. Orion has been approached by several prospective customers concerning affordable, reusable thrusters. In the current commercial market, this does not exist and the commercial sector cannot afford traditional propulsion solutions. For this reason, Orion started developing a thruster that offers the following features: • Provides an affordable solution as compared to what is currently available • Uses a different manned approach since it is reusable • Uses a modular design, which allows for the robust inspection and replacement of parts • Uses green propellants and capitalizes on in situ propellant production • Provides greater system flexibility since it operates with both liquid and gaseous propellants Not only does the gas/gas operation of the thruster attract companies such as t/Space and Bigleow Aerospace, but its liquid/liquid operation broadens this customer base and makes this design applicable to NASA programs such as the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's ambitious Exploration Initiative will demand significant advancements in propulsion technology for both main and reaction control applications. Our oxygen/methane thruster will provide a significant advancement in the area of RCS technology. We see this thruster finding applications for a number of exploration missions such as RCS for trans-lunar system architectures, station-keeping, and Mars exploration programs which take advantage of in-situ propellant manufacturing. This thruster effort will demonstrate advances in multi-phase propellant operation, and improved overall reliability.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
While applications for NASA programs are manifold, the potential for Non-NASA applications appears to offer even greater potential. The rapid growth of the nascent commercial space sector will continue to expand in the coming decades. This industry can be even more demanding in terms of technological advancement, and for an even wider range of propulsion applications. Furthermore, the development schedule for commercial applications will be much shorter. For these reasons, we believe that the development of our oxygen/methane thruster will put us in a good position to meet the needs of the commercial sector. Example applications include RCS propulsion for commercial-off-the-shelf systems, already on the drawing boards, RCS for private space structures, such as Bigelow's Orbiting Space Structures, as discussed in foregoing section 7, as well as others that are just now being conceptualized.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Combustion Research and Flow Technology
6210 Kellers 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)
The proposed effort addresses a current need for high fidelity simulation tools to support the design and analysis of combustion devices for the Constellation program and Exploration Mission that includes earth-to-orbit, upper stage, as well as in-space propulsion systems. Injector designs are a critical component of robust thrust chamber assembly designs since they impact combustion chamber instability and its transient response. Inadequate injector designs have been the cause of major failures during engine development of all earlier liquid rocket systems including the SSME; the root cause for this may be attributed to the use of relatively simple empirically based, one-dimensional tools in the design process that are incapable of identifying localized failures driven by three-dimensional geometry and physics effects. The proposed three-dimensional, CFD tool will focus on rigorous modeling of the mixing and combustion processes in cryogenic liquid-gas injectors that operate in the trans-critical and sub-critical regime and exhibit strong non-linear sensitivities to real fluid thermodynamics, as well as turbulent mixing effects. The advanced models developed will permit improved predictions of combustion chamber mean heat flux and localized peaks, as well as lay the foundation for predicting unsteady response of the injector and its coupling to the feed system dynamics.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The product at the end of our Phase II effort will be a high-fidelity, numerical simulation software (CRUNCH CFD<SUP>REG</SUP> code) that would predict the performance of cryogenic liquid-gas injectors, provide design support by supplementing current empirical tools, and facilitate trade studies/ sensitivity analyses of advanced propulsion concepts. Our product addresses core needs of NASA such as the development of the upper-stage J2-X, and the lunar descent module. These systems will be required to throttle down to very low-power levels spanning trans-critical and sub-critical regimes where current design tools are unreliable. The proposed tool would significantly enhance current capabilities and provide accurate simulations of injector performance and heat transfer characteristics in an efficient manner so as to be useful within a design cycle timeline. The technology developed here would directly impact analysis of the injectors used in the J-2X gas generator system as well as the main injector for the TCA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercial market for our product is very large and includes the broad market of injectors for diesel engines, gas turbines and other industrial combustor applications. In addition to these traditional markets, commercial space ventures ranging from space transportation systems (COTS) for the international space station (ISS), to low-cost satellite launch systems are getting an infusion of venture capital and would be receptive to accurate simulation tools. The primary market of the diesel engine is large and includes marine engines, trucks and automobiles, as well as heavy industrial engines. With rising energy costs, a primary concern for these companies is the design of newer more efficient injector systems that provide improved mixing and combustion, and the technology being developed here for high-pressure, regimes would be directly applicable. This technology is also relevant to gas-turbines where the design of combustors to meet lower NOx emissions is an area of active development.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Launch Assist (Electromagnetic, Hot Gas and Pneumatic)
Simulation Modeling Environment
Feed System Components
Fluid Storage and Handling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Surmet Corporation
31 B Street
Burlington, MA 01803-3406

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Uday Kashalikar
ukashalikar@surmet.com
31 B Street
Burlington,  MA 01803-3406

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Silicon carbide matrix composites can produce turbomachinery structures with 1500<SUP>o</SUP>C service temperature capability at less than one-half the weight of metallic structures. This would translate into substantial improvement in rocket (or aircraft) system performance. However, SiC composites do not have adequate long term stability under hot, humid turbine engine conditions. Thus, reliable environmental barrier coating (EBC) technology needs to be developed for SiC composites for long duration or reusable turbomachinery applications. The preceding SBIR Phase I program proved feasibility of our technology to improve environmentally durability of silicon carbide CMCs. The Phase II program will refine coating materials and processes. A comprehensive test matrix is included to assess repeatability in environmental barrier performance. Next, this technology will be used to produce representative turbine engine test articles. Surmet has teamed with a major prime contractor, so as to develop technology that is useful towards near-term NASA systems. Key environmental barrier testing work will be conducted at specialized test facility that simulates turbine engine environment. Thus, the Phase II program will provide a strong foundation for a follow-on Phase III program which will start implementation into specific NASA system(s).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Preceramic polymer based SiC CMC's provide affordability and potential for scale-up in size. Together with the EBC technology, it will provide cost effective and durable SiC composite structures for long duration and reusable rocket, scramjet and turbine engines systems. Specifically, components such as nozzles, turbine blades and vanes, and thrust chambers resulting from this technology will produce substantial improvement in propulsion system cost and performance. The technology also has applications in: structural thermal protection systems for reentry vehicles, radiators for projects like JIMO, plasma confinement for in-space propulsion, and dimensionally stable satellite optics structures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Environmentally durable SiC composites will initially be demonstrated in government aerospace applications. Once developed and scaled up, the technology will find a number of commercial and industrial applications. These include: a) military/commercial rocket engine/motor components such as nozzles and thrust chambers, b) military/commercial aircraft engine components such as combustion chamber, turbine and recuperator, c) automotive/diesel engine components such as turbocharger rotors, rocker arms, etc., d) industrial applications such as slurry pump vanes and turbine components, e) tribological applications such as aircraft, racing cars, and motorcycle brakes, and f) precision optics structures for satellites and missile interceptors.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ceramics
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
140 Intracoastal Pointe, Suite 301
Jupiter, FL 33477-5094

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Philip Pelfrey
PPelfrey@fttinc.com
140 Intracoastal Pointe Drive
Jupiter,  FL 33477-5094

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this project is to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model that accurately predicts the stability of hydrostatic bearings operating in a turbulent, compressible fluid. In phase 2, the rig will be fabricated and assembled, design of experiment will be executed. The empirical data will be used to determine if a particular variable, or input parameter, was a contributor to pneumatic hammer instability. If not, the variable is eliminated. If the variable is determined to be a contributor, it is non-dimensionalized and included in the equations of motion to develop a physics-based stability criteria. The resulting criteria will then be validated using test data. If the criteria is not validated, a gap assessment will be completed and the process is repeated. Once the criteria is validated, it is implemented.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The resulting PHIT tool will improve bearing performance which directly translates into improved turbopump and system-level performance improvements due to increased load capacity, stiffness, and damping along with reduced leakage and seal clearances.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
FTT50 Small Engine Development – The scope of this project includes design of a high efficiency small turbofan engine (50 lbf) for the NLOS-LAM (Non Line of Sight, Loitering Attack Munition). The FTT50 is the first turbofan of this thrust class and is targeted at decreased fuel burn which will allow greater munitions capacity and loiter time (3-5X). Specific engine targets include: 50% less fuel consumption, 30% greater thrust to weight, and 15% less cost than comparable turbojets. Upper Stage Engine Technology (USET) – The scope of this project includes turbine and rotor module responsibility in support of the Aerojet team development of a liquid hydrogen fuel turbopump assembly (TPA) demonstrator for USET. Goals for this distributed collaborative team include development of advanced TPA tools and methodologies, and test of a demonstrator TPA that validates the tools and supports the IHPRPT Phase I goals. Aerojet has placed a purchase order with FTT to develop and validate the PHIT tool in a non-rotating environment. As well as part of the USET tool development effort, Aerojet is also developing a Commercial Multi-Physics Analysis Tool for Turbopumps (CoMAT). The PHIT stability criteria resulting from this effort will be incorporated as part of the CoMAT tool.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Fundamental Propulsion Physics
Feed System Components

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Andrews Space & Technology
505 5th Avenue South, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98104-3894

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dana Andrews
dandrews@andrews-space.com
505 5th Ave South, Suite 300
Seattle,  WA 98104-1047

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Andrews Space, Inc. proposes an innovative transpiration cooled aerobrake TPS design that is thermally protective, structurally flexible, and lightweight. This innovative design will meet launch volume constraints and satisfy terminal aerobraking requirements. The approach will focus on transpiration cooling of a flexible material and employs preceramic polymers and active filler technologies as key features of the TPS design. The major hurdle to inflatable aerobrakes becoming reality is the development of a lightweight and structurally flexible TPS. Alternative designs have focused on complex multilayering to increase the effective emissivity of the material, whereas Andrews Space will focus on reducing the thickness, thus decreasing the overall system mass. By combining well understood materials with an innovative, flexible, transpiration cooled TPS, a realizable inflatable aerobrake system has been developed which shows up to 56% mass savings over traditional, rigid aeroshells and 23% over other leading designs.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Once inflatable aerobrake technologies are well-understood and an integrated system flight-tested, such an aerobrake could become the design of choice for further use on Earth and Mars missions, maintaining the best combination of design margin, usage flexibility, weight, and cost. Single-use aerobrakes can be used for return of ISS cargo modules to the Earth's surface as well as for crew return. They can be used for the deceleration of payloads to Mars and other planetary surfaces. Aerobrakes can also be used for Earth and other planetary orbit capture, with potential multi-use capability in those modes.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Outside of NASA, reliable and capable aerocapture will be needed for commercial cargo return to Earth or for hardware return for refurbishment. As on-orbit business opportunities grow, so will the need for recovery and return capability. An additional need is for return of end-of-life spacecraft and launch vehicle stages from LEO, allowing reuse of stage or spacecraft hardware. Furthermore, active fillers are a recent technology whose applications are continually increasing and would benefit from further knowledge.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Inflatable
Kinematic-Deployable
Cooling
Thermal Insulating Materials
Ceramics
Composites
Thermodynamic Conversion
Aerobrake

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

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Wilmoth
wilmoth@craft-tech.com
124 Burnham Place
Newport News,  VA 23606-2611

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed effort addresses a need for accurate computational models to support aeroassist and entry vehicle system design over a broad range of flight conditions including direct entry and aerocapture trajectories for manned and unmanned earth return and planetary exploration. These models are critical for assessing aerodynamic characteristics including reaction control systems (RCS) influences and for designing thermal protection systems involving both ablating and non-ablating materials. A hybrid approach unifying continuum CFD and rarefied DSMC flow solvers will be developed that can handle both higher altitude continuum flows, i.e. 60~85km, with embedded rarefied zones such as the base/near-wake region as well as higher altitude rarefied flows with embedded continuum zones such as RCS jet plumes. The proposed model will automatically separate continuum and rarefied regions into distinct computational domains employing a unique methodology demonstrated in Phase I to construct hybrid interface surfaces for complex three-dimensional geometries. The model will incorporate RCS jet and advanced ablative models and will provide consistent nonequilibrium thermochemical modeling between the CFD and DSMC solutions. This methodology provides a more efficient and accurate tool than provided by continuum CFD or DSMC alone and provides the flexibility to address a wide range of vehicle and system designs.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The new software to be developed in this program directly supports the design of aeroassist and planetary entry vehicle systems, providing improved accuracy over existing software. As such, it will serve to reduce design costs and produce more reliable designs. Specific NASA programs supported include Constellation which involves a number of LEO and Lunar return missions based on CEV, COTS which provides manned and unmanned service to and from ISS, and New Millenium which involves a number of planetary entry and sample return missions including technology demonstrations. Since the hybrid software builds upon existing DSMC software (DAC) now used by NASA and its contractors, the resultant product will have overall features which should facilitate its widespread usage as ascertained in discussions with key personnel at varied NASA Centers.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The resultant software for analyzing higher altitude problems is of widespread interest to DOD and their contractors, as well as to commercial firms involved in satellite station operation, contamination effects and nano-processes. We are presently involved in DOD programs where such hybrid technology is of interest for RV discrimination (MDA), for plume/divert jet signature predictions (AF/MDA), and for sensor/seeker window blinding/contamination by divert jets on interceptor missiles at rarefied altitudes (Army). We are engaged in active discussions with Orbital Sciences, Loral, Ball AeroSpace, and Lockheed Martin regarding use of this new hybrid technology to support varied DOD related and commercial activities.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ablatives
Simulation Modeling Environment
Aerobrake

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Payload Systems, Inc.
247 Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1129

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Joseph Parrish
parrish@payload.com
247 Third Street
Cambridge,  MA 02142-1129

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Payload Systems Inc. and the MIT Space Systems Laboratory propose Self-assembling, Wireless, Autonomous, Reconfigurable Modules (SWARM) as an innovative approach to modular fabrication and in-space robotic assembly of large scale systems. Fabrication of modular components yields fabrication savings associated with large production volume and automated integration and test. In-space assembly permits staged deployment on an as-needed, as-afforded basis. It also decouples stowed launch geometry from deployed operational geometry. The SWARM concept uses formation flown spacecraft, containing multiple universal docking ports, to dock with modular elements and maneuver them to dock with other, similar elements. In the process, systems can be assembled that are much larger than what can be fit or folded into a launch vehicle fairing, or what can be launched on a single vehicle. Furthermore, such modularity will allow jettison of failed components, upgrade of obsolete technology, and amortization of design costs across multiple missions. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for a simplified telescope assembly on the flat-floor at MSFC. In Phase II, we will develop the hardware and software elements necessary to demonstrate, on a flat-floor, the modular assembly and reconfiguration of systems representative of trans-planetary spacecraft and large telescope assembly.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Clearly the prime commercial application for the SWARM system is for modular spacecraft system development within NASA's scope of activity. The SWARM system is wholly novel in its capabilities and flexibility for multiple operational regimes, including terrestrial laboratory testing, parabolic flight aircraft, and spaceflight, making it a relevant development product for the evaluation of operational strategies and design of modular spacecraft and self-assembling systems capable of on-orbit servicing, maintenance and reconfiguration.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This product would have immediate relevance to developers of intelligent modular spacecraft systems, who could purchase a series of modules to assemble a complete spacecraft bus model or, at a lesser scale, component elements (e.g., docking ports). Also because it is inexpensive relative to other associated flight systems, we believe that there could be multiple sales opportunities for the system in the commercial satellite market. DoD applications include the Fractionated Spacecraft Program (F6) and the Tiny independent Coordinating Spacecraft (TICS) program.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
Modular Interconnects
Guidance, Navigation, and Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MicroSat Systems, Inc.
8130 Shaffer Parkway
Littleton, CO 80127-4107

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jeff Summers
jsummers@microsatsystems.com
8130 Shaffer Parkway
Littleton,  CO 80127-4107

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The objective of this SBIR effort was to prove the viability of an Ethernet version of the MicroSat Systems, Inc. (MSI) modular, plug and play (PnP) spacecraft avionics architecture. This revolutionary architecture provides a near-term solution to modular, plug and play avionics while distributing power and data management functions on a single circuit allowing rapid interfacing to other satellite avionics such as the GSFC Space Cube. By integrating the MSI protocol converter technology with the ABET Technologies Digital Current System, MSI can provide a network with standardized attachment nodes that carries data and power on an Intelligent Power/Data Ring (IPDR).The IPDR network, which can host a variety of data protocols, currently implements a high speed SPA-S (SpaceWire) core to support the AFRL PnP efforts. It enables full PnP modularity reducing spacecraft integration and test to a few days. Since the system is implemented with a common set of nodes for every interface instead of custom cards in a card cage, the hardware costs are dramatically lower as well, only 40-60% of comparable centralized systems. Using commercial Ethernet parts integrated into the existing IPDR node processor and interface boards successful proof of concept testing was performed during Phase I. The transfer of Ethernet data frames was demonstrated into the IPDR ring via a peripheral Ethernet device, from one IPDR node to another, and finally back out of the ring to the external Ethernet device. Figure 1 shows the setup of the final node-to-node Ethernet communication test. Although this testing verified the fundamental functionality of Ethernet communication on the IPDR ring avionics, there is significant effort remaining to mature this into a flight worthy avionics architecture . The Phase II will investigate flight parts selection for the nodes, firmware development required to improve bandwidth, and flight qualification and delivery of a Ethernet version of an IPDR node.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These efforts will lay the ground work enabling large quantity, rapid production of low cost satellites and satellite components. Successful completion of the Phase I will generate the impetus for more extensive inclusion of the Ethernet protocol into the emerging spacecraft standards effort within the DOD and NASA. In the near term MSI would consider demonstrating this technology on either the TacSat 3 or 4 flight experiments. Longer term, MSI currently plans to integrate the IPDR architecture as a standard feature in all its future small satellite products. For NASA applications, MSI is aggressively pursuing the "ST-X" series of experimental spacecraft and, following its first flight, plans for inclusion of its IPDR bus product in the RSDO database.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
MSI currently plans to integrate the IPDR architecture as a standard feature in all its future small satellite products. This would include potential application on all the TacSat series experiments and other responsive satellite procurements through the DOD.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
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
Computer System Architectures
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Expert Systems
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Plasma Processes, Inc.
4914 Moores Mill Road
Huntsville, AL 35811-1558

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
John O'Dell
scottodell@plasmapros.com
4914 Moore Mill Road
Huntsville,  AL 35811-1558

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Tools for extracting resources from the moon are needed to support future space missions. Of particular interest is the production of gases and metals for life support, propulsion, and in-space fabrication. The only practical source for these materials is the decomposition of lunar regolith. Described herein is an innovative plasma reduction technique for the production of gases and metal powders. This technique is characterized by its high temperatures and rapid quenching. During Phase 1, silicon, iron, and magnesium in crystalline form were produced using the plasma reduction technique. Based on the analysis of captured gas samples and the fact that metallic species were produced, oxygen was also evolved as a result of plasma processing. During Phase 2, the plasma techniques developed during Phase 1 will be optimized. Techniques to separate and collect pure oxygen from the regolith and the processing gases will be developed. Steps will be taken to reduce the power requirements needed for plasma reduction. Additional metals such as aluminum, titanium, and calcium will also be produced by varying processing parameters. Precise measurement of particle temperature and velocity will be performed and correlated with processing parameters and thermodynamic calculations so that these objectives can be met.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications for the technology include production of metal powders for in-situ fabrication and oxygen for life support, habitat use, hydroponics, and propulsion. Applications for the metal powders that will be produced include, but are not limited to, solar cells, photovoltaics, rapid prototyping feedstock, radiation shielding, and structural applications. Potential applications for the plasma technology to be developed include high rate lunar plasma coating for insulation, pressure seals, radiation shielding and structure fabrication. In addition, the plasma processing technique can be used to produce agglutinate and glassy analog particles similar to those found in the lunar soil. These particles could be used as additives to current regolith simulants to produce a mature lunar soil simulant. This enhanced simulant would be available for researchers trying to validate lunar surface activities such as drilling, excavation, feeding through a hopper, and other friction and dust impacted technologies.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential commercial applications for metal powders include in-situ powder metallurgical products, ultra-thin protective coatings, high surface area/volume ratio catalysts, composite additives, sintering aids, porous structures in microfiltration membranes, additives for solid and hybrid rocket fuels that provide a more efficient combustion process, electrically-conductive adhesives and polymers, component materials for crew vehicles and habitats, semiconductor devices, and high-power electronics for electric vehicles.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
In-situ Resource Utilization
Microgravity
Ceramics
Composites
Metallics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Radiation Shielding Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Pioneer Astronautics
11111 W. 8th Avenue, Unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215-5516

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mark Berggren
mberggren@pioneerastro.com
11111 W. 8th Ave; Unit A
Lakewood,  CO 80215-5516

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Lunar Materials Handling System (LMHS) is a method for transfer of lunar soil into and out of process equipment in support of in situ resource utilization (ISRU). The LMHS conveys solids to the ISRU vessel, provides a gas-tight seal, and minimizes wear related to abrasive particles. Lunar ISRU scenarios require that equipment be operated over many cycles with minimal consumption of expendables and with minimal leakage in order to maintain high overall process leverage. The LMHS increases equipment life and minimizes process losses, thereby increasing overall leverage and reducing uncertainties in ISRU process evaluation. The LMHS is based on a seal arrangement by which lunar regolith can be introduced into and removed from reaction chambers operating under a wide range of batch operating conditions. Most lunar ISRU processes will use regolith as feed. Hydrogen reduction is a prime candidate for nearer-term lunar ISRU implementation. The LMHS was integrated with hydrogen reduction and operated in vacuum during Phase I. The LMHS-hydrogen reduction unit demonstrated feeding, sealing, water recovery for oxygen production, and discharging of residue in realistic operating conditions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary application of the LMHS is to support long duration lunar ISRU. The Phase I integrated LMHS-hydrogen reduction demonstration represents a step toward prototype demonstration in advance of flight testing. The LMHS can be a key component of the lunar exploration program by enabling production of oxygen – a key propellant constituent.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The concepts developed during the LMHS program have terrestrial applicability in the areas of abrasive materials handling, hazardous or radioactive materials handling, remote process operations, and high-valve materials handling.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Nastec, Inc.
1801 East Ninth Street, Suite 1111
Cleveland, OH 44114-3103

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Richard Klein
dickc123@earthlink.net
1801 East Ninth Street, Suite 1111
Cleveland,  OH 44114-3103

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A multi-roller "oil free" traction drive is under development for use on vehicles used in hostile environments like those that will be encountered on planetary surfaces. The drive has been designed to meet the operating requirements of for an Apollo–class Lunar Rover. A drive geometry optimization study was conducted establishing that a 30-to-1, two-row, four planet multi-roller drive offers the best balance between size, weight, simplicity, motor operating speed and operational life. The drive can function without the use of liquid lubricants and will be able to operate at very cold temperatures and over a wide range of temperatures by using low wear, high friction solid lubricant materials. Liquid lubricants currently used in gear drives tend to become too viscous to flow at low temperature and too thin to lubricate at high temperatures. Because these drives use no liquids, "oil free" traction drives will not encounter the problems associated with the changing oil viscosities of liquid lubricants which will enable them to operate reliably over a wide range of temperatures. Also contamination of the lunar soil will not be a problem because there is no liquid to vaporize or leak.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Current drive systems available for space applications use gears with various configurations of "teeth." These gears must be lubricated with oil and must have some sort of a lubricant supply system. Oil poses problems for drive systems used on planetary surfaces such as; evaporation, freezing, degradation, contamination of and contamination by. We propose to develop lightweight, oil-free traction drives (roller drives) that will be an enabling technology capable of operating under the extreme conditions found on planetary surfaces and that will provide low energy loss and long operation lives. These drives will provide an alternative to harmonic drives (the current state of the art drives), which will not be able to be operate at very cold temperatures unless the oil is heated. Traction drives will be able to be used in all types of machinery used on planetary surfaces such as: lunar rovers, construction equipment, processing plants, in a radiation environment, etc.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The smooth torque transfer, zero backlash, compactness and low noise characteristics of traction drives make this innovation potentially applicable for a wide range of commercial devices which require extremely smooth torque transfer, precision, high speeds, or operation in severe environments (e.g. under-seas, extremely cold temperatures, etc.). The military can utilize them in nuclear submarines, for desert applications or for equipment operating at extremely hot or cold temperatures. Also, if these drives can be produced more simply by the use of non-metallic materials or lightweight easily machined metals with ceramic coatings, the cost to manufacture these drives will be substantially reduced; thus increasing the potential for their use in commercial applications. Commercial applications could include automobiles, nuclear power plants, manufacturing plants, construction equipment, etc.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Mobility
Manipulation
Manned-Manuvering Units
Composites
Metallics
Tribology

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Colorado Power Electronics, Inc.
120 Commerce Drive, Unit 3
Fort Collins, CO 80524-4731

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Geoff Drummond
Geoff@copwr.com
120 Commerce Drive, Unit 3
Fort Collins,  CO 80524-2746

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A low-cost, standardized-architecture power system is proposed for NASA electric propulsion (EP) applications. Three approaches are combined to develop a system that will meet current and future NASA needs and exceed currently available power processor unit (PPU) performance in terms of electrical efficiency, specific mass (kg/kW), and cost. The approaches include the use of (a) high-efficiency, 3-phase, dc-dc converters to minimize cooling requirements, mass, and parts count and maximize reliability and efficiency, (b) modularized and standardized sub-system design and fabrication techniques to accommodate power output scaling and re-configuration for specific ion thruster designs without the need to re-qualify hardware, and (c) attention to cost and manufacturability issues that will allow the implementation of electric propulsion systems on future NASA missions without the hidden costs of "hard-to-build" and "hard-to-scale" designs that are currently available.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary market for this technology is for space power conversion where low cost power processing is required. Present technology includes PPU designs with real costs that are much greater than $200k per kilo watt of power. The previous designs show poor reuse of modules and power hardware. Additionally the present PPU designs fail to provide a base structure that can accommodate growth and change in module power. The new design will use lower loss elements to simplify fabrication and reduce cost. The proposed "next generation design" will accommodate the addition and subtraction of modules while conserving PPU mass. The wide output impedance range of the converter will increase utility by allowing one PPU design to power several different thruster types. A successfully completed Phase II program will result in Phase III programs where brass-board PPUs will be provided for NASA missions utilizing NSTAR, enhanced NSTAR, and possibly NEXT thrusters.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA uses for the proposed idea are commercial high power applications where low cost and high efficiency are desired. Again the same advantages apply here. The most notable being the wide utility and range. The LCC circuit gives the 3PRC a naturally wide load range of two to one for voltage; double the range of the best competing design. The three-phase circuitry requires only the most minute input and output filter giving this topology very low mass. Motor-drive power processors - Electric Vehicles A wide DC power range maximizes the power range for both the motor and the motor's inverter over a wide span of angular velocities. This wide and efficient range reduces the number of transmission shift cycles needed for rapid acceleration. Green power - Solar Power Processors CPE has designed 3PRC with efficiencies as high as 98%

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Micro Thrusters
Solar
Mobility
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Electrostatic Thrusters
High-Energy
Manned-Manuvering Units
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
New Era Technology
3720 NW 43rd Street, Suite 105
Gainesville, FL 32606-6190

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Travis Knight
travis@confman.com
3720 NW 43rd Street
Gainesville,  FL 32606-6190

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this proposal a new carbide-based fuel is introduced with outstanding potential to eliminate the loss of uranium, minimizes the loss of uranium, and retains fission products for many hours of operation in hydrogen environment at temperatures in excess of 3,200K. The proposed fuel is a ceramic-ceramic (CerCer) composite of mixed uranium-refractory carbides such as (U, Zr)C or (U, Zr, Nb)C in a matrix of refractory carbides that mostly include transition metal carbides such as ZrC, NbC, TaC, and HfC. Due to its low neutron absorption cross-section, ZrC is the primary refractory carbide of choice. Replacing ZrC with higher temperature refractory carbides such as TaC and HfC could further improves the high temperature performance of CerCer fuels. However, higher neutron absorption cross-section penalty for Ta and Hf could potentially offset the performance enhancement gain. Due to complete containment and encapsulation of mixed uranium carbide in zirconium carbide matrix, the proposed CerCer fuel could be conveniently fabricated to different geometrical shapes such as solid block prismatic, twisted ribbon, pebbles, wafer, or square lattice honeycomb. Considering the operational parameters for the NT/BP systems, it is reasonable to argue that the proposed CerCer fuel concept could set the upper material performance limits while providing more flexibility in the geometrical design of the fuel.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The success of the proposed Phase II research program will result in the development of a new nuclear fuel with optimum performance characteristics for use in NTP and Bimodal Propulsion systems. The main idea behind the development of the uranium-carbide CerCer design is to come up with a fuel that features the highest performance potential in the areas including operational temperature margin, stability in hot hydrogen, retention of fission products, and mechanical properties. The uranium CerCer fuel systems possess fundamental physical and chemical properties well above the state of the art carbon based fuels and cermets. Considering fundamental materials properties as we have known them, the proposed uranium- carbide CerCer uniquely combines all the right properties to make the best and most robust fuel for the NTP and Bimodal Propulsion applications. Potential applications for NASA include the use the new fuel in high power orbital transfer vehicles for movement of commercial assets in space.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The innovative CerCer composite fuel has potential for making a revolutionary and tangible impact on commercial nuclear power operation in the world. All six technology concepts identified in the Generation IV Technology Roadmap are being pursued by the United States and its Gen IV International Forum (GIF) partners would require the development and use of advanced high temperature nuclear fuels to meet program goals. In particular, the CerCer composite fuel could play unique role in enabling the practical use of Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) and Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) for reliable and safe operation at very high coolant temperatures (1,300 – 1,500 K) that are needed for thermochemical production of hydrogen and/or electricity production with high efficiency. For operation at such high temperatures, mixed uranium carbides are the only potential competition for CerCer composite fuels.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Nuclear (Adv Fission, Fusion, Anti-Matter, Exotic Nuclear)
Ceramics
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Nuclear Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Luna Innovations Incorporated
2851 Commerce Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060-6657

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Fielder
submmissions301@lunainnovations.com
2851 Commerce Street
Blacksburg,  VA 24060-6657

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The new Presidential directive to place humans on Mars and establish bases on the moon will require advances in space nuclear power generation. Nuclear power generation has a combined advantage in power density, low fuel/mass ratio, mission duration and cost over any other generation method for these missions. To meet the needs of reactor safety, health monitoring and performance, light-weight, real-time, in-core neutron and gamma monitoring sensors need to be developed. Luna is proposing to further develop a real-time miniature gamma and neutron dosimeter. This hybrid sensor will measure gamma and neutron dose independently, as well as temperature at the same location. The transducer will be less than 5mm long and 1mg in mass. This dosimeter will enable real-time determination of reactor power level, health and remaining fuel as well as shielding effectiveness. During the Phase I, Luna demonstrated feasibility of the proposed dosimeter material systems in a nuclear reactor determining that minimum dosimeter resolutions (based on material measurements) of 0.57MRad gamma and 0.83x1014n/cm2 can be accomplished with EFPI based sensors. Phase II will optimize the sensor designs and demodulation system for performance and cost, considering space hardening constraints, and demonstrate the system in high radiation and high temperature environments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
While the sensor development will be focused on space nuclear power generation needs, the sensor can also be directly utilized for monitoring nuclear thermal propulsion systems as well as terrestrial nuclear power reactors. Potential NASA applications include: 1. Lunar surface power reactors 2. Mars surface power reactors 3. Future long duration deep space probe power reactors 4. Future Spacestation power reactors 5. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) for Mars manned missions 6. NTP for deep space probes 7. Real-time monitoring of Astronaut radiation exposure

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1. Terrestrial nuclear power generation reactor monitoring for improved performance, safety and reliability. 2. Navy reactor monitoring 3. Nuclear turbine and generator monitoring 4. Spent fuel and storage facility monitoring 5. Real-time facility radiation exposure monitoring, including medical applications

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
High Energy Propellents (Recombinant Energy & Metallic Hydrogen)
Nuclear (Adv Fission, Fusion, Anti-Matter, Exotic Nuclear)
Propellant Storage
Particle and Fields
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Suits
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Radiation Shielding Materials
Nuclear Conversion
Thermodynamic Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Applied Material Systems Engineering, Inc.(AMSENG)
2309 Pennsbury Ct.
Schaumburg, IL 60194-3884

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mukund Deshpande
m.deshpande@amseng.net
2309 Pennsbury Ct.
Schaumburg,  IL 60194-3884

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This innovative SBIR Phase II proposal plans to develop new multifunctional high temperature capable TCMS technologies based on the identified needs for the thermal control and ESD functions of the exploration mission hardware and also for the heat rejection system. These efforts can also serve uniquely the Crew Exploration Vehicle radiator systems needs. The TCMS for the radiators of the both CEV and exploration missions need to operate at higher elevated temperatures and provide the space environment stable low ratio of (solar absorptance/emittance) performance in high radiation orbits involving intense UV, electrons and protons along with stable charge mitigation. The CEV application also needs it to withstand typical launch environments. According to the phase I findings, none of the state-of-an-art material systems that are currently in use are designed for the needs of the space environment stable operation at elevated temperatures, and hence, can not meet the same. The Phase I efforts proved the feasibility and identified the next generation solid state chemistries and processing requirements that can provide the multifunctional space stable performance at higher temperatures and also provided the unique guidance for tailoring the ESD performance when these very large thermal control areas get exposed to very low temperatures. The proposed phase II efforts will continue R&D and scale up the synthesis of the identified candidate engineered passivated pigments and validate its space environment stability with use of recently developed next generation negative CTE passivated additives with abilities to tailor CTE, thermal shock and thermal cycling performance. Thus, these Phase II efforts can provide the next generation "Robust" validated TCMS products that can be exposed to the elevated temperatures (500C) and conducting tasks geared towards putting together plasma spray technology and experience base as applied to TCMS for various exploration missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The suggested and developed new generic solid state chemistries for the high temperature capable TCMS through this SBIR can also benefit the current state-of-the-art TCMS to enhance their multifunctionality & reliability. The use of such in envisioned materials can uniquely and timely help CEV radiator which is also expected to operate at high temperatures. These efforts can also enhance NASA's ability to carry out earth science, and space science missions in all earth orbits and in the planetary orbits as well as in the several sun earth connection study orbits, where the exposure to high temperatures can be one of the main degrading species. The motivation to use the new material technology will be high because of increased survivability in the space environments, along with the increased life due to the designed temperature insensitive degradation. This would translate in the increased durability for these missions. Above all, we shall provide designers with new high temperature capable TCMS options as a tool to build more reliable and survivable hardware for NASA exploration missions. The technology of high temperature survivable TCMS materials is generic and will diffuse itself in many other NASA applications that thrive for the long life due to its increased durability.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Like NASA, the commercial industry has planned several satellite platforms for the broad band communication activities. The FAA and NASA are also planning commercial space based radars for air traffic control and distant planet observations and robotic exploration and communication. Such radar platforms are also planned by DOD for the battle-field management, and such platform structures are expected to be large and sizable, where charge accumulation can be an over riding concerns along with operation of the platforms at elevated temperatures. These planned candidate radar application assets and their fleets of such integrated space systems may require putting assets in the mid-earth orbits (MEO) for over all optimization and minimization of mission costs. Such mission and fleet designs can be possible and can be economic only if the "robust" material technologies are made available that can perform at high temperatures without failure. Currently no material technology exists that can mitigate synergistic high temperature and space environment induced degradation effects. Many NASA planetary, the commercial and some of the DOD platform hardware devoted to the radar applications are also expected to operate at higher temperatures and thus will significantly benefit form the new validated material systems technology being developed through this phase II SBIR R&D and validation efforts.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Thermal Insulating Materials
Ceramics
Composites
Radiation Shielding Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Nuclear Conversion
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Payload Systems, Inc.
247 Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142-1129

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Liping Sun
liping@payload.com
247 Third Street
Cambridge,  MA 02142-1129

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We propose the development of automated systems to improve radiobiology research capabilities at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Current radiobiology experimentation at the NSRL is limited primarily by the amount of time required to manually move samples to/from the radiation target area. Additionally, the NSRL facility currently does not support processing of samples during or directly after radiation exposure, or long duration radiobiology studies. Our proposed automated system will address the above issues as follows. First, an automated sample movement system will be developed to reduce the overhead time of the current manual system of moving samples to/from the radiation target area. Second, an Online Assay System will be designed to provide immediate sample analysis, such as sample fixation and freezing, to allow a better understanding of the radiation effects on the samples. Third, the Single Loop for Cell Culture (SLCC, developed by Payload Systems Inc. for NASA) system design will be modified to support long duration radiobiology research. In addition, the system will also support animal experiments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed CTC-REF will significantly improve the efficiency and throughput of radiobiology studies at NSRL with a fully automated biological sample handling system, including automated sample movement between different batch radiation exposures, on-line sample fixation, etc. The CTC-REF will support both short and long duration radiation exposure studies. A variety of cell/tissue cultures, including mammalian, plant, microbial cells, and tissues, both in suspension and attachment culture modes, and rodent experiments will be supported in CTC-REF, making CTC-REF a flexible tool for NASA radiobiology research at NSRL to increase its efficiency and throughput and help achieve the goals of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In recent years, high throughput technologies have been playing an ever-increasing role in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, and still the technology demand outstrips technology development. Cell/tissue culture innovations are required to handle the immense work load to match the current industry trend of high throughput screening. CCT-REF automated cell/tissue culture handling system through a robot is such an innovation. In addition, the automated cell/tissue bioreactors (e.g. CSC) technology that is utilized by CTC-REF sits in a unique niche, between low culture volume, high throughput automated systems used primarily in drug discovery, and large culture volume systems used in actual bioproduction. The underlying technologies in the proposed work therefore can be used in a wide range of ground-based biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications, including the optimization of cell/tissue culture processes and media, selection of cell strains, high throughput drug screening at the cell/tissue level, etc. In addition, the proposed CTC-REF is expected to increase the efficiency and throughput of medical radiation research in a similar way as it does to NASA's radiation research.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Manipulation
Teleoperation
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Training Concepts and Architectures
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Thermal Insulating Materials
Biomedical and Life Support
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Radiation Shielding Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Visual Editor Consultants
PO Box 1308
Richland, WA 99352-1308

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Randy Schwarz
randyschwarz@mcnpvised.com
PO Box 1308
Richland,  WA 99352-1308

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Computer codes such as MCNPX now have the capability to transport most high energy particle types (34 particle types now supported in MCNPX) with energies extending into the teravolt energy range. The efficient use of these types of Monte Carlo tools is very important for modeling the effects of space radiation on humans, spacecraft and equipment. This proposal would develop a graphical user interface for high energy multi-particle transport. With this innovation, users of the MCNPX code would have access to a powerful graphical user interface for efficient creation and interrogation of their input files, which would significantly reduce the amount of time required to create and debug input files. Specific enhancements that are proposed include the implementation of the Los Alamos Quark-Gluon String Model Module in MCNPX; adding the source creation capability to the graphical user interface; improvements to data visualization and 3D geometry plotting; and the investigation of implementing spline surfaces in MCNPX.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Any applications that require the transport of high-energy particles will benefit from this effort. These applications include: 1. Space shielding applications. 2. Evaluation of damage to electronic components in space. 3. Health physics applications for people living in space. 4. Mapping of planets. 5. Investigations of cosmic-ray radiation backgrounds and shielding for high altitude aircraft and spacecraft. 6. Charged-particle propulsion concepts for spaceflight. 7. Single-event upset in semiconductors, from cosmic rays in spacecraft or from the neutron component on the earth's surface.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Any physics applications that utilize the transport of high-energy particles will benefit from this work. These applications include: 1. Investigations for accelerator isotope production and destruction programs, including the transmutation of nuclear waste. 2. Design of accelerator spallation targets, particularly for neutron scattering facilities. 3. Research into accelerator-driven energy sources. 4. Medical physics, especially proton and neutron therapy. 5. Accelerator-based imaging technology such as neutron and proton radiography. 6. Design of shielding in accelerator facilities. 7. Activation of accelerator components and surrounding groundwater and air. 8. High-energy dosimetry and neutron detection. 9. Design of neutrino experiments. 10. Charged-particle tracking in plasmas.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Nuclear (Adv Fission, Fusion, Anti-Matter, Exotic Nuclear)
Particle and Fields
High-Energy
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Radiation Shielding Materials
Nuclear Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Space Hardware Optimization Technology
7200 Highway 150
Greenville, IN 47124-9515

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Leo Shulthise
tshulthise@SHOT.com
7200 Highway 150
Greenville,  IN 47124-9515

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A robotic sample management device and system for the exposure of biological and material specimens to heavy ion beams of the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) and other irradiation venues is proposed by SHOT, Inc. Full and efficient utilization of NSRL requires the automation of precise sample positioning and sample exchange that is otherwise performed manually at the cost of hours of beam time, compromised biostatistics and risk of personnel. The device and system will consist of eight sample holders providing an environmentally controlled enclosure. Samples to be irradiated will be translated into the ion beam, one at a time, within the controlled environment. Samples to be accommodated include, but are not limited to, cell cultures (multiple containers), small animal (flies, worms, fish) cultures, mice, rats and small samples of shielding or electronic materials. Operating software will be compatible with that in use at the irradiation venues, specifically NSRL, and will be used to establish environmental control settings, to record environmental conditions, and to control and record the insertion of samples into the ion beam. Stray doses to samples in waiting will be less than 0.001 of the dose delivered to exposed samples, and measures are included to minimize neutron flux within the sample chamber assembly. Total and neutron doses will be measured. Three objectives will be met in Phase II research: (1) implementation of user requirements (determined in Phase I) in a final design to be subjected to Critical Design Review (2) construction and testing of a complete sample management system at SHOT, and (3) installing the final prototype product at NSRL and placing it into use for the benefit of the user community.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications are well-defined in the call for "Ground Based Heavy Ion Accelerator Research Support Equipment". Space radiation health research requires the study of model organisms and cells exposed to high-energy, highly charged (HZE) particle irradiation. The model radiation beams are available at a small number of venues internationally and specifically at NSRL at Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the efficient exposure of these specimens, including laboratory rodents, the proposed robotic environmentally controlled sample holders and changers are needed to minimize the exposure of personnel to background radiations in the cave and minimize beam time required per experiment. Improved efficiency and biological statistics will lead to improved reductions of uncertainty in space radiation health.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications include three avenues of commercialization that SHOT intends to implement: (1) About a dozen facilities are in use or planned at which space radiation health research and/or particle radiotherapy research requires the study of model organisms and cells exposed to protons or HZE particle irradiation. SHOT intends to use its sales force to address this need by marketing the proposed innovation in the international particle radiobiology community. (2) Radiation oncology research groups that use large, expensive hospital radiotherapy equipment constitute a secondary market that may be larger than the primary market. As in the case of NASA applications, the proposed robotic environmentally controlled sample holders and changers are needed to minimize the exposure of personnel to background radiations and minimize beam time required per experiment. (3) The robotic technology developed for cell culture management will be translated into terrestrial laboratories through strategic corporate partnerships, one of which is currently being negotiated by SHOT.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support

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)
Louis Strong
lstrong@rmdinc.com
44 Hunt Street
Watertown,  MA 02472-4699

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We will fabricate and test microfluidic designs for a micro-electromechanical system based complete blood count (CBC) analysis in separate modules and integrate them into a working prototype. A first module constitutes a hydrodynamic focusing injector and cell impedance meter. A second module takes hydrodynamically focused cells and measures light scatter in the forward and orthogonal directions, as well as of fluorescence emission intensities from specific cell types using novel signal collection designs and micrometer scale, and Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes that produce time-correlated photocount statistics from multiple optical sources. The third module will serve for blood sample dilution, routing, automated lysing and removal of human erythrocytes. This unit will also incorporate a sensor for measuring hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration. The proposed blood analyzer will utilize innovative optical and fluidic designs on a modular platform that enable compactness, high sensitivity, and robust service, while requiring no operator intervention.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The ability to monitor physiological changes of astronauts during space flight requires portable, low power and light-weight instrumentation to be available on space voyages. Inexpensive, point of treatment instruments are needed to monitor astronauts' health and to gauge the effectiveness of experimental countermeasures that are put in effect to oppose deleterious physiological responses due to microgravity, exposure to ionizing radiation, and a reduced exercise regimen. RMD proposes to develop a micro electromechanical system based complete blood count instrument that can be used aboard a spacecraft. We will produce a microfluidic scale combination cell counter-flow cytometer for CBC analysis. Modules that require direct contact with blood will be economical and disposable. Our Phase II plan will deal with integrating the microoptic and microelectronic modules, testing their ability to characterize all classes of blood cells, implementing an automated cell lysing protocol, developing the analytical software for event counting and the statistical analysis of same, and engineering microprocessor based controls for automated pumping, and wireless transfer of data.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A critical and time sensitive measurement for the assessment of hemostasis is the complete blood count (CBC). In general, CBC measurements are made using laboratory scale, automated combination cell counters and flow cytometers. Requiring multiple milliliter samples of blood, they provide the numbers of red cells, leukocytes, and platelets, as well as total hemoglobin, and quantities related to red and white cell function. These are large, expensive, and unwieldy instruments requiring concentrated user maintenance. Here we propose to develop a microfluidic scale combination cell counter-flow cytometer for CBC analysis. Modules that require direct contact with blood will be economical and disposable. We plan to integrate microoptic and microelectronic modules in a lab-on-a-chip device to characterize all classes of blood cells, implementing an automated cell lysing protocol, developing the analytical software for event counting and the statistical analysis of same, and engineering microprocessor based controls for automated pumping, and wireless transfer of data. The advent of such an instrument will permit CBC analyses to be performed on outpatients, on shutins and the elderly, and in emergency situations and will dramatically reduce the costs associated with obtaining CBC information for patients in hospitals.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Biomolecular Sensors
Laser
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Biochemical
Optical
Photonics
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
Optical & Photonic Materials
Organics/Bio-Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
UMPQUA Research Company
P.O. Box 609
Myrtle Creek, OR 97457-0102

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Akse
akse@urcmail.net
PO Box 609
Myrtle Creek,  OR 97457-0102

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Development of an innovative microwave-based continuous flow sterilization system for the energy efficient gravitationally independent production of Medical Grade Water (MGW) is proposed. During the Phase I, microwaves were very efficiently coupled to a single-phase flowing water stream using an antenna based microwave sterilization chamber that rapidly heated water to temperatures well above normal autoclave conditions. Microbial sterilization was demonstrated for single and mixed cultures of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria including Bacillus stearothermophilus, a thermophilic spore former utilized to validate autoclave sterilization. Novel ultrahigh temperature sterilization processes eliminated chemical sterilization requirements for external connections, and more significantly, inactivated endotoxins, a major MGW purity requirement. These attributes results in an extremely low ESM, MGW generator that will meet autonomous medical care needs for MGW aboard manned spacecraft, or Lunar and planetary habitations. A fully functional computer controlled prototype capable of producing MGW from NASA potable water without expendables will be developed during the Phase II. To achieve these objectives, a compact controllable microwave power generator will be mated to an optimized sterilization chamber producing an energy efficient MGW generator without the need for expendables. Characterization of system performance and ESM will provide the basis for future NASA development decisions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA application of the advanced microwave based medical grade water system will be as Flight Hardware for deployment in support of future long duration exploration objectives such as a Lunar mission, Lunar base, Mars transit or Mars base. The primary application will be in support of medical and experimental use of pharmacological preparations, which must be reconstituted on-site. Secondarily, this device can be used to produce MGW for use during medical emergencies. It is anticipated that numerous other uses will be found for this system within NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Microwave Sterilization System (MSS) has a strong potential for private sector use. This technology may be employed in small-scale systems for efficient production of MGW in the laboratory or in a range of larger systems that meet various industrial requirements. The MSS may be used to selectively sterilize vulnerable connections to ultra-pure water production facilities or biologically vulnerable systems where microorganisms may intrude. Lightweight and portable MSSs can be rapidly deployed to remote locations, or during humanitarian emergencies, in which the normal infrastructure to provide MGW is disrupted. This application is equally pertinent for use by the military services.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support
Sterilization/Pathogen and Microbial Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MicroCell Technologies, LLC
410 Great Road, Suite C-2
Littleton, MA 01460-1273

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Kimble
mkimble@microcell-tech.com
410 Great Road, Suite C-2
Littleton,  MA 01460-1273

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
An electrochemical reactor is proposed by MicroCell Technologies, LLC to electrochemically reduce carbon dioxide to oxygen. In support of NASA's advanced life support processes and human exploration missions, recovering oxygen from carbon dioxide is important since oxygen resupply is not a viable option. During a Phase I program, we demonstrated a process that uses a low temperature molten salt to selectively adsorb carbon dioxide and reduce it to separated streams of oxygen and carbon monoxide. This carbon dioxide removal and oxygen generator may be used by NASA to provide oxygen for cabin crew life support or for propellant generation on the moon or Mars as a part of the In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) process. During the Phase II project, we will develop this technology into a compact and lightweight reactor to efficiently produce oxygen from carbon dioxide.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications of the demonstrated technology include carbon dioxide reduction on board International Space Station and long duration exploration missions to the moon and Mars. Elements of the proposed technology may be used in other electrochemical reactor schemes for generating propellants as a part of NASA's In Situ Resource Utilization program.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Commercial applications of the demonstrated technology may be found in processing or sequestering carbon dioxide from the ambient environment. Additional commercial applications may be found in sensors for carbon dioxide in air detection using components of the base technology developed here.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Portable Life Support
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
UMPQUA Research Company
P.O. Box 609
Myrtle Creek, OR 97457-0102

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Atwater
jatwater@urcmail.net
PO Box 609
Myrtle Creek,  OR 97457-0102

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Development of a microgravity and hypogravity compatible microwave plasma methane pyrolysis reactor is proposed to recover hydrogen which is lost as methane in the conversion of carbon dioxide to water via the Sabatier process. This will close the hydrogen loop which currently requires 50% resupply. Efficient production of hydrogen from methane was conclusively demonstrated during Phase I using microwave plasmas with power levels ranging between 50 - 120 W. In the plasma reactor, formation and deposition of solid phase elemental carbon was shown to be far less problematic than for current methods of catalytic methane decomposition in fixed bed and fluidized bed reactors. This new technology has strong potential for continuous hydrogen production over extended time periods, with minimal maintenance and operator intervention. Microwave plasmas produce extremely high temperatures localized within very small volumes, resulting in low overall power requirements. Microwave plasmas also produce minimal thermal effects on downstream piping and other system components. These features provide the basis for a small, light, and low power method for hydrogen reclamation. By recovering all of the hydrogen which is lost as methane in the Sabatier reactor, the requirement for production or resupply of hydrogen is reduced to the absolute minimum.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA application of this technology will be as Flight Hardware for deployment in support of future long duration exploration objectives such as a Space Station retrofit, Lunar Outpost, Mars transit or Mars base. The primary application will be for the recovery of hydrogen lost in the Sabatier process for CO2 reduction to produce water in Exploration Life Support systems. Secondarily, this process may also be used in conjunction with a Sabatier reactor employed for propellant and fuel production from Martian atmospheric CO2.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The ability to efficiently produce hydrogen from natural gas is a critical need for society at large. The concept of a 'Hydrogen Economy' has been widely recognized as an excellent means to combat global warming induced by the atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. In the Hydrogen Economy, clean-burning H2 is substituted for CO2 generating fossil fuels (petroleum and coal). However, the ability to do so is entirely contingent upon the development of economical means for hydrogen production and storage. Using our innovative methane pyrolysis approach, hydrogen can be economically recovered from natural gas.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomedical and Life Support
Waste Processing and Reclamation

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)
Oxygen regenerated from a crew's expired CO2 and H2O vapor is essential to enabling a continuous human presence on the moon at significantly reduced costs and risks. Any such technology demonstrated on the moon will then be ready to support the transport of humans to Mars and their eventual surface exploration efforts. Paragon Space Development Corporation is proposing an innovative, efficient and practical concept that utilizes Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) for the next generation electrolysis/Sabatier subsystem to enable 100% oxygen regenerative air revitalization systems (ARS). The concept is innovative because it safely eliminates handling of hydrogen, works irrespective of gravity and pressure environments with no moving parts and no multi-phase flows, and requires no expendables while being compact with minimal impact on mass. This innovation is directly relevant and essential to our current mandate set by the President to return humans to the moon and in doing so develop technologies that will enable our exploration of Mars. The significance of the proposed Phase 2 SOE development effort is that it offers the very real possibility that life support systems could close the oxygen loop such that oxygen supporting consumables required to produce oxygen need not continually be delivered from Earth.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
SOE technology can use lunar or Martian resources to produce oxygen for propellant or life support consumables (needed in the event of leaks or airlock losses). SOE to produce oxygen from the Martian CO2 atmosphere is an obvious and easily employed technology choice. Subsequently, SOE can be miniaturized for Martian Portable Life Support Systems where an astronaut can "breathe" the CO2 atmosphere through the SOE device. On the moon, SOE can be used to extract oxygen from conveniently either CO2 or H2O, byproducts of different lunar regolith reduction processes. Thus, SOE development will have a large impact on NASA's missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Stand-alone SOE oxygen regeneration systems, like those proposed for an extraterrestrial base, could be placed in underwater research facilities, submarines, high altitude flying crafts or emergency bunkers in the event of terrorist attacks. Hazardous material handlers, rescue personnel or other professionals performing in extreme environments (i.e., EPA, DOD, Homeland Security, Mine Safety and Health Administration) would benefit greatly from a self-contained oxygen supply system that requires no supply of consumables. Finally, because SOE technology can dual as a fuel cell, spin-offs of the technology include power systems for regions or as relief systems during high energy-use periods of the day.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomedical and Life Support
Portable Life Support
In-situ Resource Utilization

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ITN Energy Systems, Inc.
8130 Shaffer Parkway
Littleton, CO 80127-4107

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Brian Berland
bberland@itnes.com
8130 Shaffer Parkway
Littleton,  CO 80127-4107

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The overall objective of the Phase II effort is to demonstrate prototype multifunctional EVA system power patches that integrate energy storage into advanced space suit systems' components (suit and pack) to increase functionality and decrease weight and volume. The program will optimize materials and plasma processes to bridge the performance gap between current fiber and planar batteries. Optimized fiber batteries will be integrated into prototypes relevant to anticipated NASA missions. Successful completion of the Phase II will lead to an engineering demonstration unit that powers a distributed sensor under conditions that are compatible with anticipated missions. Additional integrated power pack designs such as composites based on fiber batteries will be also evaluated. The lessons learned in this effort will establish guidelines for effective development and transition of future generations of MFF into EVA systems and other applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's mission demands systems that provide advanced functions within extremely small volumes and with very little mass. This is the nature of space flight in general, and is especially true for EVA systems where everything required to sustain and protect an astronaut and to enable productive work in challenging space environments must be combined in an easily-stored, multiple-use, man-portable assembly. The challenge has been intensified by the Vision for Space Exploration's commitment to human missions to Mars which will demand drastic reductions in the mass of EVA systems and in their demand for expendable resupply materials. MFF offer an attractive path to meeting this challenge in several ways. By making structural fibers functional, they offer the opportunity to combine functional components and the structures that enclose, and support them, making the mass do double duty. In addition, they allow the creation of flexible functional components making them easier to integrate and store within tight system and vehicle constraints. Although the demand for and relevance of MFF are immediately evident in EVA applications, they offer similar benefits in many other space systems as well. Their potential flexibility makes them an especially attractive means of adding function to systems like the inflatable antennas, habitats, rovers, etc. considered in many advanced mission concepts.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The desire to create clothing that increases the user's ability to interact with the environment without sacrificing comfort, style, or functionality also has many applications in commercial markets. The growth of wearable electronics for health monitoring, communications, or entertainment functions also require power and comfort control that could benefit from the proposed technologies. One can imagine similar integration of functions for military markets where MFF are integrated into tents, micro air vehicles, high altitude air ships, tactical satellites and other remote sites that require power for communications and data management.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Manned-Manuvering Units
Portable Life Support
Suits
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Energy Storage
Wireless Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
ADA Technologies, Inc.
8100 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 130
Littleton , CO 80127-4107

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Amanda Kimball
amandak@adatech.com
8100 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 130
Littleton ,  CO 80127-4107

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This three phase SBIR project from ADA Technologies Inc. (ADA) builds upon the experience of ADA in development of fine water mist (FWM) fire suppression technology. ADA has subcontracted Colorado School of Mines (CSM) to provide expertise in fire scenarios in NASA's spacecraft; Spraying Systems for their expertise nozzle development, optimization, testing, and commercial manufacturing; and Pacific Scientific HTL Kin-Tech Division as a commercialization partner with expertise in flight qualified hardware. This team will work to develop the FWM fire extinguisher which was proven to extinguish fires in phase I. FWM is a proven fire suppression technology with the ability to extinguish large fuel fed fires, as well as, small electrical fires. Unlike sprinkler water systems it does not damage structures, and unlike CO2 or Halon fire extinguishers it has only inert chemicals water and nitrogen, so it is not a health hazard, environmental hazard and easily scrubbed from the air with dehumidifiers when used in spacecraft. This new extinguisher's innovative design has the capability to discharge in any orientation, and has been dubbed the Universal Discharge Orientation System (UDOS). During Phase I the UDOS system was capable of extinguishing fires in both normal vertical positions as well as upside down. During the Phase II efforts the system will be evaluated to extinguish fires in any 360 degree orientation. The ultimate objective of this project is to develop a FWM fire extinguisher which can be commercially manufactured and is capable of extinguishing both large open fires and enclosed electrical fires with minimal water usage.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
On a per-unit-mass basis, water is as effective as Halon 1301, the agent currently used in the Space Shuttle. In addition, water is more effective for surface and deep-seated fires than CO2, the agent selected for the ISS fire-extinguishing systems. [Wickham, R.]. The UDOS concept features nitrogen as the pressurant gas to deliver water and to assist in the atomization process. Since both fluids are available on board spacecraft, the system can be recharged during the mission, so that a discharge event does not require cancellation of the spaceflight. Water is also non-toxic, non-corrosive, readily available in spacecraft for multiple uses, and can be recycled. The current fire suppression technologies are toxic for the environment (Halon) or for human breathing (TVL=5000 ppm CO2). Both of these suppressants require extra equipment to scrub the chemicals from the air. Agent cleanup for nitrogen and water may be achieved with dehumidifiers in the ventilation system.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This unique technology has the capability to protect any system from fire that has limited space requirements, limited supply of water, low weight requirements, sensitive equipment or artifacts, necessity for minimal site or area disturbance, and restrictions on use of chemicals. The Phase I work and related investigations have identified potential non-space applications including : defense and space applications, museums, military vehicles, storage lockers, passenger ships, civil aircraft, machinery spaces and turbine enclosures, recreational boating and offshore drilling applications, heritage/historical sites, hotels, restaurants, computer rooms, and electronic equipment areas, underground subway systems and tunnels, residential homes, hospital and healthcare environments, and trains and buses. ADA Technologies is exploring the first three options through research contracts with the Air Force to suppress oxidizer fires on specialized aircraft, discussions with the Smithsonian regarding protection for delicate structures, and discussions with the US army regarding protection for vehicles during combat missions. We estimate a total market size on the order of tens of thousands of units, which could have a dollar value in the range of 8 to 9 figures. During the Phase II effort our commercialization team will do a full assessment of the fire extinguisher market to determine the segments where the UDOS technology is applicable.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Pilot Support Systems
Manned-Manuvering Units
Tools
Combustion
Liquid-Liquid Interfaces

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Adherent Technologies, Inc.
9621 Camino del Sol NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111-1522

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ronald Allred
reallred@comcast.net
9621 Camino del Sol NE
Albuquerque,  NM 87111-1522

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA has numerous requirements for in-space repair capabilities to aid future missions beyond earth orbit. A subset of these requirements is adhesive patch materials that provide permanent or temporary repair of a wide variety of surfaces with minimal surface preparation and that can operate in the space environment. This work will result in the production of a repair kit for in-space applications that forms structural composite patches rapidly and safely with low power. The proposed kit will consist of glass fabric impregnated with a UV light-curing resin stored in a protective dispenser. Cure will be accomplished using a portable, robust light-emitting diode (LED) array. Surface cleaning materials may also be included in the kit. The proposed material will adhere to a variety of surfaces and cure under a variety of environmental conditions including vacuum. Such a repair kit will provide a versatile repair technology for a wide variety of applications, which eliminates having redundant repair approaches in many cases. This work will extend the knowledge base previously attained with the development of similar light-curing materials for rigidization of inflatable spacecraft. That prior work will greatly benefit the development of the proposed repair kit and reduce programmatic risk.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The structural tape repair kit to be developed in the Phase II program will provide NASA with a versatile technology for in-space repair applications. Potential uses include repair onboard spacecraft, the international space station, habitats, rovers, etc. The recent leak that occurred on the space shuttle in a pressurized hose shows the need for this technology.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The eventual commercial markets for the "structural duct tape" technology are vast and virtually unlimited for any type of structural repair. Examples of sectors that could benefit from this technology include the home repair, automotive, sporting goods, pipelines, marine, construction, landscaping, and aviation industries. We expect to market the tape through home improvement stores and various specialized distribution networks for the other industries.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Tools
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
Composites
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

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)
Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a plant lighting system which collects, transmits and distributes photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for biomass production in planetary and transit missions. In this system, solar light or electric lamp light is collected by reflector optics and focused at the end of an optical fiber cable. The light is filtered by a selective wavelength filter to reject the non-PAR spectra to minimize heat generation within the plant growth chamber. The PAR spectra are transmitted to the plant growth chamber where the light is uniformly distributed over the plant growth area at optimum intensities. Key features of the proposed system are: (1) the PAR can be transmitted via a flexible optical fiber cable to plants away from the light source; (2) only the PAR will be transmitted to the plant, minimizing the thermal loading in the plant growth chamber, while the non-PAR spectra can be converted to electricity by means of low band-gap PV cells; (3) the low profile light diffuser makes more volume available for plant growth; and (4) the electric light source can be chosen for the best system efficiency and can be placed at the location best suited for thermal control.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed plant lighting system can be used for the plant growth chamber on-board spacecraft such as Mars transit vehicle, or for the plant growth facility of a Lunar or Mars colony. The proposed system will deliver PAR to the plant growth chamber at a high efficiency with little parasitic heating. This system can be combined with both a solar collector system (reducing power demand) and an electric light source (for when sunlight is not available) to maximize system specific productivity (ESM of product divided by plant system ESM).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed plant lighting system can be used for household, commercial, or industrial lighting. In addition, industry and educational institutions that are currently using electric lamps for plant lighting will likely deploy the proposed system. The inherent advantages of this system, e.g., energy efficiency, low plant chamber heating, and compactness of the lighting panel are well suited for such commercial applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomass Production and Storage
Biomedical and Life Support

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Infoscitex Corporation
303 Bear Hill Road
Waltham, MA 02451-1016

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Belcher
jbelcher@infoscitex.com
303 Bear Hill Road
Waltham,  MA 02451-1016

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) foresee extension of exploratory space missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus and beyond. To reach these outer locations will require development of a range of advanced technologies including life support systems. Food represents one of the most crucial components of life support, as the ability to supply safe, nutritious and organoleptically pleasing meals to space flight personnel for the duration of their mission will be of paramount importance in maintaining crew functionality and morale. In this Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Infoscitex Corporation will further develop an advanced barrier film, ElastiGlass, which will enable 3-to-5 year shelf life. This technology will also provide the added benefit of reducing the logistic burdens associated with waste handling, and minimizing package weight and storage space requirements. During this proposed program Infoscitex will modify the Phase I proof of feasibility barrier coating formulations to achieve the best combination of minimal oxygen and water vapor permeation, and maximized elongation properties to obtain the best of product durability. Prototype barrier films and subsequent food storage pouches will be fabricated, filled with thermostabilizable foods and tested for shelf life capabilities.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications include the projected utilization of proposed contract deliverables (e.g.,prototypes, test units, software) and resulting products and services by NASA organizations and contractors.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The impact that ElastiglassTM may have on the market is profound and our team will work to identify commercialization opportunities throughout the Phase 2 program. The NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center (NASA FTCSC) is leading a national effort to develop foods and food-processing technologies that will enable space station and planetary space missions. Infoscitex and it's partners are well positioned to help NASA FTCSC achieve it's objectives through the continued development and commercialization of ElastiglassTM. The Medical packaging film market is said to be growing at 5% per year, roughly the same rate as the food packaging market. Requirements for medical packaging are very different from those for food wraps as they must provide a microbial barrier and survive unique sterilization processes. While the requirements for the material to be stored are different, space bound medical supplies will also benefit from enhanced shelf life, reduced weight, and reduced size.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomedical and Life Support

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

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To address the NASA need for quiet on-orbit crew quarters (CQ), Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Adaptive Intelligent Ventilation Noise Control (AIVNC) system to reduce acoustic noise inside the CQ and work spaces. AIVNC is based on a new multimodal, skin-like active noise controller that will be easy to retrofit and will not interfere with air flow or generate secondary noise. AIVNC cancels ventilation noise by producing high fidelity, broadband counter-acoustic energy by means of very thin, flat multifrequency active patches under the control of an intelligent adapting module (IAM) based on a spontaneous adapting acoustic model. In Phase I POC demonstrated AIVNC with in-duct streamlined MAPs based on two piezoelectric materials, reproducing high-quality sound at up to 90 dB from 300 to 10000 Hz with very low distortion; a compact driving MAP amplifier; two IAM algorithms predicting ventilation noise one step ahead to cancel it, reducing noise by up to 27 dB rms with real ISS ventilation noise provided by NASA. In Phase II POC will advance/optimize AIVNC components to build a fully functional AIVNC prototype to reduce CQ noise by >30 dB, satisfying NC 40 requirements for NASA crew quarters.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As an effective means of controlling structural/acoustic noise, POC's AIVNC adaptive active control technology will have many NASA space applications in addition to habitat noise suppression. The AIVNC system can be incorporated, for example, into acquisition, targeting, and pointing stabilizers to reduce structural and acoustic noise/vibration, including aerodynamic noise such as future civil tiltrotor noise, both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft noise for UAVs, space-based mirrors, high-altitude balloon experiments, and advanced high-energy lasers.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Our AIVNC technology can address a wide range of large, exceptionally rich, and diverse markets in the aerospace industry, including cancellation of cabin and cockpit noise and fuselage vibration. Because of its flexibility and adaptability, an intelligent active control system based on AIVNC technology can be implemented into any noise or vibration controllers. It will suppress aeroacoustic noise in civil aircraft and exterior noise during takeoff and landing, and reduce fan discharge noise propagation.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Airframe
Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI)
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Lynntech, Inc.
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 102
College Station, TX 77840-4027

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Charles Tennakoon
charles.tennakoon@lynntech.com
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 102
College Station,  TX 77840-4027

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Recycling of water using biological processes is a primary goal of NASA's advanced life support programs. This proposal concerns a technology to simultaneously reduce the microbial count (MC) and total organic carbon (TOC) content of biological water processor (BWP) effluent. This technology is based on an advanced oxidation process using an on-demand oxidizer generator, which does not require consumable chemicals. Phase I feasibility studies successfully demonstrated the efficacy of the process for the reduction of both TOC and MC of the BWP processed water. Independent evaluation of the technology at a well known technological university successfully demonstrated the efficacy of the process for minimizing the RO membrane fouling. The residual disinfectant and reduced TOC in the treated effluent minimize fouling the RO membrane and water lines. In addition, reduced TOC lowers the load on equipment downstream to the BWP, enabling a reduction in the equivalent system mass. In the Phase II project, a prototype will be fabricated and evaluated for its ability to reduce TOC, MC and extend RO membrane life in a technological university having a small scale water reclamation system similar to that at NASA-JSC. The GEN I unit developed will be delivered to NASA-JSC.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
One of the highest priorities of a regenerative life support system is to recover and process spacecraft wastewater to provide clean water, which is essential for the crew well being. The proposed compact TOC and MC reduction module can be integrated into the water reclamation systems on board the International Space Station, spacecrafts, and future planetary and lunar habitats, to make water reclamation more effective. Lynntech's technology will lower secondary processing system (SPS) load and biofouling of various surfaces in contact with the residual oxidant remaining with the waste water treated using the TOC and MC reduction module, enable scaled down SPS size, increase RO membrane lifetimes, reduce SPS consumables, and lower the equivalent system mass. In addition to treating bioreactor effluent, hydrogen peroxide generated in-situ can be used for a variety of disinfection applications within spacecraft, space stations and future planetary habitats. Other NASA applications include providing a portion of the processed water from the TOC reduction module (containing minerals and residual nutrients while microorganisms are controlled by residual H2O2) to hydroponic crop systems for improved food self-sufficiency in future planetary or lunar habitats. A third application is for production of disinfecting water for surfaces within the other extra terrestrial environment.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include incorporation into water treatment and supply plants, portable field water treatment units for use during camping, hiking, fishing and outdoor activities, and in-home water treatment units. The proposed system can be used in a range of wastewater treatment applications. These include the destruction of organic contaminants in wastewater from: textile industry, tanneries, municipal water treatment plants, chemical processing industries, pesticides manufacturers, and any other industry that uses organic chemicals that require disposal. Another important market segment is as a point-of-use (POU) application for water treatment in the residential, commercial, and medical sectors, where Lynntech's device will provide comprehensive protection against disinfection byproducts (DBPs, organic material partially oxidized and chlorinated by a chlorine-based oxidation) and disease causing microorganisms. A third market segment for this technology is in the production of pyrogen-free water in the medical industry for use in hemodialysis units, irrigation of operating rooms, pharmaceutical industry (intravenous drug delivery), and hydroponics industry.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Waste Processing and Reclamation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
SIFT, LLC
211 N. First Street, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1476

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Christopher Miller
cmiller@sift.info
211 N. First St., Suite 300
Minneapolis,  MN 55401-1476

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
We will leverage our prior work on Adaptive Information Management (AIM) to provide a core reasoning capability for use in an interactive and quantitative evaluation aid to assist designers in developing user interfaces (UIs). We have a task-linked information representation and associated algorithms for reasoning about the information needs of a set of user tasks, the information presentation capabilities of a set of devices and formats, and the degree of match between the two. These have served as the basis of multiple, successful AIM systems in the past. In Phase I, we developed an architecture for making our core representation more interactive and subject to user guidance-- turning our AIM into a Multi-modal Advisor for Interface Design (a MAID). We demonstrated the effectiveness of the resulting evaluation algorithm in a set of 10 "walkthrough" experiments illustrating quantitative feedback on the adequacy of interface concepts for the types of procedures and displays under consideration for NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). In Phase 2, we propose to implement a prototype version of this approach in an integrated suite of software tools for procedure authoring and demonstrate it on a set of procedure execution displays for a NASA vehicle or platform (notionally, CEV).

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA market for a tool to support the evaluation of procedure execution interface designs includes manned mission contexts, such as Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) missions; ground operations; maintenance; and space station operations. In Phase 2, we will integrate our display evaluation tool into a suite of procedure authoring software created initially for International Space Station and under consideration for CEV—thus, enhancing our relevance for both, as well as for future platforms or retrofits which may make use of this body of aiding tools for procedure development within NASA. Our tool will enhance crew effectiveness, efficiency, autonomy, and safety by improving procedure execution support through the use of well-formed supporting displays generated under user control but with substantial knowledge, expertise and exhaustive evaluation applied to review, support and critiquing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include virtually any domain in which complex procedures are developed, maintained and revised for specific instances of use. Such domains include military operations, commercial aviation, medicine, power generation and many forms of manufacturing. We are initially targeting an application for the industrial processing industry where losses due to poor execution of procedures account for a large portion of the estimated $10B per year in lost revenues, and where highly complex procedures for startup and shutdown of plants must be rehearsed and adapted weeks before they are executed. We have already made contact with members of the largest collaborative research organization for the petrochemical industry in the US and will be presenting our tool concepts to them. We envision licensing our technology to them and participating in the process of adapting it to the petrochemical refining domain.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Computer System Architectures
Data Input/Output Devices
Database Development and Interfacing
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Development Environments

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Applied Technology Associates
1300 Britt Street SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123-3353

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Darren Laughlin
laughlin@aptec.com
1300 Britt Street SE
Albuquerque,  NM 87123-3353

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ATA has demonstrated the primary innovation of combining a precision MEMS gyro (BAE SiRRS01) with a high bandwidth angular rate sensor, ATA's ARS-14 resulting in a low-noise, high bandwidth hybrid sensor, or HYSENS in a Phase I SBIR. The primary emphasis in Phase I development was the implementation and real-time demonstration of the sensor fusion algorithms that combined the output from a MEMS gyro and the ARS-14 resulting in a HYSENS that exhibits a bandwidth of DC to 2000 Hz and NEA of less than 0.1 &#61549;rad rms (0.5-2000 Hz integration bandwidth), thus meeting the requirement specified in the SBIR SOW. The HYSENS has first applicability in optical Inertial Reference units for used in Free Space Laser Communication. The HYSENS-based IRU, or HIRU, that is proposed for the Phase II effort will result in the state of the art in compact optical IRUs. The significance of the HIRU innovation is that the HIRU will escalate the state-of-the-art in small, precision optical IRUs by virtue of minimal mechanical envelope, low mass, high performance, both in jitter mitigation and Inertial Attitude Knowledge (IAK), and power dissipation. In addition, the HYSENS was designed from the onset to be highly modular and flexible by virtue of the sensor fusion algorithms and computational architecture to allow rapid integration of higher performance MEMS gyros into future versions of the HYSENS.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary NASA application for HYSENS/HIRU is in Free Space Laser Communication Systems, e.g. the Mars Laser Communication Demonstrator and its follow-on. The HIRU has the potential of becoming the baseline optical IRU to aid in virtually all satellite-based laser communication terminals. Because of the DC response of the HYSENS, the HIRU could also become a common component in NASA spacecraft attitude control systems (ACS). NASA earth and space observation satellites, and high altitude sensor aircraft that require jitter mitigation for LOS stabilization, and precision pointing would also directly benefit from HYSENS/HIRU as will large telescopes. All of NASA's remote sensing applications requiring sub-microradian LOS stabilization would benefit from HYSENS/HIRU.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications for the HYSENS/HIRU include DoD space-based applications such as TSAT and MAWFEA. Both of these systems require precision LOS stabilization and pointing as will systems incorporating laser communications between aircraft, ships and moving ground platforms. UAV surveillance systems and high energy laser defense systems such as the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL), Relay Mirror Program, and Airborne Laser (ABL) are also potential applications. Aside from the LOS stabilization function , Non-NASA applications for HYSENS/HIRU would include DoD and commercial spacecraft Attitude Control Systems (ACS) because of the Inertial Attitude Knowledge (IAK) capability of HIRU. Components also offer the capability of high performance IMUs with very low vibration and linear motion sensitivity.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Princeton Lightwave, Inc.
2555 Route 130 South, Suite 1
Cranbury, NJ 08512-3509

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mark Itzler
mitzler@princetonlightwave.com
2555 Route 130 South, Suite 1
Cranbury,  NJ 08512-3509

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The need for higher performance fiber optic telecommunications receivers has provided the impetus for substantial progress during the last decade in the understanding and performance of InP-based linear mode avalanche photodiodes (APDs) for the wavelength range from 1.0 to 1.7 um. However, these advances have not been paralleled in the performance and availability of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) based on similar design and materials platforms. Moreover, the limited work that has been done to date has been focused on optimizing devices for telecommunications wavelengths in the vicinity of 1550 nm, and there has been even less effort towards devices for use at 1064 nm. For this SBIR program, we propose to apply innovative design concepts for the development of high performance SPADs optimized for 1064 nm applications. In particular, we will implement novel bandgap and electric-field engineering approaches to tailor the SPAD avalanche gain properties to realize higher single photon detection efficiency while maintaining the very low dark count rates that are made possible by optimizing the absorption region design for the detection of 1064 nm photons. We will apply design concepts that we have innovated during Phase I of this program (as well as in the course of developing state-of-the-art 1550 nm SPADs) that involve optimization of the device electric profile for photon counting as well as epitaxial layer compositions. These efforts will culminate in 1064 nm large area detectors (with active area diameters up to 500 um) that demonstrate feasibility in meeting NASA performance targets including 50% detection efficiency, bandwidth of 500 MHz, saturation levels of 50 Mcounts/s, and non-gated operation. We will also use the detectors developed to deliver linear SPAD arrays for use as photon-counting line-scan imagers.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are two primary NASA applications for the high performance InP-based 1064 nm SPADs to be developed during this proposed SBIR program. First, free-space optical communications to support space missions requires receivers based on single photon detection, and improved SPADs developed in the context of this program will benefit NASA efforts to demonstrate and deploy high-speed laser communication links between spacecraft and earth terminals. Second, active remote sensing optical instruments require higher performance SPADs to improve the performance of existing direct detection doppler lidar systems that make use of aerosol backscattering at 1064 nm. These detectors will benefit general lidar applications including systems for measuring atmospheric properties such as wind and weather patterns, air pollution, and general trace gas analysis.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are a number of potential non-NASA commercial applications that will benefit from the development of high-performance large-area 1064 nm SPADs. Range-finding and ladar applications present opportunities that encompass both single element detectors for remote sensing and ranging and high performance photon counting detector arrays to obtain three-dimensional imaging. Just as NASA is pursuing free space optical links at 1064 nm, commercial FSO systems will be able to leverage improvements realized from the development of large area 1064 nm SPADs for photon-starved free space links such as those required in satellite communcations. As with NASA remote sensing applications, there are commercial applications for improved SPADs in various types of lidar systems for measuring atmospheric properties such as wind and weather patterns, air pollution, and general trace gas analysis. Finally, high-performance photon counting capability in the near-infrared is desirable for the detection of low light output fluorescence, photoluminescence and photoemission processes. Fluorescence techniques are widely used in biomedical applications, and the availability of higher performance SPADs at 1064 nm will be critical to enabling techniques at this wavelength.

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

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Thorleaf Research, Inc.
5552 Cathedral Oaks Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93111-1406

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Holland
pholland@thorleaf.com
5552 Cathedral Oaks Road
Santa Barbara,  CA 93111-1406

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Thorleaf Research, Inc. has demonstrated feasibility in Phase 1 and now proposes a Phase 2 effort to develop a miniature, low power cryogenic inlet system with sampling probes for Titan. This addresses a key technology gap for planetary studies, mainly how to acquire and prepare complex cryogenic samples of astrobiology interest for in situ analysis while meeting challenging mass, volume and power constraints. The proposed sampling system is designed to collect surface samples at Titan's 94K (-179C) cryogenic temperatures using two different miniature probe designs, one for collecting atmospheric aerosols, dust or particles, and another for surface penetration. The samples, which are presumed to include hydrocarbons, nitriles, tholins and other materials, can then be thermally processed by vaporization, thermal desorption or pyrolysis to prepare them for chemical analysis by GC/MS, GC/IMS or other techniques. Our Phase 1 results have demonstrated feasibility for developing a miniaturized cryogenic sampling inlet system with sampling probes weighing on the order of 100g with a peak power consumption of 20 watts or less. Because vaporization, thermal desorption or pyrolysis heating would only be required for a few seconds during each chemical analysis duty cycle, we project average power usage at a fraction of a watt.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Future Titan missions are likely to employ Montgolfiere aerial vehicles for mobility, severely limiting payload due to their dependence on buoyancy in the atmosphere. Our Phase 1 results demonstrate that it should be possible to develop the proposed cryogenic inlet system with combined vaporization, thermal desorption and pyrolysis capability at a mass on the order of 100g, only a few percent of the mass of the Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser system of the Huygens probe. Since mission concept planning for a future aerial vehicle for Titan already includes a GC/MS instrument, the addition of Thorleaf Research's proposed cryogenic inlet system with sampling probes could significantly enhance mission capability with little impact on payload mass. With our modular design approach, this system can also be adapted for NASA Space Exploration Initiative needs, such as monitoring for microbial contaminates in space habitats and process monitoring for the extraction of planetary resources.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Analysis of commercial instrumentation markets shows that two of the three major growth areas for analytical instrumentation are real-time analysis and environmental monitoring, with projected annual growth rates of more than 15%. Our modular design approach for the cryogenic inlet system with sampling probes will help make it adaptable for in situ thermal processing of samples, including pyrolysis, for scientific and energy exploration applications. Thus, technical developments in the proposed program could have a significant market impact.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Instrumentation
Biochemical

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

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To address NASA's need for an instrument for robotic in situ geochemical exploration of the solar system, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new hybrid Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman Spectroscopy (LIBRA) standoff chemical analysis system. This 0.03 m^3, <10 kg, <15 W passively cooled system will offer high specificity in trace chemical detection through LIBS/Raman sensor fusion to minimize false alarm rate (<1 in one million). Its hermetically sealed, monolithic, space-qualified design will ensure the survivability of LIBRA through launch and extended operation on planet surfaces. In Phase I, POC demonstrated the feasibility of LIBRA by assembling and testing a proof-of-concept tabletop (0.020 m^3 sensing head; 0.025 m^3 power supply) prototype with a technology readiness level (TRL) of ~4, capable of up to 5 m standoff detection and identification of inorganic, organic, and mineral samples, including compounds associated with the origins of life, of interest to NASA solar system exploration missions. In Phase II, POC will optimize the system design and develop and fabricate a fully functional LIBRA prototype system to meet the needs of NASA solar system exploration programs. Prototype test data will lead to an engineering design for a space-rover-operable prototype.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In the LIBRA system NASA will have a versatile, compact, rugged, low-cost system that can be deployed on multiple planetary exploration missions and exploratory platforms for rapid in situ material and elemental analysis. The standoff capability enables it to analyze solid, liquid, and gaseous samples with no firmware changes. No single system offers the capability for such a large variety of geochemical analyses today. This system will have applications in terrestrial geochemical analysis for NASA's earth science programs. Its standoff capability can be used for process control feedback in space manufacturing operations. The high specificity low false alarm rate system will benefit contamination monitoring in space and terrestrial habitats. The ability to identify organic compounds will make this system an invaluable tool for biochemical analysis in space. Its ability to detect and identify almost any chemical will result in replacement of a number of chemical analysis instruments with a single LIBRA system, which will reduce space, weight, and power consumption in space habitats.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The LIBRA system will usher in a new generation in standoff chemical detection. Although ideally suited for testing solid geochemical samples, the system can be adapted for liquid and gaseous sample testing as well. LIBRA can be applied to field detection and analyses for environmental, medical, and homeland security applications. The compact system is a portable, user-friendly package, capable of performing laboratory-quality analysis. Military applications of the LIBRA system will include any program that has a use for standoff spectroscopy; the LIBRA can be incorporated, for example, by the Special Operations Command into their suite of chemical/biological detection tools for forward theater troops. It can be added to the sensor suites of UAVs such as Global Hawk to determine the compositions of objects. Almost any ground troops entering or surveying a city would benefit from LIBRA system technology.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Perception/Sensing
Optical

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

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Edward Alberta
ed@trstechnologies.com
2820 East College Avenue
State College,  PA 16803-7485

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this SBIR program, TRS Technologies has developed several new dielectrics for high temperature applications including signal conditioning, filtering and energy storage, and high-power RF. Feasibility was demonstrated by constructing prototype multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with capacitance values in the 80 to 100nF range @ 450<SUP>o</SUP>C and voltage handling capability of at least 250V. In particular, high dielectric constant (5,000 to 30,000), moderate loss (2-6%) capacitors were demonstrated with voltage handling capabilities of over 250V; and low dielectric constant (30-100), low loss (<<1%) capacitors were demonstrated with voltage handling capabilities of over 1000V that were capable of working from <30K to over 500<SUP>o</SUP>C while maintaining ca. ±14% of the room temperature capacitance.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The focus of this program is to develop high volumetric efficiency, high temperature (>450<SUP>o</SUP>C) capacitors for NASA's planned missions to the surface of Venus and interior of Jupiter. These include the Venus In-Situ Explorer (VISE) tentatively planned for 2013, the Venus Surface Explorer in 2020, the Venus Surface Sample Return (VSSR) in 2035, and the Jupiter Flyby with Deep Entry Probes in 2020. In particular TRS is developing high capacitance moderate voltage components for sensor signal processing electronics; moderate capacitance, high voltage components for power system electronics; and low capacitance, low loss, high power components for RF communication electronics.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
High temperature power electronics have become a vital aspect of future designs for power converters in spacecraft, advanced electric aircraft (Joint Strike Fighter and More Electric Aircraft), Navy ships (DD(X)), battle zone electric power, satellite power conditioning, electric/hybrid vehicles. The current market for high temperature capacitors is primarily limited to well logging tools for the oil, natural gas, and geothermal well drilling industries. Specific applications include motor/actuator controls, radiation detector systems (including high voltage electronics), acoustic imaging systems, seismic pulsing systems, signal conditioning, etc.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Ceramics
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Energy Storage
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
30 Forbes Road, Building B
Northborough, MA 01532-2501

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Owen Evans
oevans@aerogel.com
30 Forbes Road
Northborough,  MA 01532-2501

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
One of NASA's primary goals for the next decade is the design, development and launch of a spacecraft aimed at the in-situ exploration of the deep atmosphere and surface of Venus. The success of this mission, called VISE (Venus In-Situ Explorer), is reliant on the development of effective thermal insulation solutions capable of protecting spacecraft for extended periods of time from the extreme heat and pressure associated with the lower atmosphere of Venus. Materials intended for exterior application must also be inert towards the sulfuric, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid present. Aspen Aerogels, Inc. proposes to continue its development of aerogel composites intended for thermal and chemical protection to a Venus spacecraft. During the Phase I program, we fabricated several aerogels with inherent thermal conductivities below 40 mW/m-K. In Phase II, we propose to optimize the synthesis through systematic changes in gelation, extraction, and pyrolysis conditions. Furthermore, we will demonstrate thermal conductivities of 100 mW/m-K at 500 C under 90 bars of CO2 pressure. Lastly, methods for fabricating aerogel composites into complex shapes will be investigated along with system level design including attachment to the Venus spacecraft.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The outstanding thermal stability of these aerogel composites will allow use in the thermal protection of spacecraft subjected to high heat loads or the extremely low temperature of deep space. Heat shields composed of this flexible low density material can protect spacecraft during aggressive orbital entry (aerocapture/aerobraking) while imparting a significant mass savings over conventional ablative heat-shields. The extreme hardness of these aerogel composites should also provide protection from high velocity impacts from micrometeriods, as well as thermally insulating equipment against the frigid temperatures of deep space. These materials are expecting to have better insulating properties than conventional materials and should find use in a number of applications important to NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These materials will find use in a number of thermally demanding and corrosive environments including, but not limited to: thermal insulation for jet engines, automotives, nuclear reactors, petrochemical refineries, and electrical turbines.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Thermal Insulating Materials

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)
Ceramic Composites Inc. (CCI) of Millersville, MD in association with Swales Aerospace of Beltsville, MD have evaluated an innovative approach for the design of a Venus probe to maximize the payload volume and mass, while increasing probe lifetime. CCI and Swales have evaluated state-of-the-art materials and concepts to create a combination of thermal management approaches which maximizes value to NASA such as: 1) augmentation of the passive insulation with phase change materials (PCM) and two-phase evaporation cooling to maximize thermal protection at minimal volume and mass, 2) providing system corrosion protection through reverse flow gas balance to prolong vessel, sensor and window life, and 3) replacement of the titanium pressure vessel with a polymer matrix composite to reduce vessel mass and increase payload mass. The analyses conducted in Phase I indicate that the baseline concept will provide a lifetime of approximately 35 earth hours (while also managing a continuous 150W load from the scientific equipment) with a 100kg mass savings compared to a system employing the same thermal management system with a titanium pressure vessel. The Phase II effort will focus on refining the concept; designing, manufacturing, and evaluating a subscale prototype.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary applications for this high temperature and high pressure probe design technology are limited to NASA probes being sent to Venus or deep atmospheric probes to giant planets. This thermal management concept could be applied to landers for other planets as well. Mercury, for example, has a day side temperature of approximately 470<SUP>o</SUP>C with little to no atmosphere. It would, upon initial inspection, appear straightforward to modify the current thermal management system to perform effectively on Mercury. The lack of a high pressure atmosphere would reduce the load on the pressure vessel, further reducing the mass of the system. Likewise, the gas back-fill system becomes less complicated, if required at all. Project Prometheus is seeking radiators capable of operating at 1000 K1 and may face similar needs for lightweight insulating systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
While the system may have limited application, the components included within the program have great relevance here on earth. The use of lightweight moderate and low temperature insulation may find use in defense and commercial flight vehicles. The use of a lightweight, recycling, thin transpiration cooling layer may find use in automotive and electronic applications, and CCI is already studying the use of phase change materials in power electronics cooling. CTD is presently developing their PMC vacuum vessels for use as Dewars for liquid gas storage and chambers for chemical processing. Each of these applications will benefit from further study under this program.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Control Instrumentation
Thermal Insulating Materials
Composites

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Spire Corporation
One Patriots Park
Bedford, MA 01730-2396

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steven Wojtczuk
swojtczuk@bandwidthsemi.com
25 Sagamore Park Road
Hudson,  NH 03051-4901

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Spire Corporation is developing a key component for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) power technology for deep space missions. We are developing InGaAs monolithically interconnected modules (MIMs) that convert thermal photons from the ~1100C General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) into electrical power. The innovation is that these MIMs are designed to operate at higher cell temperatures (150C) and be more radiation-hard than current MIMs to better match the cell environment on missions. In Phase 1, we developed a model that predicts an optimum InGaAs bandgap (adjustable during epigrowth) for the operating temperature and 1100C blackbody GPHS spectrum of ~0.7eV, made sample devices, and tested temperature coefficients to confirm the model and measured data agree (e.g. model predicts –1.7mV/C for Voc vs. –1.8mV/C for data). In Phase 2, we will perform five iterations of a model, design, epitaxially grow, process, and test cycle. Data from each cycle will be used to improve the next design. Testing will include both radiation, temperature stability and accelerated life testing. Before program completion, we will survey NASA and commercial space power contractors for needs and make samples of the best design to distribute among space power contractors as a step toward generating interest and commercial sales.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Deep space missions to the outer planets may use radioisotope heat sources to supply power to the probe. Thermoelectrics have been used in the past, and thermophotovoltaic technology has been proposed as a higher (~3X) efficiency replacement for these thermoelectric converters.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Uses for a radiation-hard high-operating-temperature cell technology are somewhat limited, but "quiet" power on nuclear-powered naval vessels are another area where this technology may see application.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Photonics
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Nuclear Conversion
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Thermoelectric Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Sunpower, Inc.
182 Mill Street
Athens, OH 45701-2627

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Wood
wood@sunpower.com
182 Mill Street
Athens,  OH 45701-2827

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase Sunpower looked at Thermoacoustic Stirling Heat Engines (TASHEs). These ranged from a TASHE which was sized for the heat from a single General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS), to a larger unit sized for a Venus mission. We also looked at different types of cooler to produce both electrical power and sensor cooling for the Venus application. Computer projected performance and layout drawing were created for all the machines investigated. In Phase II we plan to fabricate, test, and develop the single-GPHS sized coaxial. TASHE designed in Phase I.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The NASA application for the TASHE would appear limited to convertors which require very high head temperatures ( >1100 C), such as the Venus mission because of the high ambient temperature. In the high temperature applications the benefit of eliminating the high temperature displacer must be considered in light of the lower TASHE thermodynamic performance.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
It appears that commercial applications of the TASHE would be limited to situations where efficiency is not important. Such applications include autonomous devices such as a furnace that does not require an external source of electricity for fans and blowers. Another such application would be a backup power system.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Thermodynamic Conversion

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)
micah yairi
m.yairi@lgrinc.com
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View,  CA 94041-1518

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Los Gatos Research, Inc. proposes to develop a lightweight, compact, rugged, near and mid-infrared gas-sensing spectroscopy instrument to accurately measure the abundance of various gases on Mars and other extra-terrestrial bodies. These gases include methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. This instrument will be a fully autonomous, stand-alone, remotely operable all fiber-based spectroscopy sensor capable of measuring gases in a Martian environment. The proposed prototype sensor includes the novel use of hollow photonic crystal fibers, which further enables accurate measurement of even small samples of gas. The project will also leverage Los Gatos Research's prior work developing rugged, autonomous gas sensors for extreme environments that NASA is currently using.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This SBIR effort addresses key objectives and goals outlined in NASA's Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group's 2006 report. The proposed photonic crystal fiber-based gas analyzer will address these objectives by being able to measure carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and ammonia. These gas measurements will help to understand atmospheric and planetary dynamics, history, and processes, help prepare for human exploration, and help identify indicators of life. The highly compact, robust, light-weight, and fully stand-alone, autonomous instrument makes it ideal for initial, potentially planet-wide characterization studies

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A compact, sensitive, real-time gas analyzer also has significant commercial application. Through a series of strategic partnerships, LGR is developing a suite of analytical instrumentation to measure gas concentrations for medical, pollution monitoring, and petrochemical applications. The proposed work is essential in making these instruments more rugged (no moving parts) and more compact (all fiber-based), and will thus significantly enlarge the potential for expanding into this greater than $100 million market.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomolecular Sensors
Biochemical
Photonics

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)
Rajan Gurjar
rgurjar@rmdinc.com
44 Hunt Street
Watertown,  MA 02472-4699

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Stereochemistry is an essential element of our organic life. Only certain enantiomers are useful as drugs for the human body. Raman optical activity (ROA) provides stereochemical information down to the bond levels. Many biomolecules like proteins and DNA can be studied to understand their structural chemistry and structure related dynamics. These methods do not require material in the crystalline form and hence can be very useful tools. However, ROA signals are even weaker than the Raman signals. Using an important biomolecule, we have demonstrated in Phase I that ROA can be enhanced using nanoparticles. Not only did the ROA ratio increase by two orders of magnitude, the measurement time reduced from several hours to 10 seconds. Phase II work will focus on enhancing ROA signals in different subspecies of biomolecules, namely amino acids and proteins, and developing the appropriate colloidal chemistry. Use of nanoparticles is known to enhance Raman signals by several orders of magnitude. Our goal is to achieve similar gains in ROA signals by using a sensitive detection system in combination with improved surface enhanced chemistry and microfluidics-based single-molecule detection techniques. This will result in improved precision of measurement and shorten measurement time.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's main interest in determining helicity of biomolecules is for extra-terrestrial life research programs. Indication of prevalence of L or D type biomolecules, their structure and isotope identification, can lead to useful clues of life existence elsewhere in outer space. Surface enhanced Raman optical activity (SEROA) tool will be very useful, especially for unknown biomolecules whose racemic mixtures cannot be easily identified and separated by phase separation techniques. Moreover, trace identification to the order of parts-per-trillion, or structure identification when crystalline structure is non-existent, are also some of the important issues that ROA can address. This instrument can also be useful for marine researchers who study life processes in deep underwater thermal vents. Sensitive Raman measurements with reduced measurement time will be of immense help considering the difficulty in obtaining access to samples. Real-time studies could become possible with the use of appropriate underwater fiber probes with nanoparticle coated films.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Research can lead to better methods to measure and quantify Raman optical activity (ROA). This technique can augment X-ray diffraction to provide structural information of a biomolecule, which is of prime interest to biomedical researchers and those developing drugs or cures to fight diseases. Many chemical and drug industries employ spectrometer systems to measure circular dichroism. So far, the focus has been on measuring electronic or linear dichroism on a large number of molecules due to the ease of measurement. However, with ROA, a single molecule can be studied. Other benefits include not having to rely on phase separation techniques, which are not easily available for every molecule. Our efforts will pave the way for obtaining improved ROA signals using existing spectrometers with little modification. Knowledge of specific enantiomers can help drug research.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Biomolecular Sensors

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
MesoScribe Technologies, Inc.
25 Health Sciences Drive
Stony Brook, NY 11790-3350

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Huey-Daw Wu
hwu@mesoscribe.com
25 Health Sciences Drive
Stony Brook,  NY 11790-3350

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Flexible, foldable, and/or inflatable antenna systems open up a wealth of opportunities. Integrating antenna elements and related electronics onto flexible substrates, however, poses significant challenges. To our knowledge, there exists no technology that can incorporate a variety of electronic/sensor materials onto large-area flexible substrates to create flexible and conformable circuits in an economical and reliable way. The majority of the limitations stem from processing techniques. Mesoscribe Technologies, a high tech start-up from SUNY-Stony Brook, proposes to apply a breakthrough new direct writing technology to meet the objectives set-forth in the NASA SBIR topic S2.06 Advanced Flexible Electronics. This technology is based on revolutionary advances to modern day thermal spray materials processing enables deposition of wide range of electronic materials onto large areas at low processing temperatures and, for most part, requires no post-processing. The Phase I effort focused on demonstrating proof-of-concept to deposit conducting microstrip lines and sensors on flexible substrates. The Phase II program will be focused exclusively on developing a Direct-Write-Thermal-Spray based large-area patterning capability that is based on roll-to-roll processing to fabricate large-area antennas on flexible substrates, focusing, in particular, on JPL's L-band membrane-based active phased array radar.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development of a large area, flexible phased array antenna will provide enhanced capabilities for NASA's Earth science remote sensing applications and future missions to the Moon, Mars, Titan and Venus. Electronically steerable L-band antennas will enable detection of surface and subsurface topology and the increased aperture will enable repeat-pass interfermetric Synthetic Aperture Radar missions to be conducted at higher altitudes. Antenna fabrication on flexible membrane structures is critical to reduce mass, launch vehicle stowage volume, and overall cost in comparison to rigid radar systems. A variety of potential applications may result from this technology, if developed to fruition. Applications include: space-based radar systems, unfurlable antennas to minimize volume on space flights, very large area antennas (10–100+ m2) for long-distance and low-signal detection, conformal antennas on space craft and space structures, rectifying antennas (rectennas) for microwave power transmission, power harvesting and sensors, and harsh environment (space) sensors.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Applications for flexible electronics have wide-spread appeal within the Department of Defense and consumer electronics industry. Successful project development and implementation will enable significant breakthroughs in distributed sensors and distributed electromagnetics fabricated on flexible polymer substrates. Applications include antennas, communication modules, health monitoring sensors, RFID's, integrated sensor arrays, and large aperture antennas for the communications and surveillance of airships.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Manipulation
Inflatable
Testing Facilities
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Microwave/Submillimeter
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Highly-Reconfigurable
Metallics
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Applied Biomathematics
100 North Country Road
Setauket , NY 11733-1300

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Scott Ferson
scott@ramas.com
100 North Country Road
Setauket,  NY 11733-1300

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This project extends Probability Bounds Analysis to model epistemic and aleatory uncertainty during early design of engineered systems in an Integrated Concurrent Engineering environment. This method uses efficient analytic and semi-analytic calculations, is more rigorous than probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation, and provides comprehensive and (often) best possible bounds on mission-level risk as a function of uncertainty in each parameter. Phase 1 demonstrated the capability to robustly model uncertainty during early design. Phase 2 will build on the Phase 1 work by 1) Implementing the PBA technology in Excel-mediated computing tools, 2) Fashioning an interface for these tools that enables fast and robust elicitation of expert knowledge, 3) Initiating the development of a library of such elicitations, 4) Demonstrating the application of the tools, interface and library in an interactive, distributed-computing environment, 5) Developing case studies, and 6) Creating tutorial documentation. Important applications of these new tools include the ability to rapidly and rigorously explore uncertainty regarding alternate designs, determine risk-based margins that are robust to surprise, and incorporate qualitatively described risks in quantitative analyses. This suite of capabilities is not currently available to systems engineers and cannot be provided by more traditional probabilistic risk assessment methods.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary application envisioned for the extended PBA technology at NASA is the analysis of uncertainty and risk in subsystem, system, and mission design in an Integrated Concurrent Engineering environment like the IDC at LaRC. The methods, algorithms, libraries, and software developed will be of use in a wide variety of commercial activities that involve physics- or non-physics-based systems design, reliability assessment, or risk analysis. Applications where NASA may use the technology while serving as a vendor include: (1) Uncertainty and risk analysis during commercial spacecraft subsystem component, subsystem, system, and/or mission early design, (2) Integrated analysis of qualitative and quantitative uncertainty during commercial operations and organization design, restructuring and/or risk and reliability analysis, (3) Commercial organizational and/or mission risk reduction modeling, and (4) Incorporation of quantitative uncertainty and risk analysis in quantitative system-wide, mission-wide, and/or organization-wide probabilistic risk-based margin determination metrics and management procedures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The successful completion of Phase 2 research and development will result in a library of functions for performing PBA in Microsoft Excel, a software add-on implementing those functions, a software application that guides engineers in constructing uncertain input parameters using available information, and methods for applying these technologies in an ICE early design environment. Potential commercial applications include: (1) A Microsoft Excel application for analyzing risk using PBA and uncertain numbers. Successful commercial Excel-based risk analysis applications exist (e.g., Crystal Ball), but all rely on Monte Carlo simulation and are thus limited in comprehensiveness and applicability to near real time design environments; (2) A commercial software application implementing PBA technology using quantitative and qualitative uncertainty information to perform system optimization, constraint satisfaction, and organizational risk reduction modeling; and (3) Methods and software for developing system- or organization-wide probabilistic risk-based margin determination metrics and management procedures. This product could be implemented as a book with accompanying software, or as a training workshop.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Expert Systems
Human-Computer Interfaces
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
SySense, Inc.
300 East Magnolia Blvd., Suite 300
Burbank, CA 91502-1156

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Chen
RobertChen@sysense.com
300 East Magnolia Blvd, Suite 300
Burbank,  CA 91502-1156

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Formation flying enables new capabilities in distributed sensing, surveillance in Earth orbit and for interferometer imaging in deep space as envisioned by the Terrestrial Plant Finder-Interferometer (TPF-I) mission. Specifically, formation flying spacecraft refer to a set of spatially distributed spacecraft interacting and cooperating with one another. Our objective in Phase II is to develop and implement highly reliable fault detection, identification, and reconstruction algorithms that take into account the high analytic redundancy of the spacecraft and the distributed spacecraft system. In the Phase I our analytic redundancy management methodology was developed and demonstrated on a small distributed and collaborative set of simulated spacecraft. These results are to be generalized and applied to realistic spacecraft systems in Phase II. Faults in spacecraft sensors and actuators of a cluster of spacecraft are to be detected, identified, and reconstructed using abstractions from high-fidelity models such as found in FAST (Formation Algorithms and Simulation Testbed). From these analytical redundancy algorithms a fault-tolerant state estimator is constructed which is not corrupted by system faults. These techniques will be implemented and tested in FAST. These algorithms will be transferred to the Formation Control Testbed (FCT) robots and tested and verified in FCT.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The anticipated product of this proposal in Phase II is distributed fault-tolerant estimation system that will meet the performance specifications for TPF-I and will be evaluated on FAST and FCT. Furthermore, our analytical redundancy or health monitoring systems can be implemented on NASA's test flight airplanes, space shuttles, launch vehicles, the Next Generation Air Transportation System and other aerospace vehicle systems to enhance the safe operation of these vehicles in a more affordable and efficient manner.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Development of our distributed analytical redundancy or health monitoring systems will be important for societal acceptance of automated system, especially those that involve manned systems, such as automated cars on automated highways and personal mobile system that would allow personal flying vehicles.

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

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)
MARK SMITH
msmith@xinetics .com
115 JACKSON ROAD
DEVENS,  MA 01434-4088

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
One of the critical issues for NASA missions requiring high contrast astrophysical imaging such as Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is wavefront control. Without use of appropriate adaptive optics technology, it is impossible to obtain high quality imaging. Normal adaptive optics systems utilize a series of discreet components to satisfy the correction requirements. These consist of tip/tilt mirror and deformable mirrors. Xinetics has engaged in developing series of deformable mirrors and integrated adaptive optical components that will improve the optical quality of traditional wavefront control systems while simultaneously reducing system volume, weight and cost. Our innovative integrated wavefront corrector will combine new types of deformable mirror, Photonex Meniscus, with tip/tilt stage with Xinetics co-fired ceramic actuators. The proposed effort is the result of a strategic vision to develop small robust wavefront corrector designed to be employed in space based optical systems.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This technology will apply to many NASA mission such as TPF, SIM, SAFAIR, and others where compact lightweight adaptive optics system will be necessary. The ground based telescope will also benefit from this technology with it potential cost and foot print reduction capability.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA commercial applications include microlithogrpahy, ophthalmology, optical communications and astronomy, all of which will benefit from improved adaptive optics system that will provide volume, weight and cost reduction.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Boston Micromachines Corporation
108 Water Street
Watertown, MA 02472-4696

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Bierden
pab@bostonmicromachines.com
108 Water Street
Watertown,  MA 02472-4696

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal describes a Phase II SBIR project to develop high-resolution, ultraflat micromirror array devices using advanced silicon surface micromachining technology and building on process innovations demonstrated in a successful Phase I research effort. Each device will be comprised of 331 close-packed hexagonal mirror segments. Each segment will be controlled to nanometer-scale tolerances in rotation (tilt) and surface normal translation (piston) using electrostatic actuators. The architecture used in the micromirror design and fabrication processes used, are scaleable to array sizes up to 1027 mirror segments with 3081 independent control points. The completed device will be delivered to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for evaluation in the High Contrast Imaging Testbed. If successful, this project will result in enabling hardware for wavefront control, as needed for starlight canceling coronagraphic instruments. The Phase I project demonstrated actuator designs and mirror segment manufacturing processes that were capable of meeting the unprecedented demands of such instruments with regard to segment optical quality, segment planarity during actuation, and actuation precision and range. In the Phase II effort, these designs and processes will be used to produce a functional, packaged micromirror array that will meet the immediate wavefront control needs for visible nulling coronagraphic testbed instrument. The device is being designed and fabricated to be suitable for space-based operation as part of a future observatory mission.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will be a useful tool for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission. It will be particularly suitable for insertion in the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at JPL. One built-in capability of HCIT is to test alternative coronagraph concepts developed under industry and university contracts. The modularity of HCIT allows integration of guest user modules such as the proposed µDM. The proposed mirror will be designed specifically to be compatible with HCIT. It is expected that success of this work will lead to further evaluation of MEMS DMs in science and technology missions that precede and follow TPF. All but one of the seven precursor missions calls for active optics. It is expected that deformable mirror technology will play an ever-increasing role in astronomical imaging systems, as competing requirements for increased resolution and lighter weight primary mirrors push the technology forward. Another area that the proposed technology will have an application at NASA is for the Extrasolar Planet Imaging Coronograph (EPIC) Discovery Mission. This program has been proposed and is currently being reviewed. EPIC will image and characterize extrasolar giant planets in orbits with semi-major axes between 2 and 6 AU. A requirement for this mission is a pair of hexagonal micro-mirror arrays similar to the technology proposed in this project.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The processing technology developed in this program will allow the future development of deformable mirrors for non-NASA applications as well. Ultra-flat highly reflective mirror surfaces are required for a number of commercial applications. Examples of these applications include high power lasers and optical lithography. Leaders in both of these markets are currently exploring the use of adaptive optics to enhance performance of their optical systems. There is currently no commercially available deformable mirror capable of producing the high quality wavefront that could be achieved using the proposed mirror technology.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
TRS Ceramics, Inc.
2820 East College Avenue, Suite J
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 proposes innovative hybrid electrostatic/flextensional membrane deformable mirror capable of large amplitude aberration correction for large aperture and light weight space telescopes, and proposes to investigate the performances of single crystal piezoelectric actuators in space environment. The innovative hybrid deformable mirror concept is expected to eliminate actuator cross talk in electrostatic membrane mirror, while the large stroke (> 300 um) flextensional actuators provide large dynamic range by more than an order of magnitude over the current state of the art. The proposed membrane DM retains the characteristics of membrane mirrors such as light weight, adaptable to large aperture and low cost. Flextensional actuator arrays with stroke of > 300 um will be developed and a hybrid electrostatic/flextensional membrane deformable mirror will be prototyped and characterized. The single crystal piezoelectric actuators produced at TRS offer large stroke, low hysteresis, and an excellent cryogenic strain response. Further investigation on using single crystal piezoelectric actuators in space environment will explore the possibility of using low profile, lightweight, and high performance piezoelectric actuations for positioning, alignment and shape control in space applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Large aperture, light weight, hybrid electrostatic/piezoelectric flextensional membrane deformable mirror technology offers capability of greater dynamic wavefront correction at broader temperature range, which is desired for many future NASA missions such as JWST, SIM, TDP, SAFIR, Con-X and others. Apart from the adaptive optics applications, single crystal piezoelectric actuators could be used in various positioning, alignment, vibration control and smart structures in space applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Large aperture, light weight, hybrid electrostatic/piezoelectric flextensional membrane deformable mirror technology are also attractive to DOD adaptive optics programs such as directed energy applications. Apart from adaptive optics applications, large stroke, high precision single crystal piezoelectric actuators are also good candidates for fibre optic steering, microfluidics, MEMS switch, micro/nanopisitioning for hard disk drives as well as biological manipulations, vibration and noise control, energy harvesting, etc.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Kinematic-Deployable
Biomedical and Life Support
Laser
Instrumentation
Multifunctional/Smart Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
TechnoScience Corporation
P.O. Box 60658
Palo Alto, CA 94306-2306

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jam Farhoomand
jfarhoomand@mail.arc.nasa.gov
P.O. Box 60658
Palo Alto,  CA 94306-0658

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposal introduces an innovative concept aimed to develop, for the first time, a 1k pixel far infrared focal-plane array with the following key design features: 1- A top-illuminated, 2D germanium array (32x32 single or 64x64 mosaic) with the possibility of extension to very large formats. The quantum efficiency is enhanced by metalizing the bottom surface for a second pass. 2- A 2-side buttable 32x32 (64x64 mosaic) CTIA readout multiplexer using advanced cryo-CMOS process. The unit-cell design is optimized for far IR detectors, eliminates detector debiasing, and improves pixel uniformity. The readout is operational down to at least 2.0K. 3- A novel, direct hybrid design using indium-bump technology. This integrated design offers superior noise performance and effectively addresses the readout glow, detector heating, and thermal mismatch between the detector and the readout. This is the key discriminator of this project. The projected sensitivity of this array as well as the 1k pixel (4k pixel mosaic) format meets the stated requirements of future NASA instruments. This effort fits well within the scope of the SBIR Subtopic S4.01 and will be a benefit to many large and small NASA projects such as SOFIA and SAFIR.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Space instruments developed under Origins Program such as SAFIR, science instruments for SOFIA,upcoming projects under Astrobiology Program, balloon-borne instruments for atmospheric research, and laboratory science instruments.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Aerospace industry: In addition to the aerospace companies that are under contract to NASA and directlyparticipate in the space program, there are those that independently manufacture infrared detector arrays in large formats. Some aerospace companies that would be interested in our product are Raytheon VisionSystems, Boeing, Rockwell, and Ball Aerospace. Science groups at universities and national labs: Astronomical science instruments for observations at ground-based observatories and instruments for basicresearch.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Instrumentation
Microwave/Submillimeter
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Superconducting Systems, Inc.
90 Rumford Avenue
Waltham, MA 02453-3847

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Shahin Pourrahimi
pourrahimi@superconductingsystems.com
90 Rumford Avenue
Waltham,  MA 02453-3847

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Phase II program will concentrate on manufacturing of qualified low-current, light-weight, 10K ADR magnets for space application. Shielded ADR solenoidal magnets will be compared with self-shielding toriodal magnets in terms of overall weight, volume, and cooling capacity. Models of both toroidal and shielded solenoidal magnet systems will be built and tested to compare the two options at practical as well as technical levels.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Phase II program will concentrate on manufacturing of qualified low-current, light-weight, 10K ADR magnets for space application. Shielded ADR solenoidal magnets will be compared with self-shielding toriodal magnets in terms of overall weight, volume, and cooling capacity. Models of both toroidal and shielded solenoidal magnet systems will be built and tested to compare the two options at practical as well as technical levels.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Currently many commercial superconducting magnets use NbTi wires and are cryogen-free. These magnets use commercial cryocoolers that can achieve cooling capacity of 0.5-1W at 4K. The input power requirement of these cryocoolers range between 3-5 KW. Operations at 10K can allow the input power to be reduced by a factor of 2-3. With the continuous rise in price of fuel, reduction in input power has a high potential to drive the cryogen-free superconducting market towards Nb3Sn magnets operating at 10K. Additionally, execution of this program will facilitated the commercialization of Formvar insulated reinforced Nb3Sn wires that can be wound to form coils. This approach to manufacturing of Nb3Sn coils, often refered to as react-and-wind, has been a much sought after technology by the international superconductivity community as it offers both economy and precision to Nb3Sn magnet fabrication.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Superconductors and Magnetic

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mainstream Engineering Corporation
200 Yellow Place
Rockledge, FL 32955-5327

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Daniel Mason
dkm@mainstream-engr.com
200 Yellow Place
Rockledge,  FL 32955-5239

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Mainstream Engineering Corporation completed the design of a high-speed pump for International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support Systems and future spacecraft and extraterrestrial outpost applications. Specifications for this pump were derived from an existing pump currently operating as part of the thermal control loop on the ISS. The design includes magnetic bearings so that a vibration-reducing control algorithm can be implemented. A digital controller was designed, which measured and reduced vibration-causing fluctuations in shaft displacement due to rotor unbalance in multiple axes. The controller was tested over an operating speed range of 600 to 7200 rpm with excellent results. The controller reduced mean shaft displacement by 71% over the entire operating range, and reduced it by more than 80% at higher operating speeds where synchronous vibration was dominant. In Phase II the magnetic bearing equipped cooling loop pump designed in Phase I will be fabricated and tested. Mainstream will demonstrate the added efficiency, reliability, and low vibration of the system as compared with the existing pump. The pump assembly will undergo vibration characterization testing with support from Marshall Space Flight Center.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
High-speed magnetic bearing turbomachines have great potential to address the needs of NASA's thermal control applications. The particular system designed is an ideal retrofit for the PPA on the International Space Station. It should not only generate less vibration than the current system, but also have higher reliability and greater efficiency. A pump system that is vibration- and maintenance-free is ideal for the upcoming Crew Exploration Vehicle, Crew Launch Vehicle, and landing vehicles. Use in the thermal control systems of Martian and lunar outposts is also an excellent application. Applications utilizing this technology, including cooling systems based on reverse-Brayton and vapor-compression cycles, are perfectly suited for use on long-term detector and exploration missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Magnetic bearing systems have the ability to operate over an enormous speed range and can be designed and tuned to operate under most any loading conditions. The potential for this technology is great in other areas where high-sensitivity and reliability of rotating components are critical, including military surveillance and medical, HVAC, semiconductor fabrication, and machine tool industries.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Control Instrumentation
Cooling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Light Processing & Technologies, Inc. d/b/a OptiGrate
3267 Progress Drive
Orlando, FL 32826-3230

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Vadim Smirnov
VSmirnov@OptiGrate.com
3267 Progress Drive
Orlando,  FL 32826-3230

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The main purpose of this NASA SBIR Phase II proposal is development of a novel type of high resolving power diffraction gratings based on volume Bragg gratings technology. The key innovation, which was used for creation of these gratings, is based on patented technology of production of high efficiency volume diffractive elements in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass on which OptiGrate has an exclusive license from the University of Central Florida. The significance of the innovation is that volume diffractive gratings in PTR glass have diffraction efficiency more than 95% and resolving power up to 20,000 in spectral range from 400 to 2700 nm. These gratings have 25 mm-long standard aperture with possibility to increase it up to 50 mm with the spectral resolution less than 50 pm. This, to the best of our knowledge, exceeds parameters of all comparable gratings worldwide. Moreover, as a result of Phase I project performance, a combination of high resolution Bragg grating with Fabri-Perot etalon provides additional increasing of spectral selectivity and enables the further increasing of spectral resolution power. This approach will be used for development of narrow band filters for detection of O2 (766 nm), H2O (935 nm), CO2 (1571 nm) and CH4 (1650 nm) with spectral width well below 1 nm (100 – 200 pm), aperture 25 mm, throughput exceeding 90% in both reflecting and transmitting geometries. An additional task in Phase II would be a development of a scanning technology within a narrow line about 100 pm with resolution in the range from 1 to 10 pm. Aperture 25 mm, selected radiation should be focused to a photoreceiver of about 200 um.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Besides the direct goal of the development of High Resolving Power Volume Diffractive Gratings for 400-2700 nm Spectral Range in PTR glass, Phase II of this project will emphasize commercial potential of diffractive optical elements recorded in PTR glass. Potential NASA commercial applications are in the fields of high-resolution spectroscopy, narrow-band filtering for detection of different chemical agents, spectral scanning with sub-Angstrom resolution, remote sensing and targeting, range finding, spectral sensing and other NASA based applications where diffractive optical components are the key elements. In general words, those narrow-band holographic elements will provide dramatic increase of signal-to-noise ratio for almost any types of transmitters and receivers which work in visible and near IR spectral regions. Moreover, such devises will enable a breakthrough in multiplexing/demultiplexing processing for dense multichannel systems of optical communication and monitoring.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The main area of interest of DoD government agencies and private laser and semiconductor companies is focused on spectrally and angularly controlled diffractive beam deflectors, beam steering elements, mode selectors, incoherent and coherent beam combiners for both solid-state and semiconductor lasers, adjustable attenuators and beam splitters for laser beams. It is clear that the range of PTR technology applications is significantly wider that those mentioned above. OptiGrate is committed to develop these various applications and successfully bringing them to the commercial markets in a cost effective manner. It is important that wide applications of PTR Bragg gratings with high spectral resolution power and their combination with Fabry-Perot etalons will dramatically decrease their manufacturing cost and make their application more feasible.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Control Instrumentation
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Laser
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Biochemical
Optical
High-Energy
Mission Training
Photonics
Ceramics
Composites
Optical & Photonic Materials
Power Management and Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
LightSmyth Technologies
860 W. Park, Suite 250
Eugene, OR 97401-3061

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dmitri Iazikov
diazikov@lightsmyth.com
860 W. Park, Suite 250
Eugene,  OR 97401-3061

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Diffraction gratings are powerful tools for the spectral analysis of electromagnetic radiation. Properties of gratings are determined by available fabrication means – which have not changed substantially in 50 years. Modern photolithography, now approaching nanometer resolution, may revolutionize the way many gratings are made and, through greater design flexibility, how gratings function. Over 1011 pixels, each smaller than 100 nm and collectively spanning areas of multiple centimeters, can be addressed individually with nanometer-scale absolute positioning accuracy by modern lithographic tools, thereby making it possible to create gratings with virtually any desired line curvature, variable line spacing, length and thickness – features largely beyond traditional fabrication means. LightSmyth Technologies proposes to leverage these state-of-the-art photolithographic patterning tools to design flat imaging gratings that combine dispersive grating function with one- and two-dimensional focusing. Importantly, diffractive, aka holographic, focusing may have substantially lower aberration in low f-number or high incidence angle configurations. Line spacing and curvature do the focusing. This design and fabrication strategy will be applied to the development of gratings for NASA's NEXUS effort and other advanced grating products of value to NASA and the commercial markets – all of which leverage on the innovative fabrication platform LightSmyth brings to the diffractive market.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology represents an innovative approach to creating aberration-corrected imaging gratings on flat substrates, as well as variable line spacing gratings with arbitrary line spacings and curvature. The Phase 2 effort aims at developing diffraction grating for the NEXUS spectrometer based on this approach, which are expected to provide superior performance and lower cost compared to traditionally fabricated mechanically-ruled curved-substrate gratings. The developed technology will be applicable to a wide range of NASA projects, and is expected to uniquely address the grating requirements of the Constellation-X project, EUNIS (Extreme Ultraviolet Normal-Incidence Spectrometer) of GSFC, RAISE (Rapid Acquisition Imaging Spectrograph Experiment) of the Southwest Research Institute and SUMI (Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation) of Marshall Space Flight Center by replacing traditional holographically and mechanically ruled gratings with the proposed computer-generated lithographically-fabricated diffraction gratings. After additional development, the technology will also yield gratings for visible and infrared spectroscopy for other NASA projects.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The compact aberration-corrected imaging diffractive elements to be derived from the present effort form the basis of spectrometers and spectrographs for the UV, visible and IR ranges. In combination with the capability to produce large volumes via wafer-scale fabrication these high quality focusing gratings elements with high dispersion, high line count, and short focusing length may create a true break-through in the consumer, industrial, military and scientific spectrometer markets. Applications include spectroscopic monitoring of industrial processes in the chemical, food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, textile, petroleum and mining industries, filtering in optical telecommunications as components of gain equalizers, tunable lasers, CWDM/DWDM multiplexers, medical diagnostics employing bio-optical techniques, spectroscopic quality control in laser and semiconductor production, environmental sampling and remote sensing for pollution control and monitoring of bioterrorism threats, and hyperspectral imaging for environmental and conservation applications and military applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Laser
Biochemical
Optical
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Los Gatos Research
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View, CA 94041-1529

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Douglas Baer
d.baer@lgrinc.com
67 East Evelyn Avenue, Suite 3
Mountain View,  CA 94041-1529

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In the proposed SBIR Phase I program LGR will develop and deploy a novel instrument ("Optical Thermometer") that provides real-time, in situ, non-contact measurements of substrate temperature in optical coating reactors. The instrument will employ an inexpensive diode laser, fiber optic components, and established laser interferometry methods to determine substrate temperature at multiple locations with a replicate precision of better than 0.01 degrees C in a measurement time of less than 0.01 seconds. The precision may be improved with increasing measurement time, if desired. The "Optical Thermometer" will be demonstrated on optical substrates made of a variety of materials in state-of-the-art industrial reactors specializing in UV, visible, near-IR and mid-IR optical coatings. The fast response of the sensor will enable coaters to use, for the first time, precise measurements of bulk substrate temperature to identify temperature nonuniformities during the coating process, refine and improve coating processes in real time, and minimize interwafer and batch-to-batch variations through closed-loop process control.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
temperature sensors for optical coating reactors, temperature sensors for semiconductor process (etch) reactors, temperature sensors for monitoring thermal uniformity in large-scale and small-scale optics and telescopes

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
process control of optical coating reactors, control of semiconductor process (etch) reactors, temperature sensors for monitoring thermal uniformity in large-scale and small-scale optics and telescopes, and industrial processes that require ultra-high accuracy temperature measurements and real-time control based on temperature

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Iris AO, Inc.
2680 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-1717

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Michael Helmbrecht
michael.helmbrecht@irisao.com
2680 Bancroft Way
Berkeley,  CA 94704-1717

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In Phase I research, Iris AO developed enhanced electromechanical models and calibration techniques for MEMS-based segmented deformable mirrors (DMs) applicable to a variety of high contrast astrophysical imagers. High-precision DMs with 1,000-1,000,000 actuators are critical for high-contrast systems. Non-MEMS DMs meet some NASA requirements, but require high actuation voltages, have low actuator densities, and do not scale readily beyond a few thousand actuators. MEMS DMs offer natural scalability, but do not yet meet the stringent precision and stability requirements for space telescopes. Prior to this Phase I work, very few researchers have focused on extremely precise characterization of MEMS DMs. Technical advances achieved in this Phase I improved open-loop positioning accuracy from nearly 100 nm rms to an impressive 8 nm rms. Stability measurements showed performance as good as 0.21-1.17 nm rms in an uncontrolled open-access laboratory over a 15-minute span. Including high-frequency noise sources not captured by Phase I optical measurement techniques but known to be present on the DM segments, this rises to 5.6 nm rms. Noise source analysis conducted in Phase I shows that stability to <0.2 nm rms is feasible. Phase II will implement the improvements necessary to attain <0.3 nm rms stability and resolution. These improvements include: 1) reducing known noise and drift sources identified in Phase I and tracking remaining measured but unknown noise sources; 2) increasing resolution to 0.14 nm rms through enhancements in drive electronics initiated in Phase I and optimizing the DM design to utilize the full dynamic range of the electronics; 3) improving optical quality of the Iris AO DM segments to 1-3 nm rms; 4) testing resolution and stability of the prototypes; 5) expanding reliability testing that started in Phase I and 6) investigate the effects of operating in vacuum.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Iris AO precision deformable mirror (DM) and adaptive optics (AO) technology is a key enabling component in a host of future NASA missions. These include various coronagraphic and spectrographic missions such as EPIC, ECLIPSE, SAFIR and TPF-C. Other NASA projects that would also benefit from Iris AO's deformable mirror technology are SPECS, the Stellar Imager and EASI. Furthermore, the technology is critical for the removal of aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence required for all large ground based telescopes such as Palomar, Keck, and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT),

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed extreme precision adaptive optics (AO) technology could find immediate application in military communications and imaging products. The Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) both are interested in satellite AO. Systems used in military surveillance such as in the Predator drone and Global Hawk would benefit from the high-resolution, light weight, and low power consumption afforded by Iris AO's MEMS devices. The commercial market for lower precision AO systems is even larger. The strongest interest is biomedical instruments, most notably ophthalmic devices for retinal imaging and surgery. Recent research results show the dramatic improvements in retinal image quality attained with adaptive optics. AO is rapidly being viewed as a key enabling technology in early disease diagnosis and treatment. The overall ophthalmic instrument market exceeds $1 billion annually and the portion of this devoted to adaptive optics is estimated to be in excess of $60 million.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Biomedical and Life Support
Laser
Optical
Substrate Transfer Technology
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
aPeak, Inc.
63 Albert Road
Newton, MA 02466-1302

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Stefan Vasile
svasile@apeakinc.com
63 Albert Rd.
Newton,  MA 02466-1302

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Many NASA space and Earth programs in the infrared range 1060-1550 nm are limited by the detector performance that require long exposure time due to their low sensitivity and/or high noise. Large format infrared photon counting arrays with ranging capability would provide a valuable tool to many space missions. Current state of the art fabrication of photon counting infrared detector arrays on non-silicon semiconductors is not mature enough to monolithically integrate complex readout circuitry at pixel level and large format array multiplexing. We proposed to develop novel fast readout integrated circuits (ROIC) to be integrated with large photon-counting infrared detector arrays into 3D imaging cameras with photon-counting sensitivity. These new cameras would support NASA missions in applications such as space docking, landing, remote mapping, and robotic vision. The goal of this program is to develop smart-pixel ROIC arrays in silicon with enhanced radiation tolerance, ready for hybrid integration with large infrared photon-counting avalanche photodiode arrays, that will enable large-area detectors with short integration time, sub-nanosecond timing resolution, and on-pixel logic. In Phase I, we have simulated, implemented, and successfully validated all the blocks of a ROIC array specifically developed for operation with infrared photon-counting arrays. In Phase II, we will improve, fabricate and qualify ROIC arrays with integrated timing functions at pixel level and capable of integration in flip-chip technology with large infrared photon counting detector arrays.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Free space optical communications, LADAR, LIDAR, planetary mapping, obstacle detection, 3d remote robotics, docking,

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
ROIC arrays, interconnected to large format detector arrays covering different spectral ranges, could enhance the performance of hyperspectral imaging in medical and defense applications. Specific biomedical applications include positron emission tomography (PET), laser correlation spectroscopy (LCS), single molecule detection, fast DNA sequencing. Military and security applications would include generic 3D imaging, hyperspectral imaging, laser ranging, night vision, surveillance, anti-collision devices, underwater imaging, and cargo imaging. In High-Energy and Nuclear Physics, these ROIC arrays could be used for high-resolution tracking and experiments using time-of-flight methods.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Photonics

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

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ADVR, Inc. proposes the development of a fiber coupled, high power, electro-optically controlled, space qualified, phase modulator for the NASA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The proposed device will be capable of phase modulating a 1 W or greater, continuous wave optical signal at multi-gigahertz rates at 1064 nm. The key innovation is the use of a waveguide embedded in a non-linear optical material suitable for high optical power handling. The phase modulators used for LISA must be rugged and must perform optimally in a radiation environment over the mission lifetime. To achieve this goal, the proposed phase modulator development will include a fiber-in-fiber-out design that 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 proposed high power, fiber coupled phase modulator enables the creation of a device that is not commercially available. There are several NASA applications that will benefit from this technology development. The modulator will find uses in high power lasers systems to provide sidebands onto a carrier signal and lidar systems which utilize high power fiber amplifiers. An additional application is a light modulator for locking a laser wavelength to a gas absorption reference.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The high optical power capability of the proposed phase modulator provides the primary basis for ADVR to enter the commercial market with this product. The proposed fiber coupled phase modulator provides an alternative to currently available free space coupled phase modulators that can handle similar optical powers, but are bulky and require high drive voltage to operate. Additionally, the proposed fiber coupled modulator is capable of handling significantly higher optical powers than the leading manufacturer of fiber coupled lithium niobate waveguide phase modulators which are only capable of handling 100mW at 1064nm due to material limitations.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
RF
Optical
Photonics
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)
Vladimir Markov
vmarkov@metrolaserinc.com
2572 White Road
Irvine,  CA 92614-6236

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
MetroLaser proposes to design and develop an innovative narrowband tunable IR filter based on the properties of a one-dimensional photonic crystal structure with a resonant cavity. Such structure would exhibit an ultra-narrow, high-throughput band in the middle of a wide, low-transmission stop-band. During Phase I, through an extensive and detailed analysis, we performed a feasibility study to establish the operational characteristics and performance of the proposed tunable filter. Following this, we assembled and tested a breadboard and demonstrated filter tunability over 4 cm 1 with bandpass close to 0.25 cm-1, rejection level better than 23 dB, and acceptance angle of about 1 degree at 10.6 microns. The acquired data demonstrated our optimal approach for designing and constructing an ultra-narrow tunable optical bandpass filter. During Phase II, we will design, build, deliver to NASA, and perform field testing of a compact and robust prototype module of a 1" diameter narrowband filter with a tunability range of 10 cm-1, a bandpass range of 0.1 cm-1, background rejection of 30 dB, and transmittance better than 50%. A rugged and monolithic filter design will allow this instrument to be incorporated in air- or space-based platforms providing stable performance in harsh operating environments.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed narrowband tunable IR bandpass filter will expand the capabilities of NASA's Earth-Sun System Division for high spectral resolution and high accuracy measurements of tropospheric, atmospheric, and surface parameters from space and airborne platforms. These include remote sensing capabilities, measurements of climate and meteorological parameters, and terrain mapping.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed narrowband tunable bandpass filter will find commercial applications in space-based and airborne multi-spectral imaging and remote sensing systems, including tropospheric chemistry studies and atmospheric science. It will expand capabilities for high accuracy spectral measurements within the tunable narrow spectral regions necessary for resolving individual spectral features. Due to its high spectral resolution, wide tunability range, compactness, ruggedness and stability, the proposed filter will allow for innovative solutions in high-resolution spectroscopic instrumentation, especially when portable devices are of interest.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mevicon, Inc.
1121 San Antonio Road, Suite B-100-B
Palo Alto, CA 94303-4311

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Eric Flint
eric.flint@mevicon.com
1121 San Antonio Rd, Suite B-100-B
Palo Alto,  CA 94303-4311

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Membrane Optical Shell Technology (MOST) is an innovative combination of 1) very low areal density (40 to 200g/m2) optically smooth (<20 nm rms), metallic coated reflective membrane thin films, 2) advanced fabrication techniques that transform the films into self supporting shells through the introduction of permanent optically relevant double curvature, and 3) discrete active boundary control to enable rigid body alignment and maintainment of surface figure in face of environmental disturbances. Areal densities of better than 2 kg/m2 (including actuators) are projected. Current measured surface figure is &#8776;1 to 10 microns rms at up to the 15 cm size, and we are poised for further improvements. Demonstrated material and fabrication techniques are scaleable to at least the 2m+ diameter single surface apertures and larger apertures are possible through segmentation techniques. Proven stowage and deployment techniques enable space flight application. We propose advancing 1) the basic fabrication technology and 2) the TRL level of MOST apertures for ground and space based apertures. The key resulting innovation is implementation of low areal density, compact roll stowable approaches to realize low mass, low cost reflective apertures for RF/Microwave to LIDAR. Other NASA and DOD applications are expected as precision and aperture size increase.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The potential pay off of the proposed research can be summarized at the highest level as, "Less Mass, Less Cost" reflective doubly curved apertures. The proposed research is directly applicable to the needs of ground, air and space based LIDAR applications, as it could lead to significant cost, time, and mass reductions for optical primary mass, especially as aperture size grows to support faster sample times. Once flight proven, the same basic aperture approach and material/coating combinations will be immediately transitionable to RF and incoherent Laser Comm applications, as well as possible microwave science applications, since all have similar or less restrictive surface figure requirements. Farther term, we see potential synergistic applications in the area of 1) very large diameter stowable/deployable apertures to enable RF, mm, IR (Far, Middle, and Near (with suitable cooling), science, and 2) increasing larger diameter precision apertures to enable visible wavelength spectroscopy, and potentially imaging astronomy. Potential uses as components in solar concentrators for orbital power generation and solar thermal propulsion, and as sun shields and telescope aperture opening shields are also envisaged.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This is a crosscutting technology that has many potential spin-off applications both for NASA and other Govt. and commercial organizations. NASA Applications have been discussed above. In the space arena, for other organizations applications for doubly curved reflective apertures exist from the RF Comm to Laser Comm and Earth Observation (both spectroscopic and imaging). As coatings become more efficient, directed energy applications are possible as well. Terrestriall, laser comm terminals, spotting telescopes and extended range laser designators are forseeen. Backpackable RF comm apertures for emergency and remote location applications are possible as well. Additional terrestrial market applications are seen in the area of solar concentrators for emergency water purification/heating, cooking, and power generation. As surface figure precision increases apertures for prosumer grade amateur astronomy and then secondaries and segmented primaries for intermediate sized professional/university class telescopes are envisaged.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Beamed Energy
Solar
Erectable
Inflatable
Kinematic-Deployable
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Laser
RF
Microwave/Submillimeter
Optical
Optical & Photonic Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Photovoltaic Conversion
Renewable Energy
Thermodynamic Conversion
Wireless Distribution

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
nLight Photonics
5408 NE 88th Street, Building E
Vancouver, WA 98665-0990

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steve Patterson
steve.patterson@nlight.net
5408 NE 88th Street, Building E
Vancouver,  WA 98665-0990

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
High peak power, high efficiency, high reliability lightweight, low cost QCW laser diode pump modules with up to 1000W of QCW output become possible with nLight's new laser diode package methodology. Following the design principles from our Phase I results, we propose an innovative packaging architecture to provide NASA with highly reliable 808nm laser diode pump sources for space based LADAR systems or other uses. nLight proposes a package development program to demonstrate up to 1000W of QCW pump power, with greater than 100E8 laser shot reliability.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We anticipate that a 1000W class QCW laser pump package can be used for space based LADAR systems. The output can be either fiber coupled, or a hermetically sealed window can be incorporated. The package format will be compatible with flight reliability requirements.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The package type can be readily used for commercial and military applications. Commercial applications include direct material processing, laser drilling and cutting, laser marking, medical applications, laser soldering, and fiber laser pumping applications. With 1000W of available pump power, high efficiency, and the ability to mix and match wavelengths, this package architecture is expected to displace more traditional laser bar packages for military use in infra-red counter measure systems, target illumination and range finding, or for directed energy weaponry.

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

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
nLight Photonics
5408 NE 88th Street, Building E
Vancouver, WA 98665-0990

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Steve Patterson
steve.patterson@nlight.net
5408 NE 88th Street, Building E
Vancouver,  WA 98665-0990

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
nLight developed high-power, high-efficiency laser diodes emitting at 1907nm for the pumping of solid-state lasers during the Phase I. The innovation brought to bear at 19-xxnm wavelengths nLight's design knowledge and experience from its highly successful 9xx-nm and 14xx-nm, high-efficiency and high-power laser diode programs. The expected performance for the laser at the conclusion of the phase I was 25% electrical-to-optical (E/O) conversion efficiency and 18 W continuous-wave power (CW) - both measured at 15C. The program was highly successful in achieving performance of 25W and 23% efficiency at 20C (5C warmer than projection). Such lasers meet the brightness and power requirements for the direct pumping of the quasi 4-level 5I7 to 5I8 transition in singly-doped Ho:YAG lasers. This work can readily be extended to 18xx-nm and 20xx-nm with comparable performance for application to the pumping of other solid-state lasers.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary application of this technology is in the pumping of Ho:YAG solid state lasers. These lasers, emitting at 2.1-mm have broad ranging application for NASA in 3-D lidar and telemetry applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
1907nm diode laser technology has application in any area requiring high absorption by water. Most of the potential customers identified by nLight thus far are medical companies. There is broad application to the defense community who would also use these lasers for 3-D lidar systems.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Laser
Optical
High-Energy
Photonics
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Science Research Laboratory, Inc.
15 Ward Street
Somerville, MA 02143-4228

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Rodney Petr
rpetr@srl.com
15 Ward St
Somerville,  MA 02143-4228

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This SBIR project will develop and deliver to NASA revolutionary laser diode driver technology with intelligent fault protection for driving high power laser diode arrays (LDAs). A key goal of the project is to increase the lifetime of LDAs operating under long-pulse (>2 msec), quasi-CW conditions by a factor-of-10, to at least 1 billion shot lifetime, in order to meet NASA mission requirements. A critical issue with operating LDAs for long pulses is localized diode heating leads to current and optical instabilities, which damages emitters resulting in LDA failure. SRL has demonstrated that diode instabilities can be detected and eliminated, and SRL's fault protected drivers increase laser diode lifetimes by more than a factor-of-10. A key technical step that will be implemented in Phase 2 is to develop and integrate SRL fault protection with laser diode stacks. This will also include NASA-developed temperature/voltage diagnostic to provide additional information on laser diode performance and lifetime. In Phase 2 SRL will develop multiple laser diode protection technologies, and deliver to NASA an integrated fault protection module for test and evaluation. This fault protected driver package for laser diode stacks will support scale up designs for flight hardware in Phase 3.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
LDAs are a critical component for NASA applications that use solid-state and fiber lasers. These solid-state lasers are used as lidars for earth science projects for a variety of important atmospheric measurements. They are also used for space exploration including; planetary mapping, hazard avoidance, rendezvous and docking and high bandwidth, high data-rate communication links. The LDAs that are used for NASA earth and space applications require improved reliability and lifetime. Recent experience has indicated that unanticipated reliability issues with LDAs in particular can severely impact on-orbit mission life and mission success. SRL's driver technology will improve LDA reliability and lifetime by 10x.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Initially the customers for the government market will be system providers for NASA and the DoD. From SRL's discussions with General Atomics, BAE, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, we estimate the market size will be small initially as these organizations are in the process of delivering pre-prototypes and prototypes. The BAE Systems market is more established and, starting in 2009, they plan to deliver approximately 100 laser systems annually that can integrate SRL's fault protected technology. SRL expects to sell drivers for $10,000 per unit that gives a total market of approximately a million dollars annually. This market is expected to increase by 20% annually as SRL's power supplies are integrated into additional systems and General Atomics and Northrop Grumman prototypes become NASA and DoD hardware. The private sector market is $3.2 billion annually and is interested in LDAs pumping solid-state lasers for industrial welding and cutting, and advanced lithography EUV sources.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Laser
Optical
Photonics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
HOBI Labs, Inc.
8987 E. Tanque Verde #309-366
Tucson, AZ 85749-9399

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Dana
dana@hobilabs.com
8987 E. Tanque Verde #309-366
Tucson,  AZ 85749-9399

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Various Earth Science fields require well-calibrated field radiometers whose calibrations must be tracked and verified in the field. NASA has long recognized requirement. However, these activities require specialized light sources that typically require high power, are bulky and difficult to use in the field, and do not work with all types of radiometers. We propose a next-generation portable, ultra-stable, lightweight and highly versatile light source based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Recent advances in LEDs include higher power, efficiency, and a wider range of wavelengths (from UV to IR). These advances, coupled with LEDs' inherent suitability for electronic feedback stabilization, make them excellent candidates for more compact and power-efficient calibration sources. During Phase I we showed that we can implement light sources with the desired characteristics, using current technology. We identified and tested LED devices, measurement and stabilization techniques, and physical configurations. In Phase II we will build prototypes and implement a program for test and evaluation, and refine the design based on test results. At the conclusion of Phase II we will be ready to produce and sell a commercial version.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA customers include virtually all earth remote sensing missions currently on-orbit and those planned for future launch. These include the EOS project and its established field validation efforts and NPP whose field validation program is being defined. Specific satellite sensors include SeaWiFS, MODIS Aqua and Terra, and VIIRS. Among terrestrial applications, the extensive AERONET and SolRad-Net networks would also benefit. The approach and technology developed in this project could also potentially be applied to airborne and satellite radiometers for performing on-board self-calibration checks.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
All the potential NASA customers have counterparts in other countries. Examples include field validation related to satellites launched by the European Space Agency, France, Korea, Japan, India and Argentina, and aerosol/flux networks associated with AERONET in Canada, France, Australia and elsewhere. Other US Government agencies with related applications include the Navy, Army Corps of Engineers, National Science Foundation and NOAA. Our innovation would benefit almost any governmental and non-governmental users of field radiometers, for example in agriculture and aquaculture, both for research and for commercial production.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Virginia Diodes, Inc.
979 Second Street SE, Suite 309
Charlottesville, VA 22902-6172

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Porterfield
Porterfield@VADiodes.com
979 Second Street SE, Suite 309
Charlottesville,  VA 22902-6172

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
To develop reliable THz sources with high power and high DC-RF efficiency, Virginia Diodes, Inc. will develop a thorough understanding of the complex interactions that occur within a chain of nonlinear frequency multipliers. These nonlinear interactions can cause rapid variations in power as the frequency or input power are tuned, including nulls and power surges that can damage individual components. Today, these problems are mitigated in three ways; i) mechanical tuning or bias adjustments, ii) laborious tweaking of each component in the chain until acceptable system performance is achieved, or iii) reduction of the system bandwidth and/or power specifications to avoid the most dramatic effects. However, each of these "solutions" either fundamentally limits the electrical performance of the terahertz source or dramatically reduces the ease-of-use of the system. This proposed effort represents the first systematic study of the complex interactions between cascaded nonlinear multiplier stages, with the goal of developing new multiplier and system designs that will reduce these unwanted effects. The resulting terahertz sources will achieve greater reliability, efficiency, bandwidth, and ease-of-use. In addition the new design rules will greatly reduce system design cycles and enhance manufacturability, thereby reducing costs. The knowledge gained through this research will be used to achieve vastly improved terahertz sources for NASA's atmospheric and radio astronomy missions; as well as a wide range of emerging commercial applications such as imaging systems for security screening and industrial process control.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This research will enable the development of more reliable, powerful and frequency agile terahertz sources for use as local oscillators for terahertz heterodyne receivers. The terahertz frequency band has been described as the most scientifically rich, yet unexplored region of the electromagnetic spectrum; primarily because of the wealth of molecular resonance lines that occur between 100 GHz and 10 THz. These resonances allow scientists to study the chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere, molecular clouds in star forming regions and the atmospheres of other planets. NASA leads the world in the use of terahertz technology for the study of atmospheric chemistry and astrophysics from aircraft, balloons and spacecraft. As a specific and important example, according to Dr. Eric Jensen of the NASA Ames "Clouds are the largest source of uncertainty in computerized global climate models" and the terahertz frequency band is optimal for studying the effect of clouds on the energy balance in the atmosphere. Several planned and proposed missions will benefit from this research, including the SIRICE instrument to study Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric probes for Venus and Mars, and future radio astronomy missions that will inevitably follow the launch of Herschel. The Phase 2 research will result in the delivery of five highly integrated and reliable multiplier chains that will be useful for local oscillator system development and as breadboard prototypes for the SIRICE mission.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Once a suitable technology base is established the terahertz frequency range will be as useful for scientific, military and commercial applications as the microwave and infrared bands are today. Scientific applications of terahertz technology include chemical spectroscopy, radio astronomy, plasma diagnostics, biomaterial analysis, electron spin resonance, and diagnostic instruments for particle accelerators. Terahertz applications related to national defense include compact range radars, covert communications systems, imaging systems, and chemical, explosive and bioagent scanners. Biomedical researchers envision the use of terahertz imaging and spectroscopy for the real time analysis of skin diseases such as skin cancer and rapid chemical analysis of patient's breath and other biological gases. Potential large-scale commercial applications include portal security imagers and scanners, medical diagnostics for clinical use, last-mile data links, and industrial process control.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Microwave/Submillimeter

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Hittite Microwave Corporation
20 Alpha Road
Chelmsford, MA 01863-4147

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

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This Phase II proposal is presented as the follow on to the Phase I SBIR contract number NNC06CB21C entitled "Ka-band MMIC T/R Module" For active microwave surveillance of earth surface and atmosphere, radar transceivers perform functions of probing the atmosphere and the surface conditions of the earth. Radars for such applications operate in various frequency ranges depending on one or more specific needs extending all the way from UHF to millimeter-wave (MMW) frequencies. Radars today rely on phased-array antenna for beam forming and beam steering, and, in most cases today, the arrays are built with a large number of transmit-receive (T/R) modules made of amplifiers, phase shifters and duplexing switches. Microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMIC) technology enables integration of those T/R module functions into a single MMIC chip, which, in turn allows compact implementation of phased array antennas with thousands of radiating elements. A typical T/R module consists of several circuit components that need to be optimized to achieve optimum module level performance. These components typically include a low noise amplifier (LNA), power amplifier (PA), switch, phase shifter and attenuator. This Phase II program will lead to a development of a 35 GHz T/R MMIC delivering output powers in the transmit path of 30 dBm with an associated PAE of greater than 40% and at the same time exhibiting a noise figure of less than 2.5 dB in the receive path. While beyond the specific MMIC mentioned, this Phase II SBIR will make significant contributions in MHEMT device characterization and the commercialization of MHEMT technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
These T/R MMICs can be used in active microwave sensors such as wetland and river monitoring, and atmospheric radar.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
MHEMT technology is a most promising technology for millimeter wave low noise amplifiers, switches, attenuators and power amplifiers and thus the integration of these functions into T/R MMIC modules. This in turn will have an impact of replacing GaAs PHEMT devices in MMW systems that include commercial radios and satellite transmitters. The MHEMT amplifiers and control devices will have applications in commercial VSAT/USAT transmitters operating in the frequency bands between 20 and 50 GHz.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Spaceborne, Inc.
742 Foothill Blvd., Suite 2B
La Canada, CA 91011-3441

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Constantin Timoc
ctimoc@aol.com
742 Foothill Blvd., Suite 2 B
La Canada,  CA 91011-3441

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The scope of this project is to provide a digital auto-correlation spectrometer fabricated on a single integrated circuit for NASA's future Earth-Sun System missions in order to enable the rapid development of small, ultra low-power, low-cost microwave remote sensing instruments for the analysis of chemical and physical properties of planetary atmospheres. The technical risk associated with the proposed Phase II project is low because all Phase I technical objectives were achieved using an innovative approach that consists of a synergistic combination of parallel architecture and differential circuits; based on the results obtained in Phase I, it is anticipated that the power consumption of a 4096-lag, 1 GHz bandwidth, 2-bit/4-level digital auto-correlation spectrometer chip fabricated with IBM's 90 nm will be less than 4 W. The overall benefits of the proposed project, if successful, consist of the availability of a new class of high-bandwidth and ultra-low power digital auto-correlation spectrometer chip that will facilitate the construction of NASA's spaceborne microwave remote sensing instruments with substantially lower life-cycle costs, power consumption, and mass relative to that of existing filter-bank and acousto-optical spectrometers.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed space-qualifiable digital correlation spectrometer chip is intended for use in NASA's passive microwave remote sensing spaceborne instruments for radioastronomy and planetary atmospheric research. The competitive advantage of the proposed space-qualifiable digital spectrometer is a factor of 80 times higher bandwidths and 30 times greater spectral resolution relative to the space-qualified digital spectrometer developed by this proposing firm on contract from NASA/JPL for the EOS/MLS instrument operational on the Aura spacecraft.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The commercial markets for the proposed digital correlation spectrometer are ground-based radioastronomy, atmospheric research performed from aircraft and balloons, imaging arrays for detection of weapons and explosives, radio spectrum surveillance, telecommunications, and medical imaging. In the commercial markets, the competitive advantage of the proposed digital spectrometer is a factor of 20 times lower cost relative to existing digital correlation spectrometers of similar performance.

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

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
TTH Research, Inc.
14300 Cherry Lane Ct., Suite 215
Laurel, MD 20707-4990

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Triem Hoang
thoang@tthresearch.com
14300 Cherry Lane Ct., Suite 215
Laurel,  MD 20707-3827

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) is a high performance heat transport device using capillary forces to circulate the working fluid in a closed loop. Conventional LHPs usually have one capillary pump (evaporator) to acquire waste heat from a heat source. Recent efforts have focused the development of LHPs that contain two or more evaporators. Even though two-evaporator LHPs performed very well, the volume of each compensation chamber (CC) became much larger than that of the single-evaporator counterpart. The reason was that all but one CC would be liquid-filled during normal operation. The one that was not liquid-filled had to be large enough to accommodate the system liquid expansion at maximum temperature. As a result, LHPs with more than 3 evaporators were not feasible for practical applications simply because the CCs became prohibitively large. In the current research, the CCs of a multiple-evaporator LHP were capillarily-linked. In other words, the CCs always contained a mixture of liquid and vapor (two-phase), allowing the loop to operate with a much smaller fluid charge. Consequently the required CC volume was also reduced.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As electronic devices place ever-increasing demands not only on power requirements but also on packaging technology to reduce size and weight. As a consequence, high performance thermal management technologies, especially high heat flux cooling, have to keep up with the heat dissipation needs. High power electronics are employed in applications ranging from all electric vehicles to radars (both space-based and terrestrial). Examples of high power electronics are power converters, switches, motor drives. In addition, recent advances in laser technology impose a tremendous increase in heat flux requirements of laser diodes. Unless a high heat flux cooling technology such as the proposed cooling concept becomes available soon, recent advances in power electronics cannot be realized.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The cooling technolgy is also applicable to provide thermal management of the avionics and electronics in military vehicles. LHPs are needed mainly due to high acceleration conditions, transport length and small diameter requirements for the transport lines.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Cooling
Optical
Energy Storage
Thermodynamic Conversion

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)
The new devices and missions to achieve the aims of the NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) are creating increasingly demanding thermal environments and applications. A key element that drives the design of thermal management systems in these demanding applications is the thermal interface material (TIM) between mating surfaces. Our innovation is a novel, vacuum-compatible, durable, heat-conduction interface that employs carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays directly anchored on the mating metal surfaces via microwave plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). By directly anchoring the CNTs to the metal surface, the joint conductance is substantially increased over current TIMs due to the elimination of thermal contact resistance at the metal surface-TIM interface. During the Phase I project, we demonstrated thermal resistance values of approximately 35 mm2 K/W at a contact pressure of 0.7 MPa in testing at Creare for a direct-deposited, CNT-based, thermal interface on copper substrates. Using this approach, our team partner has demonstrated thermal resistance values as low as 8 mm2 K/W, demonstrating the remarkable potential of this innovation. The use of our innovative CNT-based TIMs will enable increased reliability, decreased size, and increased performance of spaceborne thermal management systems for the SMD.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Thermal management of spaceborne components is a key technology driver for NASA. The new devices and missions to achieve the aims of the SMD are creating increasingly demanding thermal environments that are driven by several mission-based requirements: the increased integration of the thermal system with the mechanical and optical components; the increasing size and decreasing temperature of spacecraft optics; the use of a fleet of spacecraft or robots that share resources; and the potential use of high temperature and high flux heat sources. A key element that drives the design of thermal management systems in these demanding applications is the thermal interface material (TIM) between mating surfaces. Some examples of current applications where TIMs play a vital role include thermal switches, high-power solid-state lasers, retro-fitted cooling systems for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and electrical components.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A developed CNT-based thermal interface material (TIM) would have wide commercial applications particularly with respect to high power electronics and laser systems. For ground-based laser and high power systems, the heat exchangers, chillers, and other thermal management components make up the majority of the system size and weight. Our innovation could be a key element in reducing the footprint of these systems and increasing their applicability in communications, power facilities, and other challenging thermal management applications. Future applications may also include high power microprocessors in rack-mounted servers and high power electronics used for actuators, motor controllers, and power distribution.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Fluid Storage and Handling
High-Energy
Power Management and Distribution

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)
Andreas Stonas
andreas@voxtel-inc.com
12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 230
Beaverton,  OR 97005-1782

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Leveraging the successful Phase I SBIR program, a 24-month effort is proposed to optimize and demonstrate a high thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit (ZT) nanocrystal quantum dot (NQD) thermoelectric (TE) material, which will have thermal efficiency properties far better than traditional bulk thermoelectric materials. In the proposed work, a series of TE devices will be fabricated from solidified NQD films formed from colloidally synthesized NQDs using consolidation and second phase precipitation. The increase of ZT, is dependent on quantum confinement of electrons and holes, as well as the phonon dynamics and transport of the materials. If the size of a semiconductor is smaller than the mean free path of phonons and larger than that of electrons or holes, one can reduce thermal conductivity by boundary scattering without affecting electrical transport. Although charge transport in thermoelectricity is almost monoenergetic (energy levels within a few kT around the Fermi energy), heat transport by phonons is broadband over the Brillouin zone. The significance of the opportunity is the ability to colloidally-manufacture, high performance, conformal, thin film TE materials, free from the lattice and other constraints of MBE growth.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The sensitivity, reliability, linearity, and stability of electrical and optical components are critical to NASA missions and are reliant on proper thermal management. Thermoelectric (TE) coolers can be used to chill spaceborne infrared detectors, and regulate the temperature of computers and other electronic gear; however, the widespread use of TE components is presently limited by their inefficiency and cost. Thus, this research is highly significant to NASA. Proven feasible, this technology can have a significant impact on the thermal control technology for future instruments and NASA space platforms. New thermoelectric materials will make a dramatic difference for NASA's next-generation instruments that demand increased efficiencies and reduced power budgets. NASA is at the advent of using smaller and higher resolution instruments. By using advanced thermoelectric coolers capable of providing cooling at 150 K and below, NASA's instrumentation capability will be significantly improved, in terms of stability, resolution, and speed.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Cheaper, more efficient TE materials would enable a variety of demanding cooling and power generation applications such as portable refrigeration, micro-coolers for infrared detector/laser diode/CCD/PC microprocessors, temperature controllers for critical components, thermal cyclers, and other temperature management tools. And are also of relevance to everything from automotive engineering to consumer electronics. TECs are of particular interest to chip manufacturers, who face challenges in disposing of waste heat from increasingly miniaturized integrated circuits. Ultimately, TECs could provide maintenance-free refrigeration in a variety of consumer markets such as food storage and air conditioning that are presently served by mechanical compressors that rely upon moving parts, valves, and airtight seals. TE generators could also eventually be used to scavenge waste heat, such as that produced by combustion in an automobile, and provide supplemental electricity.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Cooling
Production
Computer System Architectures
Optical
Photonics
Composites
Optical & Photonic Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Liquid-Liquid Interfaces
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Thermoelectric Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
GDA Corporation
200 Innovation Blvd., Suite 234
State College, PA 16803-6602

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dmitry Varlyguin
dmitry@gdacorp.com
200 Innovation Blvd., Suite 234
State College,  PA 16803-6602

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This project is focusing on the strategic, routine incorporation of medium-resolution satellite imagery into operational agricultural assessments for the global crop market. Automated algorithms for rapid extraction of field-level crop area statistics from Landsat and Landsat-class imagery (including Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, AWiFS, ASTER, SPOT, LDCM, etc.) are under development. For prototype development, the project is collaborating with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The Phase I prototype algorithms, based on Bayesian Probability Theory, incorporate multiple lines of evidence in the form of prior and conditional probabilities and implement an innovative approach to supervised image classification allowing for automated class delineation. The knowledge-based expert classifiers prototyped during Phase I were tested and validated at selected pilot sites across the globe. The results of the Phase I work have clearly demonstrated the technical feasibility of the GDA approach to automated crop area assessment with medium resolution imagery. Development undertaken during Phase I resulted in a robust, fully functional set of modules that are capable of processing large volumes of data and allow for accurate crop detection, area estimation, and crop acreage change assessment with minimal user intervention. The prototype algorithms were tested on a range of test sites, sensors, crop types, and crop conditions. A non-rigorous validation study proved the reliability and accuracy of the prototype algorithms. The overall results of the project will enhance global agricultural production estimates by improving the timeliness and accuracy of field-level crop area estimates.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The effort will contribute to NASA's Applied Science Program by addressing the goals of the Agricultural Efficiency and Disaster Management applications of national priority. The project addresses the NASA SBIR topic by developing unique, rapid analyses of NASA medium-resolution imagery through the development of fusion software for the efficient production and near-real time delivery of data products derived from NASA satellite data that will directly contribute to both the nation's economic security and environmental stewardship. The developed technologies will support both the scientific and commercial applications of NASA Earth Science data and will be benchmarked for practical use against an international model for agricultural production estimates. Furthermore, it will also help to ensure continued use of, and reliance on, NASA data by USDA and other federal agencies in their transition from Landsat 5 TM and 7 ETM+ to the new medium resolution LDCM mission.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Results of the proposed effort can be used to enhance economic opportunities for agricultural producers and commodities. The results of the project will aid in the provision of accurate and timely information on global crop production at a country or regional level, thereby helping producers make better marketing decisions. The results will allow for, among other things, the provision of early warning of unusual crop conditions or changes in the production outlook of a country or region, which, in turn, can assist the private marketplace in price determination and adjustment. The largest potential customers may include the commodity exchanges, U.S. Agribusiness, and U.S. Government agencies, particularly USDA. Other commercial applications of proposed algorithms may include land cover re-mapping activities, forest and agricultural monitoring and inventory, and assessments of agricultural/farmer compliance with environmental standards.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Expert Systems

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Visual Learning Systems, Inc.
1719 Dearborn Avenue
Missoula, MT 59801-2391

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Stuart Blundell
sblundell@vls-inc.com
1280 S. 3rd Street West, #2
Missoula,  MT 59801-2391

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed activities will result in the development of a novel hyperspectral feature-extraction toolkit that will provide a simple, automated, and accurate approach to materials classification from hyperspectral imagery (HSI). The proposed toolkit will be built as an extension to the state-of-the-art technology in automated feature extraction (AFE), the Feature Analyst software suite, which was developed by the proposing company. Feature Analyst uses, along with spectral information, feature characteristics such as spatial association, size, shape, texture, pattern, and shadow in its generic AFE process. Incorporating the best AFE approach (Feature Analyst) with the best HSI techniques promises to greatly increase the usefulness and applicability of HSI. While current HSI techniques, such as spectral end-member classification, can provide effective materials classification, these methods are slow (or manual), cumbersome, complex for analysts, and are limited to materials classification only. Feature Analyst, on the other hand, has a simple workflow of (a) an analyst providing a few examples, and (b) an advanced software agent classifying the rest of the imagery. This simple yet powerful approach will become the new paradigm for HSI materials classification since Phase I experiments show it is (a) accurate, (b) simple, (c) advanced, and (d) exists as workflow extension to market leading products. The deliverables of this proposal will allow HSI products to be fully exploited for the first time by a wide range of users.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA has a significant requirement for detailed, accurate and timely information from orbital systems to understand the earth, its environment and the changes that are ongoing. The proposer's current products Feature Analyst and LIDAR Analyst provide automated techniques for creating and building valuable information about the earth from orbital and airborne sensors; however, such sensors are growing more sophisticated, such as hyperspectral sensors, which requires new and innovative software tools. The proposed Hyperspectral Toolkit compliments the existing proposer's current products to precisely meet NASA's pressing need. The proposed system from Phase II is a perfect fit for NASA because (a) it provides a solution to a pressing need (HSI exploitation techniques), (b) it is easy to learn and use, (c) it provides automated solutions to currently time-consuming tasks, (d) it provides accurate information, and (e) it fits in and enhances the current NASA systems and workflow (ArcGIS and ERDAS IMAGINE).

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed technology will greatly simplify the application of hyperspectral image processing and feature extraction for a wide variety earth imagery applications including: 1. Forestry and Environmental solutions to support timber management applications, wildfire modeling, and land-use analysis. The US Forest Service has already purchased a site license of Feature Analyst and their use of hyperspectral data increases. 2. Civil Government applications for such activities as pervious-impervious surface mapping, creation and maintenance of GIS data layers for roads and structures, identification of urban green space. 3. Homeland Security solutions for the creation and maintenance of GIS data layers. The newly created Department of Homeland Security has a budget of over $30 billion to include spending on the identification and mapping of high-value assets (pipelines, power plants, etc), monitoring of borders, and development of 3D urban models for preparing disaster and emergency services. 4. Defense and Intelligence agencies, such as the NGA and all branches of the military use Feature Analyst in their production and need better techniques for handling HSI data. 5. Over 100 universities currently use Feature Analyst and are large consumers of HSI.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Database Development and Interfacing
Human-Computer Interfaces
Optical
Computational Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Advanced Optical Systems, Inc.
6767 Old Madison Pike, Suite 410
Huntsville, AL 35806-2172

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Joel Burcham
burcham@aos-inc.com
6767 Old Madison Pike, Suite 410
Huntsville,  AL 35806-2181

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C) is a critical United States technology gap. AR&C is identified as a critical enabling technology for future NASA Exploration and DoD missions including NASA's CEV, operation and commercial cargo re-supply to ISS, lunar transfer vehicle assembly and MARS missions. Multiple sensors that provide relative measurements of range, bearing and pose are the key to meeting the safety related issues with implementation of this technology. This Phase II effort will provide a real-time hardware-in-the-loop demonstration using the robotic arm to autonomously capture a target spacecraft. The baseline demonstration uses a ground-based variant of the Space Shuttle robotic arm to grapple an uncooperative target. In Phase II, AOS will build an HGS prototype and demonstrate its performance in a hardware-in-the-loop scenario. The prototype employs a modular design approach to the integrated sensor suite. Initially, only the sensor subset addressing passive range and pose estimation will be implemented. Additional sensor modalities will be added as determined in the requirements development. The demonstration baseline employs a robotic arm supported on an air bearing floor and a free floating robot operating as the target vehicle. An air bearing floor allows the arm and target to move freely in three relative degrees of freedom. HGS provides an error signal and possibly associated rates along the axes. These signals drive the arm guidance with sufficient accuracy to successfully grapple the target.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Formation flying missions involving micro-satellites is considered a significant growth area for government and commercial programs. Extremely large spacecraft would be required to provide the aperture sizes and focal lengths that are needed for certain science missions; the size of these spacecraft would prevent them from being launched cost-effectively with existing launch vehicles. However, several satellites functioning together in tight formation can create a synthetic aperture or array that mimics what would be possible with a much larger vehicle. One of the significant challenges today in achieving these missions is small relative navigation sensors that can complement RGPS/DGPS to maintain formation integrity: the proposed HGS would be a significant step in enabling more challenging missions. Advanced rendezvous and docking encompasses both crew-assisted rendezvous and docking as well as autonomous operations. The multi-use components and navigation fusion algorithms of the HGS would be ideally suited to support such missions. The HGS could potentially be used aboard NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Lunar Surface Ascent Module (LSAM), and the unmanned cargo transport vehicle for the ISS.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Outside of government funding, following the success of SpaceShipOne in the fall of 2004, the commercial space movement now has its eyes set on orbital spaceflight. Robert Bigelow has offered a $50M prize similar to the 2004 Ansari X-prize for an orbital vehicle that can dock with his proposed inflatable space station and complete two missions in 2 months by 2010. The rendezvous and docking required to achieve this is one of the more serious technology hurdles facing companies considering entering this competition.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Perception/Sensing
Teleoperation
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
Optical

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Colorado Power Electronics, Inc.
120 Commerce Drive, Unit 3
Fort Collins, CO 80524-4731

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Geoff Drummond
Geoff@copwr.com
120 Commerce Drive, Unit 3
Fort Collins,  CO 80524-2746

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A power supply concept capable of operation over 25:1 and 64:1 impedance ranges at full power has been successfully demonstrated in our Phase I effort at efficiencies of 96% and above. The benefits of electric propulsion systems are highest when an electric thruster can be operated at high efficiencies over wide ranges of thrust and specific impulse. Hall and ion thruster technologists are close to demonstrating this capability with laboratory and flight model thrusters, and power conversion systems based on the power supply concept demonstrated in our Phase I program will enable wide-ranging operation of these devices. Although ambitious missions with extreme throttling capabilities would now be possible with the CPE wide ranging power supply (WRPS) design, less ambitious (single throttle point) missions are also well served. This is because one power supply design could meet the needs of many different single-throttle-point devices without the need to re-design and re-qualify hardware. We judge that this innovation will save NASA, DoD, and commercial aerospace entities precious non-recurring engineering resources without sacrificing performance.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary market for this technology is for space power conversion where low cost power processing is required. Present technology includes PPU designs with real costs that are much greater than $200k per kilowatt of power. The previous designs show poor reuse of modules and power hardware. The current trend for space power conversion is towards hybridization for the most compact and low mass PPU design. The NRE cost per hybrid can be as high as $100K per unique design, and the total NRE charge for hybrids in a complete ion or Hall engine PPU could easily exceed $1.5 million dollars. The recurring cost per hybrid is considerable lower than the hybrid design cost. The NRE when amortized over many units becomes more palatable and PPU costs can be made to be acceptably low. The new design proposed herein will use lower loss elements to simplify fabrication and reduce cost. In addition, the proposed "wide range design" will accommodate the addition and subtraction of modules while conserving PPU mass.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A wide DC power range maximizes the power range for both the motor and the motor's inverter over a wide span of angular velocities. This wide and efficient range reduces the number of transmission shift cycles needed for rapid acceleration. ROBOTICS: Our wide range power converter can supply emergency power to electromechanical drive systems with the minimum stress on the electrical power train. When critical power is needed to avoid mission ending obstacles, our wide range converter can supply the necessary torque or speed required for evasive maneuvering. GRID FLAKE CLEARING: Many power systems for gridded thrusters require a flake busting power converter that is separate from the main power system. When a short occurs the main supplies are then deactivated. Next an auxiliary power converter is switched into the circuit by mechanical relays. The auxiliary supply, which is capable of producing large currents, cleans the flake through a process of evaporation. The wide range supply is also capable of producing large currents and does not need the reliability reducing mechanical switch gear.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Electromagnetic Thrusters
Solar
Mobility
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Electrostatic Thrusters
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Photovoltaic Conversion
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Thermoelectric Conversion

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Aegis Technology, Inc.
3300 A Westminister Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92703-1442

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Timothy Lin
aegiste1400@earthlink.net
3300 A Westminister Ave.
Santa Ana,  CA 92703-1442

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Wide-bandgap SiC semiconductors have been recently investigated for use in power devices, because of their potential capabilities of operating at high power densities, high temperatures and at high frequencies and thus offering advantages such as high efficiency, small size and light weight. Currently a few power devices based on SiC technology have been demonstrated and commercialized. Therefore, an opportunity exists to develop and demonstrate a SiC power inverter, showing the system-level impacts of using commercially available SiC power devices compared with an Si-based inverter, and addressing the related technical issues/risks of implementing SiC technology. Following a successful demonstration of the concept feasibility in Phase I, Phase II research will fully develop, demonstrate, model, and characterize a three-phase all SiC inverter. The inverter will be constructed through the integration of several supporting technologies including circuit design and device paralleling, high temperature packaging and thermal management, high temperature gate based on SOI technology, and other passive components. In the Phase II, the underlying technical issues that govern the fabrication and performance of this SiC inverter will be addressed, and its technical/economical benefits will be analyzed. By implementing technology developed, a high-efficiency, compact SiC inverter technology can be anticipated for potential NASA and other applications.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA applications will include energy storage, renewable energy, nuclear power, electrical drives. The use of the high temperature packaging and operation of SiC power modules for its power electronics equipment will bring about the benefits of increase in power density, reduction in heat sink requirements (thus smaller size and mass), and higher frequency operation that also results in lower mass for the filters and transformers. In addition, the capabilities of handling higher voltage and current requirements yet with smaller die sizes is also appealing to reduce NASA's missions operation and launch costs. This high temperature, radiation hardened SiC-based power conversion system will find extensive applications in space explorations for various power management and distributions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The development, demonstration, and integration of high-performance, lightweight, compact SiC-based inverter will be directly applicable to the military, transportation, energy, aerospace and other commercial sectors for various power management and distribution. Targeted applications include electric drive, distributed energy resources, and energy storages. Commercial inverters in a variety of industries (defense, energy, automobile, aircraft etc.) will greatly benefit from this technology.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics
Energy Storage
Power Management and Distribution
Renewable Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Cybernet Systems Corporation
727 Airport Boulevard
Ann Arbor, MI 48108-1639

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Daniel Jarrell
djarrell@cybernet.com
727 Airport Boulevard
Ann Arbor,  MI 48108-1639

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Images from space satellites are often compressed in a lossy manner to ease transmission requirements such as power, error-rate, and data stream size. These requirements differ from standard computer image processing requirements since storage space, processing speed, and power constraints differ between PCs and satellites. To facilitate use of satellite images in applications such as image analysis, dissemination, storage and retrieval, etc., a method is needed to convert images to a widely supported format. Since lossy formats lose information, too many transcodings, poorly performed transcodings, or transcodings between poorly chosen formats will degrade image quality, sometimes making them useless. Images such as military photos and deep space objects require high quality, so it is desirable to avoid or minimize loss during transcodings. NASA has requested software transcoding from the CSSDS Image Data Compression recommendation to JPEG2000 (J2K) with minimal image degradation. In Phase I Cybernet demonstrated mathematically that the wavelets used in the CCSDS format can easily, quickly, and accurately be transformed to the JPEG2000 format. This mathematical proof was implemented in a GUI software tool. For this Phase II proposal, Cybernet Systems Corporation will create a robust, end-to-end solution for transcoding CCSDS images to widely supported formats for dissemination, using mathematical techniques developed during the Phase I. This will be done in four stages. First we will evaluate or implement production level CCSDS, in order to provide users with an easy to integrate, small, fast implementation of this image compression standard. Second, we will create a toolset for optimal conversion to other image formats, including J2K, minimizing transcoding error. Thirdly, since J2K allows a lot of choice for encoding, we will create an optimal J2K encoder tailored for CCSDS images. Finally, we will integrate these toolsets into existing systems as needed.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology developed, a CCSDS Image Data Compression to JPEG2000 conversion tool, would be useful throughout NASA for converting space images to a more widely supported format, while still retaining as much of the image quality as possible. This PC based tool could be incorporated into any ground location that needs to receive satellite and probe images in the CCSDS and send them to other agencies, news outlets, and scientists in a format more suitable for use.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Cybernet has a range of image based products, from gesture guided weather software used on television networks to graphics toolkits for terrain visualization, and the competency we gain from work on the JPEG2000 format would benefit our core products. Furthermore, given time to develop a comprehensive JPEG2000 code base, we would market this library to other developers without the people or resources to develop it on their own.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Microcosm, Inc.
401 Coral Circle
El Segundo, CA 90245-4622

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Paul Graven
pgraven@smad.com
401 Coral Circle
El Segundo,  CA 90245-4622

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Microcosm will build on the Phase I X-ray pulsar-based navigation and timing (XNAV) feasibility assessment to develop a detailed XNAV simulation capability to evaluate navigation performance for specific missions of interest, and create an XNAV flight software experiment ready to integrate on an appropriate near-term flight demonstration mission in Phase III. Phase I demonstrated achievable XNAV accuracy, developed a preliminary source catalog, constructed an XNAV error budget, and laid out potential implementation options for XNAV, focusing on an Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point mission. Brighter, less stable, non-traditional X-ray sources were also considered for possible XNAV application with promising initial results, especially for formation flying applications. Taking advantage of concurrent XNAV efforts at DARPA to the maximum extent possible, Phase II will develop and validate XNAV algorithms via a simulation which will be targeted for integration with Goddard Space Flight Center's GPS Enhanced Onboard Navigation System (GEONS) software. The error budget will be developed in more detail to support the algorithm and simulation work. XNAV holds great potential for NASA as an enabling technology for fully autonomous interplanetary navigation and could provide a significant mission enhancement as an adjunct to the Deep Space Network (DSN) and ground based navigation.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are several promising NASA applications for XNAV, including missions beyond Jupiter as an enabling technology for autonomous navigation, potentially providing improved performance over standard DSN tracking capability for very far missions. Examples include the Pioneer Anomaly mission or 500 AU mission. XNAV provides fully autonomous interplanetary navigation capability, potentially reducing the demands on DSN for increasing tracking requirements for future missions. XNAV can supplement DSN service and enhance DSN navigation performance. XNAV can also provide a backup navigation capability for manned and unmanned near-Earth, lunar, and Mars missions. Further, it can provide higher redundancy for manned missions.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary non-NASA XNAV applications would be to provide primary or secondary navigation services for DoD missions. For MEO, GEO, HEO, and even cis-lunar missions where GPS has limited availability, XNAV can provide primary autonomous navigation capability. In addition, XNAV could provide an essential backup navigation capability for missions which normally rely on GPS but have a need for continuity of operations in the event of loss or denial of GPS. These applications are being actively studied through DARPA's XNAV program, and the Microcosm team has strong ties to that program. The near-term potential is limited for traditional commercial missions (e.g., GEO Communications). Many system providers are interested in the potential of autonomous station-keeping, the cost, complexity and immaturity of XNAV make it unlikely to be attractive for the commercial market in the near term. This may change after XNAV matures sufficiently and is demonstrated on orbit.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
High-Energy

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Infoscitex Corporation
303 Bear Hill Road
Waltham, MA 02451-1016

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
William Thompson
bthompson@infoscitex.com
303 Bear Hill Road
Waltham,  MA 02451-1016

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this Phase I program, the Infoscitex (IST) team focused primarily on the design and fabrication of a prototype high accuracy electro-textile mesh leading to a prototype that weighed 0.42 kg/m2 and provided 99.8 percent reflectivity during testing at 38GHz. Light weight composite fiber core materials have been identified for the Phase II effort allowing the team to extrapolate a mesh areal weight of 0.21 kg/m2. During the Phase I effort, the IST team also investigated passive inter-modulation (PIM) testing and developed material based design solutions to eliminate PIM for these prototype meshes. Limited US facilities exist for testing high frequency generated PIM and as a result, both the IST team and NASA have pledged to develop this service for both the NASA exploration and Air Force Responsive Space programs in the proposed Phase II program. A unique wrapped rib approach to providing precision deployable antenna structures was also investigated. The resulting preliminary antenna support structure design was estimated to have an areal weight of 0.88 kg/m2. With refinements in Phase II, the structure is envisioned to provide sufficient shape definition for the parabolic antenna surface accuracy requirements for Ka band communication.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The primary NASA application envisioned for this technology is for the deployable antennae aboard the new space exploration satellites that provide communication links for the future manned Lunar and Martian missions and ultimately the manned bases on both the Moon and Mars.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Both commercial and military satellites are being designed with deployable antenna structures that operate at increasingly higher frequencies. These high frequency applications need antenna mesh or membrane materials capable of high reflection efficiency which drives higher areal coverage reflecting surfaces. The electro-textile mesh being developed in this SBIR program can provide higher efficiency reflection at lower areal density than that of the current metal wire antenna meshes.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Erectable
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Modular Interconnects
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Pilot Support Systems
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Composites
Metallics
Radiation Shielding Materials

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Binachip, Inc.
2130 Chandler Lane
Glenview, IL 60026-5744

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
David Zaretsky
david@binachip.com
2130 Chandler Lane
Glenview,  IL 60026-5744

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA's vision of Space Exploration will require advancements in communication systems to maintain flexibility and adaptability to changing needs and requirements. The research outlined in this project will develop a hardware/software design environment that will allow NASA engineers to automatically develop flexible, reconfigurable communications systems. We will develop automated compiler algorithms to translate software code available in a variety of high level languages (C/C++/SIMULINK) and assembly of various general purpose processors into Register Transfer Level VHDL code to be mapped onto FPGA-based hardware. We further plan to study techniques for performing hardware/software co-design on integrated systems-on-a-chip platforms consisting of embedded processors, memories and FPGAs. We will demonstrate our concepts using a prototype compiler that will translate software implementations of communications applications into a hardware/software implementation on a Xilinx Virtex II Pro Platform FPGA and a Digilent XUP FPGA board. The proposed work is revolutionary and addresses NASA's Space Exploration needs as follows: (1) it will develop a system level tool for designing hardware systems which will reduce design times from months to days (2) it will enable the use of cost-efficient, high-performance FPGAs (3) it will allow engineers to reuse of millions of lines of software developed in the past for general purpose processors, and migrate them painlessly to newer SOC platforms.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's missions are quite diverse ranging from (1) Satellite imaging to study Global Climate Modeling (2) Scanning Deep Space using the Hubble Space Telescope (3) Building the International Space Station to perform various experiments in space (4) Using the Space Shuttle to carry payloads to the ISS and carry on various space experiments (5) Exploring the Solar System in projects such as the Mars Exploration Rover, and the VAULT telescope to take pictures of the Sun. (6) Searching for extra-solar planets using transit photometry in the VULCAN Camera Project. All these projects have one thing in common; they require a lot of sophisticated image processing operations on images captured by various cameras. FPGAs are being used for a variety of image processing tasks in numerous NASA applications. The BINACHIP compiler will be useful in developing hardware designs on these FPGA based hardware applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The software that will be developed by BINACHIP will have two general application areas (1) embedded systems software (2) electronic design automation. Increasing demands for cell-phones, PDAs, and network devices have provided opportunities for the growth of embedded software, operating systems and development tools vendors. The embedded systems software market is expected to become $21 billion in 2005. As newer processor architectures are announced, there is a need to reuse and migrate the software from older generation processors to newer processors. The BINACHIP compiler will be useful to these companies to assist in the task of software migration. The second commercial area for BINACHIP is electronic design automation (EDA) that is expected to become a $6 billion market in 2005. One of these segments is that of system level EDA, which is expected to grow to at least $300 million by 2005. The BINACHIP compiler will enable translation of software from a general-purpose processor onto a system-on-chip consisting of processors, memories and FPGAs.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Software Development Environments
Highly-Reconfigurable

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
AeroAstro Corporation
20145 Ashbrook Place
Ashburn, VA 20147-3373

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
James Stafford
james.stafford@aeroastro.com
20145 Ashbrook Place
Ashburn,  VA 20147-3373

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The nature of human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars demands a frequency-agile, reconfigurable, durable digital radio delivering telemetry, ranging, voice, video, and data, with low Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP), and easy operation in the demanding space environment of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). AeroAstro and Virginia Tech propose to continue development of the EVA radio, building upon work accomplished in Phase I, combining AeroAstro's history of creating efficient space technology solutions and Virginia Tech's experience and expertise in Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology. AeroAstro will design and fabricate a prototype demonstrating the key requirements of the EVA radio—reconfigurability and frequency agility. The prototype will incorporate an adaptable modular RF front end for frequency agility, and a transmultiplexer-based digital back end, capable of a full range of sophisticated wireless waveforms, through software-defined reconfiguration of the same physical hardware. The prototype will also exhibit innovative solutions to extending SDR architecture standards to the demands of space applications. The proposed innovations fill critical technological gaps and mesh with other promising technological developments, such as micromachined passive RF components and fault-tolerant reconfigurable electronics, not only assuring the safety and success of human space exploration missions, applicable to space applications in general.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Reconfigurability benefits all missions by providing graceful degradation of electronic systems after damage, and also enabling additional functionality. The improved safety achieved is essential to success. Failures result in loss of experiments, the mission, and even the astronauts' lives. Delays in restoring failed equipment to at least minimal functionality are intolerable. The demands of interplanetary travel are more difficult, beginning with Mars exploration missions, much longer in duration, thus increasing the likelihood of failure. There will be powerful contention over the allocation of resources. Compromises reducing spare parts are inevitable. Self-diagnosing, self-repairing systems enhance the success of these bold ventures.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As stated earlier, this radio is very universal and would be applicable almost anywhere that radio communications are needed, although it is particularly targeted to those applications where ultra-high reliability is required. Any emergency service – such as fire departments or police departments – would be good candidates, where on-the-fly reconfigurability would allow them to interoperate amongst themselves. In addition, any military or government organization that requires a high-level communications network could benefit from the use of this radio. It will easily handle encrypted data, and its wide bandwidth would allow it to handle real-time video. Its frequency agility might be useful in wide frequency hopping systems for low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) communications or anti-jam systems (with appropriate software algorithms added).

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Human-Computer Interfaces
Microwave/Submillimeter
Manned-Manuvering Units
Suits
Tools
Highly-Reconfigurable
Radiation-Hard/Resistant Electronics

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Optra, Inc.
461 Boston Street
Topsfield, MA 01983-1290

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Robert Vaillancourt
rvaillancourt@optra.com
OPTRA, Inc, 461 Boston Street
Topsfield,  MA 01983-1290

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
During the Phase I effort, OPTRA developed object detection, tracking, and identification algorithms and successfully tested these algorithms on computer-generated objects of various shapes and sizes and on sample real-world image sequences of a DeltaII booster separation. The algorithms currently identify six basic shapes (sphere, disk, cone, thin rectangle, tube, and cube) with better than 90% accuracy and estimate their size in three dimensions. Object shape and three dimensional size information can be determine using images from a single digital camera while two cameras are needed to provide three-dimensional trajectory and ground impact position information. While the Phase I showed the feasibility of the approach, work still needs to be done during the Phase II effort refining and expanding the detection, tracking, and identification algorithms to take into account the effect of noise, obscuration (smoke, clouds, etc), and viewing angle. Also during the Phase II, we plan develop a robust optical system using all commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment and then test the system with several live outdoor tests.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This program has a clear and immediate NASA applications: the development of (1) a capability to automatically track up to 100 objects in the vicinity of a large rocket after a launch (2) a capability to use the digital image data from multiple tracking and imaging stations to establish 3D trajectories of such objects, and (3) to identify such objects in terms of their sizes and shapes. This will provide NASA with an enhanced capability to document rocket launches.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed Advanced 3D Object Identification system should be very attractive to the DoD in weapons testing applications, and to the DoD and commercial aircraft manufacturers for monitoring test flights of manned and un-manned aircraft. It would also be interesting to consider the use of such cameras & software in UAVs whose data could be combined to provide 3D trajectories of remotely observed object fields.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Invocon, Inc.
19221 I-45 South, Suite 530
Conroe, TX 77385-8746

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Eric Krug
ekrug@invocon.com
19221 I-45 South, Suite 530
Conroe,  TX 77385-8746

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The efficient utilization of ground test facilities and launch sites is critical for the success of NASA's New Vision for Space Exploration. The development of an innovative Wireless Integrated Microelectronic Vacuum Sensor System for monitoring vacuum-jacketed pipelines is proposed that would address the need of NASA for measurements of the insulating capability of cryogenic lines for ground testing, flight vehicles, and launch facilities. Recent advances in both MEMS vacuum gauge technology and low-power, long range radio frequency transceivers has enabled the development of a low-cost, miniature device with sophisticated capabilities. The complete, self-contained, battery operated system would fit within the volume of the current vacuum gauges only and provide periodic, continuous monitoring of vacuum conditions throughout the entire facility. Such a system would reduce operations costs and increase vacuum jacket reliability by eliminating the need for human intervention, reduce package, wiring size and weight, and provide constant network reporting and monitoring of the facility from any Internet enabled computer. Beyond this application for vacuum monitoring, the long-range wireless sensor networking capabilities developed under this program would be applicable to a vast array of other sensor types and control applications throughout Stennis Space Center and other NASA facilities.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications include monitoring of vacuum jacketed fuel lines and other vacuum systems throughout ground test facilities, launch sites, and on flight vehicles, both during certification testing and while in space. Applications also exist for monitoring the vacuum levels between multiple panes of glass on windows for space habitats, as well as atmospheric science measurements on high-altitude balloons and Mars exploration systems. A large number of applications for widely distributed wireless monitoring devices throughout NASA rocket engine test facilities for general parameters such as temperature and vibration have also been identified.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential Non-NASA applications include vacuum jacket monitoring for gas production facilities and liquid natural gas facilities. General wireless vacuum sensors are also needed for industrial facilities such as chemical processing plants where vacuum levels must be monitored. Many vacuum systems currently require personnel to physically travel around a facility and connect a handheld meter to a vacuum gauge to perform a reading. An autonomous system with data logging features and notification capabilities could reduce reaction times and improve facility safety, while reducing costs.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
RF
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Mobitrum Corporation
8070 Georgia Avenue, Suite 209
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4934

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ray Wang
rwang@mobitrum.com
8070 Georgia Avenue, Suite 209
Silver Spring,  MD 20910-4966

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Mobitrum has started the development of virtual sensor test instrumentation in Phase I for characterization and measurement of ground testing of propulsion systems. It is clear that future wide availability of smart sensors will significantly reduce the cost and time required to design, repair, or modify sensor systems through modular and re-configurable capability. The Phase II effort will complete the development of: 1) common sensor interface, (2) microprocessor, (3) wireless interface, (4) signal conditioning and ADC/DAC, and (5) on-board EEPROM for metadata storage and executable software to create powerful, scalable, re-configurable, and reliable distributed test instrument. The transducer senses the physical quantity being measured and converts it into an electrical signal. Then the signal is fed to an A/D converter, and is ready for use by the processor to execute functional transformation based on the sensor characteristics stored in TEDS. In order to maximize the data efficiency, a plug-and-play is required to interface with traditional sensors to enhance their identity and capabilities for data processing and communications. Virtual sensor test instrumentation is built upon open-system architecture with standardized protocol modules/stacks easily to interface with industry standards and commonly used software such as IEEE 1451, MATLAB, and LabVIEW.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Ground testing of propulsion systems is a critical requirement to enable NASA's New Vision for space exploration. The proposed virtual sensor test instrumentation will enable a cost effective remote testing and health monitoring through wireless sensor network. Mobitrum anticipates the following applications that NASA will benefit from the proposed technology: (1) Data analysis, processing, and visualization for Earth science observations, (2) Rocket engine test, (3) Remote test facility management, (4) Field communications device for spatial data input, manipulation and distribution, (5) Sensor, measurement, and field verification applications, (6) RFID for identification and tracking, (7) Condition-aware applications, (8) Location-aware applications, (9) Biometric identification applications, (10) Data collaboration and distribution applications, and (11) Wireless instrumentation for robotic manipulation and positioning for audio and visual capture, and real-time multimedia representation.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
We believe the smart sensor will have tremendous potential for commercial market. That is because global revenues for smart pressure, flow, force/load, and temperature sensors with signal conditioning amplification capability collectively totaled about $3.4 billion, according to the latest market survey. Mobitrum expects smart sensor technology will enable more home applications for energy control and security monitoring provided by Internet service providers as value-add services such as (1) Home control, (2) Energy management for cost saving, (3) Security (intruder detection), (4) Safety (sensing), (5) Utility – remote meter reading, (6) Building automation systems – real-time monitoring and control of security and surveillance systems, alarms, HVAC, etc., (7) Manufacturing and distribution – industrial automation using RFID, and (8) Health care – wireless monitoring equipment.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Electromagnetic Thrusters
Human-Robotic Interfaces
Integrated Robotic Concepts and Systems
Intelligence
Mobility
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
Large Antennas and Telescopes
Particle and Fields
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Structural Modeling and Tools
Feed System Components
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Attitude Determination and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
On-Board Computing and Data Management
Pilot Support Systems
Air Revitalization and Conditioning
Biomedical and Life Support
Biomolecular Sensors
Waste Processing and Reclamation
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Instrumentation
Production
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
Biochemical
Gravitational
Microwave/Submillimeter
Optical
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
Substrate Transfer Technology
High-Energy
Manned-Manuvering Units
Portable Life Support
Suits
Tools
General Public Outreach
K-12 Outreach
Mission Training
Highly-Reconfigurable
Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization
In-situ Resource Utilization
Computational Materials
Metallics
Radiation Shielding Materials
Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials
Multifunctional/Smart Materials
Power Management and Distribution
Thermodynamic Conversion
Thermoelectric Conversion
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)
Alton Keel
AKeel@Soneticom.com
1045 South John Rodes Boulevard
West Melbourne,  FL 32904-2005

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed innovation will utilize a small network of remote sensors (Figure 2.1) to perform Radio Interferometry (RI) and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) techniques to survey, identify and locate Radio Frequency (RF) energy signatures within a given geographic area such as a launch range or other strategic area. The survey mission will use radio interferometry techniques to create RF "images" of the surveyed area. These images will show the locations of all RF activity within an area. While an area is secure, a set of images will be captured and averaged to establish the nominal RF baseline for that area. Once the baseline is established, real-time RF surveys will be instantly compared to the nominal baseline to detect the existence of RF spectral anomalies. The TDOA and RI techniques used to establish the RF images will determine the precise location of any spectral anomaly source so that it can be quickly and cost effectively identified and mitigated.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
There are a number of potential NASA applications for Soneticom, Inc.'s RI and TDOA system: Range Surveillance would be a primary use for the RI/TDOA system. An RI enhanced TDOA system will greatly increase the speed and efficiency of insuring a clear and safe range by quickly identifying and locating any sources of radio emissions. The system will identify inadvertent emissions such as a boater who has wondered into a secure area as well as intentional hostile threats like someone attempting to jam or intercept communications. Interference Mitigation is a problem that the RI/TDOA system will help resolve by locating sources of interference that are a potential threat to launch operations. Personnel Tracking RI/TDOA system could potentially be adapted to locate or identify NASA personnel during operations. Personnel could wear a small RF beacon that the RI/TDOA system could use to track their whereabouts during critical operations or improve security by identifying people in areas who do not have proper access. Asset Tracking- the RI/TDOA system could potentially be adapted to track certain assets as described above or it could be used as a pseudo passive radar to track and locate objects (equipped with a small RF beacon). For instance, the space shuttle solid rocket boosters could be tracked during reentry and recovery.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Interference mitigation around commercial airports is a problem that the RI/TDOA system could help resolve by locating sources of interference that are a potential threat. Uninterrupted communications between flight crews and ground operations is critical to the FAA's mission of safe flight operations. Personnel tracking in prisons and correction institutions can be accomplished with the RI/TDOA system by placing RF beacons on inmates and tracking individuals' movements and whereabouts. RF Surveillance along US Border could significantly improving the border patrols responsiveness to potential illegal border crossings. Survey – Due to the unique ability of the RI technique to identify multiple targets on the air concurrently, this technique could be utilized to identify subscriber density in areas where people tend to congregate, leading to more optimal deployment of consumer communications infrastructures like cellular and WiMax. Knowledge of this information in real-time could also lead to improved traffic management. RF Emitter enforcement – Current federal laws which regulate the use of RF emitters on board aircraft, around high explosives, etc. are very difficult to enforce given current techniques. These are very similar to the goals of NASA. The RI approach could be used to verify that all cellular phones are turned off prior to departure or that there are no intentional or unintentional emitters sharing the frequency with an explosives detonator.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Operations Concepts and Requirements
Simulation Modeling Environment
Testing Facilities
Testing Requirements and Architectures
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Architectures and Networks
Autonomous Control and Monitoring
RF
Computer System Architectures
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Human-Computer Interfaces
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Software Development Environments
Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation
Sensor Webs/Distributed Sensors
High-Energy
Highly-Reconfigurable
Power Management and Distribution

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)
James Durbano
durbano@emphotonics.com
51 East Main Street
Newark,  DE 19711-4676

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Long-range imaging is a critical component to many NASA applications including range surveillance, launch tracking, and astronomical observation. However, significant degradation occurs when imaging through the Earth's atmosphere. The subsequent effects of poor image quality range from inconvenient to dangerous depending on the application. In Phase I, EM Photonics developed a prototype solver based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology capable of enhancing long-range images and videos by compensating for atmosphere induced distortions. This solver was built on an FPGA-platform and thus offered a significant performance increase over traditional, software-based approaches. In Phase II, we will extend this prototype to process incoming video streams in real-time for a variety of formats, including the high-definition version used by NASA. The resulting device will be light-weight and low-power and can be integrated with current video collection, viewing, and recording equipment. This device can be used to process data as it is collected (in real-time) or from previously recorded imagery and deployed with camera systems or in data centers depending on the application. Additionally, since this processing unit is built on FPGA technology, it can easily be extended to perform a variety of other tasks such as compression, encryption or further processing.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA collects massive amounts of long-range imagery for range safety pre-launch, tracking objects after launch, and observing objects in space. Because these applications require imaging through the atmosphere at great distances, many times the imagery collected is blurred and detail is lost. By utilizing the device developed in this project to enhance imagery, NASA officials will have access to additional information for a variety of key decisions. During launch, added level of detail provides the ability to make more informed "go" or "no go" decisions. When tracking rockets or the shuttle, enhanced imagery allows for more detail on pieces that may fall from the craft during flight. Accounting for atmospheric effects will also improve the quality of all imagery taken of space-based objects from Earth. All applications at NASA that require long-range imagery can be improved by rapidly enhancing the collected data.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Due to the increasing need for accurate long-range imagery in a variety of fields, we have identified numerous applications that could benefit from this technology in the government and private-sector ranging from law enforcement to the study of natural phenomena. Specific applications include vehicle monitoring and identification, remote site monitoring, underwater imaging, border patrol, perimeter security, costal monitoring, long-range wildlife photography, and airport security. We envision deploying the solver both as a standalone box (as will be developed in this project) and integrated directly with camera and imaging system manufacturers. We have already identified several commercial vendors with interest in this technology and will be providing them demonstrations of the system developed during Phase II.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Telemetry, Tracking and Control
Ultra-High Density/Low Power
Airport Infrastructure and Safety
Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management
Data Input/Output Devices
Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools
Optical
Highly-Reconfigurable