NASA relies heavily on Missisisppi for our Stennis Space Center, not just for rocket testing, but as an incubator for revolutionary space technology.
NASA has a long history of working with innovative small businesses, and after the administration’s most recent shopping trip, they picked up nearly 400 new technologies that will help mankind reach further from the earth’s jealous embrace. Of those projects, 13 will be linked to the Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Among them: technology that will advance fusion reactor engines, health monitoring, and testing solutions that will ensure future pathfinders will be able to thrive as they blaze a path into the cosmos.
From the Stennis press release:
NASA has selected 399 research and technology proposals from 277 American small businesses and 44 research institutions that will enable NASA’s future missions into deep space, and advancements in aviation and science, while also benefiting the U.S. economy. The awards have a total value of approximately $49.9 million.
These include 13 projects tied to Stennis Space Center.
The agency received 1,621 proposals in response to its 2017 solicitation for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. From those, NASA selected 338 SBIR and 61 STTR Phase I proposals for contract negotiations. The SBIR Phase I contracts last for six months and STTR Phase I contracts last for 12 months, both with maximum funding of $125,000.
“The SBIR and STTR program’s selection of nearly 400 proposals for further development is a testament to NASA’s support of American innovation by small businesses and research institutions,” said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This program provides opportunities for companies and institutions to commercialize their innovations while contributing to meeting NASA’s goals and objectives across all mission areas.”
Seven selected SBIR proposals and six STTR proposals involve technology being monitored by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. One also involves a company located at Stennis.
The seven SBIR projects are:
-Multi-Physics NTR Safety analyses,” developed by Little Prairie Services in Edgewood, New Mexico.
-Novel Sorbent to Remove Radioactive Halogens and Noble Gases from NTP Engine Exhaust,” developed by TDA Research Inc. in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
-An Affordable Autonomous Hydrogen Flame Detection System for Rocket Propulsion,” developed by Innovative Imaging and Research Corp. at Stennis Space Center.
-Advanced Propulsion Systems Ground Test Technology,” developed by Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corp. in Santa Clara, California.
-Innovative Ultra-High Efficiency Cryogenic Actuators for Rocket Test Facilities,” developed by PolyK Technologies, LLC in State College, Pennsylvania.
-Helium and Hydrogen Mixed Gas Separator,” developed by Reactive Innovations, LLC in Westford, Massachusetts.
-H2/He (molecular hydrogen and helium) Separation System,” developed by TDA Research Inc. in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
The six STTR projects are:
-Waste Heat Recovery by Thermo-Radiative Cell for Space Applications,” developed by Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
-Through Wall Wireless Intelligent Sensor and Health Monitoring (TWall-ISHM) System,” developed by American GNC Corp. in Simi Valley, California, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
-Encrypted Self-Targeting Energy Beams for Power Transmission Designed for Satellite and Space Habitat Applications, developed by Applied Material Systems Engineering, Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. and The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.
-Electrical Power from Thermal Energy Scavenging in High Temperature Environments,” developed by Physical Sciences Inc. in Andover, Massachusetts, and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
-High Performance Simulation Tool for Multiphysics Propulsion Using Fidelity-Adaptive Combustion Modeling,” developed by Streamline Numerics Inc. in Gainesville, Florida, and Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
-Self-Powered Multi-Functional Wireless Sensor Network for Nondestructive Evaluation and Structural Health Monitoring,” developed by X-wave Innovations Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and New York Institute of Technology in New York City.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses have created 55% of all jobs in the United States since the 1970s. SBIR and STTR programs are competitive awards-based programs. They encourage small businesses and research institutions to engage in federal research and development, and industrial commercialization, by enabling them to explore technological potential and providing incentives to profit from new commercial products and services. The awards span 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The SBIR program is managed for STMD by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. STMD is responsible for developing the cross-cutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions.
RELATED – Stennis site has successful test of Mars rocket engine
