National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer 2004 Program Solicitations

TOPIC X6 Space Transportation

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X6.01 Earth-to-Orbit Propulsion
X6.02 Vehicle Airframe Structures
X6.03 Atmospheric Maneuver and Precision Landing
X6.04 Vehicle Subsystems
X6.05 In-Space Propulsion (Chemical and Thermal)
X6.06 In-Space Propulsion (Electric and Magnetic)
X6.07 In-Space Propulsion (Nuclear)
X6.08 Launch Infrastructure and Operations
X6.09 Space Transportation Test Requirements and Instrumentation


Space Transportation is critical to future Space Exploration. To achieve the ambitious goals of the Nation's Exploration Vision, capabilities must be developed to provide both "Earth escape" and "in-space" transport, as well as descent, landing, and return capabilities. Technologies necessary to provide transportation systems that are effective, affordable, safe, and reliable are sought. Large payload masses will be required to meet human exploration requirements with the associated attention to safety and reliability. High performance propulsion will also be required to manage vehicle size and propellant mass. Interest is highest in capabilities that can be matured in time to meet the timeline milestones set out in the President's Vision to return to the moon in the 2015–2020 timeframe. Consideration will also be given to capabilities that may be incorporated into "spiral development" opportunities for enhancing initial capabilities at subsequent intervals.

X6.01 Earth-to-Orbit Propulsion
Lead Center: MSFC
Participating Center(s): GRC, KSC

NASA is interested in innovative Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) propulsion systems and component technologies, as well as design and analysis tools used to support the assessment of the technical viability of those systems. Next generation launch technologies will require high overall vehicle payload mass-to-liftoff mass ratios, propulsion systems that deliver higher thrust-to-engine weight ratios, increased trajectory averaged specific impulse, reliable overall vehicle systems performance, and other innovations required to achieve cost and crew safety goals.

Proposals should address technical issues related to Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) LH2/LOX and LOX/Hydrocarbon engines including engine and main propulsion systems design and integration, turbomachinery, combustion devices, valves, actuators, ducts, and overall propulsion systems integration. Proposals may also address enhancing technologies for solid propellant and hybrid motors for ETO applications.

Specific areas of interest for technology advancement and innovations include the following:


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X6.02 Vehicle Airframe Structures
Lead Center: LaRC
Participating Center(s): MSFC

The Exploration Systems Enterprise has adopted a two-part approach for maturing the technologies in this subtopic. Near term, evolutionary advances in the state-of-the-art (SOA) are required to enable new options for future Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Transportation with specific emphasis on advances in onboard primary propulsion. This strategy will meet ambitious Lunar and Earth Neighborhood missions in the 2010 timeframe which provide safe, affordable and effective transportation of crews, mission systems, cargo and consumables (including propellants) from Earth to low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond. Far term, truly transformational advances are sought to enable the ambitious campaigns of Mars Exploration by human and robotic missions in the 2020 timeframe that provide transport, including precise and reliable access to and from the global Mars surface, and to and from the Mars Neighborhood comparable to Earth Neighborhood missions.

Proposals addressing near term evolutionary advance must address how their proposal will advance the SOA from an existing Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 to a TRL of 6 at the completion of a SBIR Phase II award. Proposals addressing farther term focus on truly transformational advances must address the required technology maturation process to advance the SOA to at least a TRL of 3.0 at the completion of a SBIR Phase II award.

Because of the large number of proposals anticipated within this subtopic, proposing organizations must identify the single, specific category (e.g., 1.1 or 3.1) against which their proposal will be evaluated. Proposals not identifying the specific category will not be evaluated.

This subtopic seeks innovations that resolve the conflicting requirements of low cost and safety with the need for performance. The following categories identify both near-term and long-term performance goals as appropriate for each.

1.0 Primary Vehicle Structures

1.1 Near Term
Current capabilities are limited to expendable vehicle structures that result in unacceptable life cycle costs and limit flexibility in operational scenarios. Innovations are sought that include, but are not limited to the following areas:

1.2 Long Term
Innovative concepts include but are not limited to:

2.0 Pressurized Structures (Tankage)

2.1 Near Term
Innovative concepts include, but are not limited to:

2.2 Long Term
Innovative concepts include, but are not limited to:

3.0 Structural Interfaces

3.1 Long Term
Innovative concepts include, but are not limited to:

4.0 Materials: Usage and Compatibility

4.1 Near Term
Innovative concepts include, but are not limited to:

4.2 Long Term
Innovative concepts include, but are not limited to:

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X6.03 Atmospheric Maneuver and Precision Landing
Lead Center: ARC
Participating Center(s): GRC, JSC, LaRC, MSFC

Highly reliable, exceptionally safe (where humans and nuclear reactor cores are involved), highly effective, and increasingly affordable Atmospheric Maneuvering and Precision Landing capabilities are enabling and enhancing technologies for future human or robotic exploration missions. Atmospheric maneuvering is essential for Martian entry and return to Earth entry— crews, samples, or nuclear reactor cores. Pinpoint Landing is critical for humans or cargo landing on the Moon, Mars, or Earth. This subtopic solicits systems-level innovations and high-leverage technologies, derived from clear concepts of operations, including aero-assist maneuvers.

Conceptual Designs
Solicitations for the development of innovative conceptual designs of entry vehicles are requested. Proposed vehicle designs must either accommodate increased cargo masses and volumes compared to current vehicles for robotic missions or be capable of treating the extremely large masses and volumes required for future human and cargo missions to Mars and the Moon. Innovative entry vehicle designs for missions requiring precision landing are solicited that have increased L/D (i.e., > 0.30) while maintaining vehicle operational viability. Vehicle designs are also sought that can demonstrate increased aerodynamic lift, provide lift modulation needed for precision trajectory control, provide efficient deceleration to minimize the aerodynamic heating environment, integrate innovative lower mass fraction thermal protection systems, provide the capability to meet terminal descent objectives for Mars landers and for Earth landers, and are compatible with launch systems. In conjunction with conceptual entry vehicle design, innovative conceptual design concepts are solicited for aero-assist deceleration systems, such as trailing ballutes, inflatable aeroshells, attached afterbodies, inflatable ellipsleds, and steerable parachute systems.

Thermal Protection Systems (TPS)
Advanced or new TPS materials and concepts are solicited for many likely robotic, cargo, and human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, for human missions to low-Earth orbit (LEO), and to address the current shortfalls for other Solar System Exploration missions. Interest is limited to reasonably mature materials concepts. Man-rated, multi-use ablative thermal materials manifesting significantly enhanced performance and reduced weights are solicited for safe round-trip human missions to Mars. Multiple-use, significantly advanced (in terms of enhanced durability, performance, and reduced weights), non-ablative thermal materials and advanced single use ablative materials are also required for safe manned and unmanned missions to the Moon and to LEO. Along with advanced or new materials, material property data for probabilistic design, spallation characteristics, end of life property prediction tools, and usage and compatibility tests are required. Advanced multilayer TPS concepts and advanced adhesives exceeding the current state-of-the-art 523 K temperature limitation are sought. Innovative TPS concepts are solicited to reduce current TPS mass fractions by 25–50% and to reduce TPS costs.

Existing arc-jet facilities are inadequate for developing and certifying thermal materials for future exploration needs. New conceptual designs for arc-jet test facilities or conceptual design for extending the capabilities of existing arc-jet facilities are solicited to simultaneously simulate convective and radiative heating and to extend peak enthaply from about 30 MJ/kg to 90 MJ/kg. Instrumentation that can be integrated with TPS is sought to define freestream flow conditions, including the chemical and thermodynamic state of gases, and to assist in the interpretation of ground test data. This includes microsensors for measuring heat flux, pressure, and surface recession which can be integrated into a broad range of TPS materials. Testing techniques are solicited to develop human-rated materials and to significantly reduce TPS development cost and time. A combination of integrated health monitoring (IHM) and innovative nondestructive evaluation techniques are solicited to reduce maintenance time for reusable TPS.

Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C)
Innovative concepts are solicited to improve navigation and low speed (below Mach 4) aerodynamic maneuver capability to achieve Mars landing accuracy of tens of meters relative to landmarks or predeployed assets as opposed to about 10 km for upcoming Mars Landers. Present Mars Landers are constrained in landed mass by the atmospheric density profile, the entry vehicle ballistic coefficient, and low speed (below Mach 4) deceleration capability. Innovative concepts are sought to improve the efficiency of low speed deceleration and to expand the operating envelope beyond the present limits that are based on Viking technology. The Apollo Lunar Excursion module relied on humans to detect and avoid landing hazards. Human intervention cannot be used for robotic missions and long duration Mars missions will have an automated landing capability. Innovative concepts are, therefore, sought for sensors to detect landing surface hazards, and for improving the vehicle’s planet-relative navigation at Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Innovative, efficient concepts are sought to incorporate direct drag control into the control system. Improved steady-state wind, wind gust, and wind turbulence models are sought for Mars that include time of day, season, position, and local terrain effects.

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X6.04 Vehicle Subsystems
Lead Center: GRC
Participating Center(s): ARC

NASA seeks highly innovative concepts for operable (high reliability, low maintenance) subsystems and components for vehicles to support exploration missions. Exploration vehicle elements may include ETO launch vehicles, crew and service stages, upper/transfer stages, landers, and ascent stages. Specific technical areas include the following.

Electrical Power Devices/Components Capable of Operating During Ascent, In-Space, and Descent Environments

Vehicle Health Management

Actuators and Mechanisms

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X6.05 In-Space Propulsion (Chemical and Thermal)
Lead Center: MSFC
Participating Center(s): GRC, JSC

To meet the challenges of future spacecraft missions, NASA is seeking innovative concepts for chemical and thermal propulsion systems, subsystems, and components. These innovations are needed to improve the safety, operability, reliability, and performance of in-space propulsion systems and to extend the existing technology base to include capabilities required for human and robotic exploration missions.

These complex missions will involve a broad range of in-space propulsion applications including spacecraft attitude control, orbit insertion, translunar injection, lunar descent, lunar ascent, trans-Mars injection, Mars descent, and Mars ascent, as well as other spacecraft pointing and translation systems.

System masses will be critical in these far-reaching missions, dictating the use of lightweight components and the use of propellant(s) harvested or manufactured on the surface of the moon, Mars, or other destinations—an approach known as in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Candidate ISRU propellants include hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, various other hydrocarbons, and compounds derived from these materials.

In some scenarios, one propellant may be manufactured in situ while its oxidizer or fuel is brought from Earth. Because the use of ISRU propellants represents a departure from the state-of-the-art and from the existing base of engines and technologies, a new suite of propulsion system and component technologies will be required.

These new in-space propulsion systems are expected to encounter conventional challenges such as regulator leakage, valve leakage, valve heating (on pulsing engines), solubility effects (such as combustion instabilities caused by gas bubble evolution in liquid propellants), and propellant acquisition (i.e., extracting gas-free propellant from the tank and delivering it to the engine). These new systems are also expected to present new challenges, such as cryogenic propellant acquisition, thermal management of cryogenic propellants in small-diameter widely distributed feed lines, accurate determination of onboard cryogenic propellant inventories, and long duration onboard storage of cryogenic propellants.

If gaseous oxygen is used as a propellant, then flammability hazards may need to be mitigated with new or improved materials. The need for lightweight, highly reliable gas compressors is also strongly related to some system architectures that may require pumping gases into pressure vessels either in-flight or on a terrestrial surface.

The use of non-toxic propellants is another area with significant payoffs, because such propellants would enhance the safety and efficiency of prelaunch processing. Formulation of advanced non-toxic monopropellants and bipropellants could offer significant advantages for future missions, provided that specific impulse values are comparable to existing technologies such as monopropellant hydrazine (N2H4) or monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). Devices or concepts that enhance the usefulness of leading non-toxic propellant combinations (e.g., liquid oxygen (LO2)-Hydrocarbon, LO2-liquid hydrogen (LH2), etc.) are also highly desirable. One specific area of interest is the development of injectors with low thermal mass that can withstand the thermal environment in a long-life (pulsing) attitude control thruster.

Advances in other key areas such as fast-acting valves, upper stage engines, and pulse detonation engines will also find application in the broad range of propulsion systems identified with exploration. Throttling engines with wide thrust ranges (perhaps varying from 1,000 lbf to 10,000 lbf) and pulsing capability will also be needed for descent spacecraft.

To address the technical challenges outlined above, NASA is seeking innovative solutions in the following areas:

LO2-LH2 In-Space Propulsion

LO2-Hydrocarbon In-Space Propulsion

Advanced In-Space Propulsion Concepts

Solar Thermal Propulsion

In-Space Reaction and Attitude Control Propulsion

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X6.06 In-Space Propulsion (Electric and Magnetic)
Lead Center: GRC
Participating Center(s): JPL, JSC

High power electric propulsion (e.g., ion, Hall, magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters, pulsed inductive thrusters (PIT), Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) and other plasma thrusters) is an essential technology for orbit insertion and planetary transfers of future nuclear and non-nuclear human exploration spacecraft. This subtopic solicits innovative component technologies related to high power electric propulsion systems for these applications. Innovations may increase system efficiency, increase system and/or component life, increase system and/or component durability, reduce system and/or component mass, reduce system complexity, reduce development issues, or provide other definable benefits. For this subtopic, high power electric propulsion is defined as systems with power levels of 100 kW to several megawatts and higher. Desired specific impulses range from a value of 2000 s for Earth-orbit transfers to over 6000 s for planetary missions. System efficiencies in excess of 50% are desired. System lifetimes commensurate with mission requirements (typically 10,000+ hours of operation) are desired. Component technologies for high power applications of particular interest are those that can be commercially spun-off or can also be applied to lower power electric propulsion devices and applications. Proposed high power electric thruster component technologies must have near-term applications that can be pursued in a Phase-II effort. Examples of component technologies of interest include but are not limited to:


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X6.07 In-Space Propulsion (Nuclear)
Lead Center: GRC
Participating Center(s): MSFC

NASA is interested in the development of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) propulsion systems, subsystems, and components for use in future robotic science missions, as well as for human exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids. Besides providing high thrust and high specific impulse (Isp) primary propulsion, the basic NTR can also be configured for electrical power generation, bipropellant operation, ascent /descent and hybrid propulsion system applications.

In-Space Primary Propulsion
The high thrust and high Isp (~875–1000 s) NTR uses a fission reactor with U-235 fuel as its source of thermal energy production. During the various short primary propulsion maneuvers, large quantities of thermal power (100s of MW) are produced within the NTR and removed using LH2 propellant that is pumped through the engine’s reactor core. The superheated hydrogen gas is then exhausted out the engine’s nozzle to generate thrust.

Electrical Power Generation
The “Bimodal” NTR (BNTR) option produces both high thrust propulsion and electrical power for spacecraft operations (e.g., active refrigeration of cryogenic propellants, crew life support and high data rate Earth communications). During the “power generation phase,” the BNTR operates in an “idle mode” at greatly reduced power (~150 kW). Energy generated within the reactor is removed using a “closed” gas loop (He-Xe) and then routed to an efficient (~20%) dynamic power conversion system (e.g., Brayton turbine-alternator-compressor unit) to generate low-to-moderate levels (~10s to 100s of kW) of electricity.

Bipropellant Operation
In the “LOX-augmented” NTR (LANTR) option, gaseous oxygen is injected into the hot hydrogen exhaust downstream of the nozzle’s sonic throat. Here it undergoes “supersonic combustion” providing LANTR with an “after-burner” nozzle feature allowing a variable thrust and Isp capability that depends on the operating oxygen-to-hydrogen mixture ratio. Transition to LANTR operation provides a number of engine, vehicle and mission benefits that include thrust augmentation for small engines, reduced gravity losses, shortened burns, and increased bulk propellant density leading to smaller tanks and reduced stage sizes.

Ascent and Descent Propulsion
With its high thrust, power generation, and bipropellant (LH2 and LOX) operational capability, bimodal LANTR propulsion could allow interesting sample return missions from the frozen “water-ice” worlds of the outer Solar System. Samples can be collected and returned using LH2 and LOX propellants produced from in situ ice for ascent and return propulsion maneuvers.

Hybrid Propulsion Operation
In the “hybrid” BNTEP system, the electrical power output of the BNTR is increased to support the addition of electrical propulsion (EP) thrusters. The benefits of the BNTEP concept includes high thrust for quick departure and capture maneuvers, as well as sustained operations at higher Isp values (1000s of seconds) resulting in reduced propellant consumption and potential spacecraft mass reductions on both nearer term robotic and future human exploration missions.

Key technologies and concepts being investigated include:

Supporting technologies and concepts include:

For long duration robotic science and future human exploration missions, increased safety and reliability are of extreme importance. It is also highly desirable that key technologies have applicability to a wide range of missions. For example, high temperature, high burn-up UO2 in tungsten metal “cermet” fuel can potentially be used for both NTR, BNTR, nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and planetary surface power system applications. Lastly, technologies that can easily and efficiently be scaled in size (e.g., thrust level and electrical power output) and can be used in a host of applications (high degree of commonality) are highly desirable.

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X6.08 Launch Infrastructure and Operations
Lead Center: KSC
Participating Center(s): GRC, GSFC

The purpose and scope of the subtopic is to develop technologies and concepts for safe and efficient prelaunch preparation, checkout, launch, landing, and launch countdown recycle support of the launch vehicle, spacecraft and payload elements in addition to range and rescue support systems. Included in this area are ground-based facility systems and equipment, instrumentation and control systems, safety systems to protect both the human elements and hardware, work control, planning and scheduling, receiving, shipping and handling, maintaining large fluid and high power infrastructure hardware and protecting and mitigating the hardware from the effects of natural and man-made elements.

Safety Management and Control Systems
Safe and efficient operations, which are improved by orders of magnitude, is the goal of this solicitation. Development of innovative capabilities for metric tracking, area surveillance, navigation aids, communications, and atmospheric sensing are required. Technology development in the following areas will be needed: integrated multi-, hyper-, and ultra-spectral instrumentation and sensors; multi-channel, low power, spectrum efficient transceivers high gain antennas that can integrate with the National Airspace System for vehicle ascent and decent. Cost effective and innovative implementations of communication technologies for the Distress Alerting Satellite System (DASS) to support Search And Rescue (SAR). Improving survivability of Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) beacons, developing beacon compatibility with the planned Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) System, and improving Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) antenna patterns are sought.

Technologies that improve the basic 406 MHz beacon protocols, while remaining compatible with the existing Cospas-SarSat satellite system and the DASS system. Development of technologies for improved link margins and techniques capable of supporting interactive analysis and target recognition in airborne polarimetric SAR at foliage penetrating wavelengths. Techniques to support interactive analysis of spectral and polarization signatures of targets using hyperspectral instruments. Develop ground-based and airborne time-resolved, real-time instruments to measure atmospheric chemical species associated with spaceport propellants and combustion products. Expected products include concept papers and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Payload Packaging and Vehicle Integration
Development of innovative packaging techniques and systems that offer efficiency and reliability improvements to payload components for test and replacement while assuring rugged mounting to withstand handling and launch. The design should promote the step-by-step buildup of payload systems to support unit testing and integrated payload, and eventually integrated vehicle test and verification. Development of technologies and concepts that support standardization of payload containers that are self-contained with built-in health monitoring which can support the payload from its birth at the factory to prelaunch processing, integration, and launch through deployment. Expected products include concept papers and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Large Scale Propellant, Fluid, Mechanical, and Power Systems
Advanced cryogenic technologies that support systems which range from the small (20 l for supercritical air, payload cooling) to very large (>3400 m3 for LOX and LH2 ground propellant storage). Development of concepts and technologies that support thermal conductivity cryogenic tank penetrations, cryogenic insulation systems for application in ambient air environments, insulation concepts for reusable launch vehicles, high efficiency insulation for in-place replacement of perlite in large ground storage tanks, valves for cryogenic applications that minimize thermal losses, and pressure drops that are failure resilient, innovative LOX pumping systems, small and low power efficient circulation pumps, leak proof and easy-to-use cryogenic couplings using robust sealing technology, smart umbilical systems and components designed for high reliability and safety, as well as special control components for densified propellants with zero boiloff. Capabilities and technologies for separation and recovery of gaseous hydrogen and/or helium from waste gas streams, purification and re-use. Expected products include concept papers and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Launch Command and Control Systems and Information Networks
Traditional Command and Control Systems that support only a specific class of space vehicle must evolve to adaptable systems that can interact with different classes of spacecraft at spaceports located in diverse environments. Improved sensing capability for inline and other non-intrusive techniques including, but not limited to; gas composition determination, flow rate, pressure, temperature, valve position, voltage, current, strain, vibration, and liquid level. “Smart” sensors, i.e., sensors capable of performing qualification, integrity checking, and self-identification, and are aware of their performance history so that they know when they are operating in a degraded mode. Wireless or self-healing wired technology that supports health monitoring. Advanced data bus and data bus control hardware, e.g., IEEE 1394 b, for spaceport operations. Automated and autonomous control systems for automated inspection applications. Software concepts and architectures for integrated spacecraft checkout that can execute in either an Earth-based or non-terrestrial spaceport and that hide the differences between the two platforms. Architectures for portable software that would support service discovery and remote execution in support of future spacecraft and spaceport interaction. Evaluate languages with software components that are portable at run-time to support spaceport processing. Real-time systems must be stable, responsive, and support remote operations. Evaluate abstraction techniques to provide the capability to develop a common set of software to support spaceport and spacecraft servicing operations. Evaluate techniques for the automated generation of end-item control software and software test and validation procedures from a common predefined set of end item specifications. Expected products include concept papers, simulation demonstrations, and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Launch Operations Systems Health Management
Development of capabilities and technologies that support detection, prediction, isolation, and mitigation of system faults, degradations and failures for the purpose of enhancing safety, availability, and maintainability. Health determination, current or future, may require access and collaboration with other spaceport computational systems for history data, component pedigree determination, problem reporting and corrective action (PRACA), work control, planning, and scheduling systems. Ground support health information will need to be integrated with launch vehicle and spacecraft health information and presented in a form to allow human operators maximum situational awareness of dynamic events. Development of standards for communication between the various health management components will have to be developed. Systems developed will have to support software updates and major upgrades over the life of the hardware. Health algorithm details may require frequent updates to refine failure characterizations and should not drive costly revalidation and certification efforts. Expected products include concept papers and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Work Control and Process Verification
Development of advanced and integrated work control systems that allow ease of user interaction for the generation, review, execution, verification, and audit review of process control procedures. Systems should support multimodal communication capabilities and user input and output functions specialized to the environment used. Technologies developed must be robust mission critical applications with audit recording and retrieval, backup and redundant capabilities. Development of metric collection, analysis, and reporting capabilities that allow local and remote entry and review. Development of simulation capabilities for the verification of process changes. Verification should be integrated and simulation compared with actual real-time or recorded data. Expected products include concept papers, simulation demonstrations, and subsystem or component level prototype demonstrations.

Integrated Infrastructure – Vehicle Launch Architectures
Development of process, architecture, and cost models in support of vehicle launch architectures and required integrated spaceport infrastructure. Develop and mature the capabilities to effectively trade launch vehicle architectures and integrated spaceport infrastructure to support the reduction of life cycle costs and improved safety. Development of concepts and technology for integrated transportation and handling of large and small elements and equipment, together with precision alignment and placement of hardware elements within the infrastructure. Develop architecture concepts and technology that would support the reduction and elimination of unique spaceport infrastructure and support common infrastructure that would support multiple types of vehicles and spacecraft. Expected products include concept papers, simulation demonstrations, and system or subsystem level prototype demonstrations.

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X6.09 Space Transportation Test Requirements and Instrumentation
Lead Center: SSC
Participating Center(s): MSFC

The goal of this subtopic is to identify and develop new technologies that can significantly increase the capabilities for improved rocket engine ground testing and safety assurance while reducing costs. Specific areas of interest include the following:


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