NASA SBIR 2003 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Creare Inc
P.O. Box 71, 16 Great Hollow Road
Hanover ,NH 03755 - 0071
(603) 643 - 3800

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mark V. Zagarola
mvz@creare.com
P.O. Box 71, 16 Great Hollow Road
Hanover ,NH  03755 -0071
(603) 643 - 3800
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Future manned space exploration missions will require high power electric propulsion. VASIMR thrusters are the most attractive option because they offer short transit times and low propellant usage. A key component in VASIMR thrusters is the cryogenic electromagnets. Cooling systems for the magnets do not currently exist. The innovation of the proposed project is a high-capacity turbo-Brayton cryocooler for thermal management of VASIMR electromagnets. The cryocooler has heritage in the space-qualified unit that was developed by Creare for the Hubble Space Telescope. Turbo-Brayton cryocoolers are ideal for space applications because they are lightweight, compact, efficient, highly reliable and have long maintenance-free lifetimes (>10 years). Furthermore, the technology scales well to high cooling capacities and is inherently simple to integrate with multiple cooling objects; attributes that are particularly beneficial for VASIMR systems. In Phase I we will design thermal management systems for VASIMR thrusters at power levels consistent with near-term flight experiments and future manned space exploration missions. During Phase II, we will demonstrate a prototype thermal management system. In Phase III we will develop the complete thermal management system, integrate the system with a VASIMR thruster, and demonstrate the system through tests in a thermal vacuum chamber.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This program will result in the development of a high-capacity turbo-Brayton cryocooler that is compact, lightweight, consumes minimal power, and is simple to integrate with spacecraft systems and cooling loads. Space applications include cooling systems for high-temperature superconducting magnets for electric propulsion, and observation platforms requiring large arrays of infrared and X-ray detectors; and cooling systems for cryogen storage for planetary and extraterrestrial exploration missions, extended-life orbital transfer vehicles, long-term geosynchronous missions, in-space propellant depots and extraterrestrial bases. Terrestrial applications include cooling systems for spaceport cryogen storage and cryogen transportation systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Non-NASA commercial applications include cooling systems for high-temperature superconducting magnets in motors and magnetic resonance imaging systems; laboratory- and industrial-scale gas separation, liquefaction, cryogen storage and cryogen transportation systems; and commercial orbital transfer vehicles and satellites.