NASA 2002 STTR Phase 1 Solicitation

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
The purpose of this project is to develop a portable, hands free device for emergency medical decision-making support to be used in remote or confined settings by non-physician providers. Phase I of the project will entail the development of a voice-activated device that will utilize an intelligent algorithm to provide guidance in establishing an emergent airway. The interactive, hands free software will process requests for assistance based on verbal prompts and algorithmic decision-making. The device will allow the crew to attend to the patient while receiving verbal instruction, guidance and graphic representations where it will be helpful in performing procedures. Testing in the Johns Hopkins Department of Emergency Medicine, in a real time clinical setting, will validate the efficacy of this mode of technology. Phase I of the project will focus on validation of the proposed technology as well as development of the necessary software and hardware into a beta-type device. In Phase II, we will produce the first generation software and hardware for hands-free, interactive medical decision for use in any situation in which an algorithmic guide would be useful.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The medical decision software, the algorithmic approach and the hands free technology will be integrated to create a product that will have wide-ranging uses in emergency situations. Following development and validation of the technology and software the product will be easily marketed and licensed to a medical/para-medical organization or medical equipment company. This technology?s greatest impact will be in the general population, with remote or mobile care environments being the target. First Aid publications may be impractical for the layperson, faced with illness or injury in remote locations and with precious little time. Cruise ships, oilrigs, reservations, remote military bases, municipalities, school districts and expeditions are obvious locations for the hands-free device. The potential of using such a system to save lives or to stabilize someone with an illness or injury prior to the arrival of trained emergency personnel is very real.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
To date, the only U.S. on/peri-orbit emergencies have been airway ones; Apollo-Soyuz inhalation injuries and explosive decompression and fire on the Mir. The frequent loss of communication events with ISS means that crews will be forced to operate more independently and a mission to Mars will necessitate a degree of autonomy never before achieved. It is not logistically possible to make an emergency medicine physician part of every crew so NASA relies on the C.M.O. program, which, in essence, places a layperson in charge of life or death decisions. The C.M.O.s have no clinical acumen on which to base their decisions, yet they are expected to make medical judgments. The device would allow laypersons to easily, reliably and quickly treat patients using sound, validated algorithms; the mainstay of pre-hospital care. Additionally, it would free the C.M.O. from having to manually locate and then read the appropriate guide.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
The overall goal of this project is to develop a robust autonomous intelligent real-time system for Uninhabited Aerial Combat Vehicles (UCAV) to achieve the desired flight performance by integrating effective Health Monitoring and Failure Detection and Identification (HM-FDI) with optimal control strategies to accommodate unanticipated failures and multiple modes of operation. SSCI has already done ground-breaking research in this area, which will be fully leveraged to further advance the state-of-the-art in Intelligent Autonomy. In order to achieve these objectives, we plan to carry out the following tasks in collaboration with Professor Karl Hedrick of the University of California, Berkeley: (i) Formulate the HM-FDIR problem in multiple operating regimes for UCAVs; (ii) Derive algorithms for real-time calculation of Achievable Dynamic Performance (ADP) and reachable sets; (iii) Implement an efficient robust HM-FDIR system for the X-45A as a test vehicle; (iv) Implement higher decision-making levels including the trajectory generation, path planning and mission planning levels; and (v) Evaluate the performance of the proposed autonomous intelligent flight control and management system using a X-45A (Boeing-Darpa UCAV) simulation. NASA Ames Rotorcraft Research Center (Dr. Mark Tischler) will provide technical evaluation and flight demonstration support during Phase II of the project.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Current applications of the proposed autonomous intelligent flight control and management system are in the area of intelligent autonomy for single and multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV). Autonomous intelligent control systems will find wide applications in other programs such as Air Traffic Control and Intelligent Vehicle Highways. Related applications are envisioned in the areas of robotics, and unmanned ground, underwater and surface vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The proposed autonomous intelligent flight control and management system and related technologies are critical for realizing the vision of the NASA Aviation Safety Program to reduce the aviation fatal accident rate by a factor of 5 by year 2007, and by a factor of 10 by year 2022. The technologies developed under this project are expected to predict and prevent mechanical and software malfunctions, and reconfigure the control when they happen. Our technologies will also help eliminate accidents involving hazardous weather and controlled flight into rough terrain.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
AeroAstro and the University of Colorado propose to develop an autonomous satellite power control system to dynamically monitor, schedule and distribute power resources on microsatellites , while remaining sensitive to the mission objectives. The Autonomous Power Scheduler (APS) will maximize power efficiency and availability while being situationally-aware of bus conditions. The concept system would employ a component-based model to diagnose system status with embedded logic, and respond to anomalous power states and initiate recovery or mitigation actions pending further ground command, while remaining within defined spacecraft state-of-health parameters. The APS represents an innovative paradigm shift from conventional design practices. Conventionally, spacecraft power is managed using static, non-intelligent designs based on worst-case, lowest power scenarios, and subsystem operational power allocations are made with ?man-in-the-loop? decisions through transmitted commands. What is proposed here is a method to control primary power in an intelligent, semi- or fully autonomous fashion maximizing mission capability and performance. Appropriate power will be distributed when and where it is most needed. The autonomy of the APS concept and the resulting reduction in requirements for ?man-in-the-loop? decision making makes it particularly applicable to NASA?s future generation of distributed constellation missions.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Due to the autonomous nature of APS, we envision a wide range of power-limited, mobile platform applications. This system will make better use of the available power resources to reduce weight and increase system life. Weight can be reduced by requiring less energy stores to meet basic mission objectives. Smaller batteries or less fuel may be required to meet operational goals. Weight reduction often equates to increased endurance for ground-based, autonomous systems. Two specific areas of ground-based systems that can benefit from reduced mass and increased autonomy are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Deployable Sensors. UAVs are operated remotely or, at certain times, completely autonomously. The less weight, the further range and flight duration that is possible. Deployable Sensors are most commonly used for theater applications. They are used to track and identify the source of ground movements. Reduced weight allows the sensors to be deployed with minimum manpower in difficult areas for vehicle access.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Over the next ten years NASA has planned numerous upcoming small satellite for near Earth and deep space missions which have a need for low mass, power efficient, survivable components and subsystems such as their electric power subsystems. The majority of these missions will be severely restricted in their ability to maintain batteries due to their limited power gathering capabilities, in particularly for deep space and constellation missions such as the Magnetospheric Constellation mission. These missions require components optimized for mass, power, and cost, while satisfying the reliability and efficiency needed for single string and deep space missions. To fulfill these requirements we feel the development of a highly efficient, semi-autonomous or even fully autonomous electrical power system based on APS which we are proposing will be beneficial and significantly contribute to life and capability of these missions.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Here Intelligent Automation, Inc. (IAI) and its subcontractor, Prof. Marios M. Polycarpou of University of Cincinnati, propose a new approach for designing intelligent health monitoring supervisor and fault-tolerant controllers for nonlinear air vehicles operating in multiple regimes. First, a novel on-line monitoring system performs model validation and fault diagnosis. The monitor automatically distinguishes between fault occurrence and normal operating regime switching and determines the particular fault type after fault detection. It can directly deal with nonlinear fault models, handle unstructured modeling uncertainty and unanticipated failures, and is suitable for real-time operations. Second, a new reconfiguration supervisor makes decision regarding controller reconfiguration and resource management. The supervisor provides a unified framework for fault detection, fault isolation and fault-tolerant control, which is still lacking in literature according to a recent survey paper. Another new feature is that the effect of fault detection time on system stability has been explicitly taken into account. Third, a controller suite with novel robust adaptive controllers to deal with different failure modes in each regime is proposed. The fault-tolerant controllers are designed based on recently developed nonlinear adaptive/neural control techniques. The controller guarantees closed-loop stability for a general class of nonlinear systems. Moreover, it has an on-line tuning scheme that eliminates off-line training of the neural net, which is extremely important in rapidly varying environment.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
There are many potential NASA applications for this innovation, for instance, health monitoring of spacecraft, reusable launch vehicles, flight control systems, engine, etc.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The proposed method combines several breakthroughs in fault detection and isolation, and robust adaptive neural control techniques in a unified framework. The proposed method can be used for applications such as aircraft, motors, robots, submarines, and nuclear reactors. We expect the method to be widely used in many commercial and military applications.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
When using autonomous systems in unknown environments, it will not be possible to anticipate all scenarios in which the devices will be involved and pre-program their response. It will be increasingly incumbent on the machines to ascertain the intent of the users and be able to learn from user actions to improve performance. Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) will explore several new algorithms that would enable a machine to learn some of the high-level strategies that humans use to control and monitor robotic devices remotely. By collecting data from human teleoperation, we propose learning a mode controlling mixture model that would approximate the decision boundaries that human operators use to switch strategies. This idea will take the skill and intelligence inherent in human operators and provide the basis for how the controller can adjust during autonomous operation. In order to optimize the parameters of the controllers, we propose using optimization techniques inspired from genetic algorithms (GAs) to find globally optimal parameters within these modes. To further optimize the learned mode switching behavior, we also plan to incorporate online reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to adaptively tune the learned parameters.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
As NASA extends its reach, it will be necessary to use unmanned vehicles to facilitate autonomous exploration and to support telepresence for human personnel. Since at such great distance, human interaction will be limited, these vehicles must learn both on their own and from the limited interaction when human assistance is possible. Learning from human demonstration can be used to automatically ?program? robots for space missions during the earth-based training periods when humans are also learning how to use the robots. Beyond robots, as the functions of all mission subsystems become increasingly complex, forms of adaptive learning will be necessary.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
These technologies will be applicable to commercial avionics systems and control and decision-making systems. The technology developed will provide greater integration at the system level, more affordable configurations, more efficient and supportable flight control architectures, and the ability to operate air vehicles safely and effectively in an inter-netted environment. All commercial aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, and airline would benefit from this technology.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
The proposed innovation is a solution that combines efficient dynamically
reconfigurable embedded software and extensions to model-based reasoning (MBR)to enable on-board planning, real-time control, and failure management of complex autonomous systems. The solution leverages Embedded Research Solutions (ERS)'s expertise in the area of embedded real-time systems and merges recent advances by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the area of MBR. ERS has used a state-based approach to building dynamically reconfigurably software, through the creation of resource-savvy real-time frameworks and software components for control and communication applications. This technology provides the underpinnings to incorporate JHU/APL's newest results in MBR, namely expressive state definitions, into MIT's second generation MBR system TITAN, and shrinking the resulting reasoning engine to a size suitable for on-board real-time processing in autonomous systems.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Areas of application and special interest to ERS include pervasive computing, environmental monitoring and machine health and diagnostics.
It is anticipated that this effort will define at least two viable commercial embodiments of the technologies: 1) a platform for embedded systems that includes MBR for planning and diagnostics and 2) tools that support the platform.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The solution directly addresses NASA's needs described in STTR 2002 Topic 1, subtopic, "Technologies for Autonomous Spacecraft, Rovers, and Other Complex Systems." It provides both an onboard capability for synthesizing operational plans from high-level goals, and on-board MBR methods to diagnose system health and then automatically reconfigure to respond to failures.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Aeroelastic studies, such as the prediction of flutter boundaries and limit cycle oscillations, play a critical role in aircraft safety and design. To perform these analyses with the required accuracy, nonlinear aerodynamic, and possibly nonlinear structural, effects must be included. Furthermore, these effects must be considered early in the design cycle in order to reduce life cycle costs. The Volterra theory of nonlinear systems addresses the need for efficient and accurate reduced-order modeling of unsteady aeroelastic effects. A critical problem, however, is the difficulty of identifying the Volterra kernels. We propose a new identification method that is suitable for use with wind-tunnel or flight-test data. The proposed innovation is a time-domain multiresolution Volterra kernel identification method which uses physically realizable inputs, is robust with respect to noise, and minimizes or eliminates the need for analytical assumptions. The Phase I work will integrate an existing kernel extraction technique with new multiresolution signal decomposition approaches and demonstrate the combined method on experimental data. The resulting technology is expected to facilitate linear and nonlinear system identification for aeroservoelastic analysis and design and will be applied, in Phase II, to data from the F18-AAW program.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The market for efficient aeroelastic analysis tools is driven by new aircraft, missile, and reusable launch vehicle design and by the need for multiple aeroelastic analyses over time as a consequence of aircraft modifications and expanded/changing missions. The proposed linear and nonlinear identification system has a broad range of applications, including but not limited to, electromagnetic pulse hardening of aircraft systems, computational electromagnetics (photopic switching devices, ultrawideband technology), noise reduction (acoustic liners), polymer processing (extrusion blow molding), and earthquake and geoenvironmental engineering.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The proposed multiresolution-based identification system provides a unique capability that will extend the usefulness of wind-tunnel and flight-test data by producing compact, reduced-order models for use in aeroelastic analyses. The formulation of reduced-order models in aeroelasticity is important for several reasons: (1) cost reduction and speed-up of preliminary design cycles, (2) understanding of nonlinear behavior and elimination of later surprises, and (3) real-time aeroservoelastic control applications. The proposed technology supports NASA's goal of increasing safety and efficiency of flight testing.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
The ability to quickly estimate flight vehicle behavior in an operational environment is particularly important since engineers from a variety of disciplines require accurate predictions in order to plan flight test experiments, expand aircraft operating envelopes safely, and have access to diagnostic methods when problems arise. In order to minimize risks, and to maximize compatibility with present NASA efforts and personnel, the innovative software to be created and marketed through this effort will be written to ?seamlessly? interface with the NASA STARS suite of codes. This approach will also allow a focus on the new and innovative techniques to be implemented during this effort without the need to reproduce analysis tools which are already highly developed and validated. At the same time, this increases commercial viability of the product due to the broad distribution and familiarity with the STARS codes in the government and academic sectors. The products ultimately produced from this effort will have the capability for CFD-based multi-disciplinary analysis of flight vehicles including linear and non-linear aeroservoelastic analysis. Special emphasis will be placed on developing tools which may be used by engineers in a flight test environment where rapid turnaround times are critical.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Multidisciplinary modeling techniques and software proposed will reduce the design cycle time resulting in significant savings in R&D. Potential dual-use application will include the design of all types of commercial aircraft, jet engines, automobile and engine components, and civil engineering structures. Significant effort will be made to promote commercialization of the products developed in Phase I and Phase II for application in general aviation aircraft manufacturing industry, where the cost of R&D makes a great portion of the total budget and businesses are eager to adopt tools and methods to reduce design cycle time and cost.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
High-performance flight vehicles that are currently being designed have unprecedented levels of interactions of structures, aerodynamics, propulsion, and flight controls. This will impose considerable design margins for stability and control performance. Therefore, an accurate simulation of flight characteristics of these flight vehicles, prior to testing, will ensure safety of the craft and the crew, relaxes design margin requirements, improve performance, and cut cost. The novel techniques and tools proposed here will be of immediate use for achieving these objectives in NASA and military applications, as stand alone, or as an addition to the existing tools such as STARS.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
ZONA Technology and the University of Florida propose an R&D effort to establish a Robust Aeroservoelastic Toolbox (RASET) with emphasis on nonlinear identification, modeling and analysis. The RASET will serve the next-generation flutterometer. The toolbox augments the current mu-method analysis with nonlinear operators so limit cycle oscillations (LCO) can be predicted. Several representations of these nonlinearities, such as Volterra kernels and describing functions, are proposed. Flight data will be used to identify optimal estimates of these nonlinear representations and associated uncertainty. The resulting model will be used to compute stability margins that reflect both flutter and LCO instabilities. In Phase I, the developed RASET will formulate the foundation for the next-generation flutterometer. This toolbox will allow the computation of robust stability margins associated with explosive flutter or limit cycle oscillations (LCO). A feasibility study is proposed to validate this advanced flutterometer concept. In Phase II, RASET would be updated with advanced routines for system modeling, LFT representation, identification of nonlinearity, estimation of uncertainty, and stability analysis. The aim of the current approach is that the toolbox should be invaluable to the flight test community by extending the current modeling capabilities to include nonlinearity identified from flight data.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
ZONA envisions that the proposed research will result in a commercial product which can greatly impact the flight test community. The work toolbox could become a standard analysis package for aeroservoelastic instability and flutter clearance. If successful, the proposed methodology for a nonlinear flutterometer will complement and enhance the current capability for predicting instabilities during envelope expansion. ZONA plans to package the toolbox as stand-alone software for all phases, pre-flight to post-flight, of a test. A wide variety of military and commercial aircraft can adopt this analysis capability such as fighters, transports, UAV, and scaled-prototype versions. The potential customer base includes current ZONA customers including aerospace firms, DoD, NASA, USAF, USN, and flight test centers. Marketing the toolbox will be simplified by taking advantage of ZONA's current extensive customer network. In addition, these tools for data-based modeling and analysis of nonlinearities are needed for automotive, manufacturing, nautical, and materials applications.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
NASA, especially Dryden Flight Research Center, invests considerable resources into flight testing. The proposed Robust Aeroservoelastic Toolbox would increase the efficiency of such testing. The increased efficiency would result from reducing time and cost of the testing while, most importantly, increasing safety. The toolbox will provide an advanced on-line prediction capability for aeroservoelastic instabilities that identifies nonlinear dynamics directly from flight data. Such capability will dramatically reduce the risk of encountering unexpected instabilities associated with unmodeled nonlinearities.
Thus, the tools will be of use for aeroelasticians, aerodynamicists, and control engineers. The proposed toolbox could support NASA and partners on upcoming envelope expansion of the F/A-18 AAW, F-15 IFF, and UCAV at NASA Dryden along with the F-22 at Edwards Air Force Base.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Future research into advanced air vehicle designs will benefit from the continued improvement of analysis methods and software tools. A research program is proposed to provide enhanced capabilities to the NASA STARS software package in two key areas. These are; the addition of a control system toolbox including classical and modern control system design procedures, and the introduction of parallelization into the computational process. Since most current and planned high performance air vehicles depend heavily on their flight control systems, and their structure is designed for low weight, and an efficient propulsion system is essential, a fully integrated analysis is required in the design process to produce overall optimized performance. All these factors motivate the need for the newly proposed developments. Also, as more complexity is added to the analysis software, computer throughput productivity inevitably drops, despite computer advances, and this drives the need for parallelization. The capability resulting from this research promises significant increases in the scope and efficiency of STARS such that its use will have a greater range of application and will contribute to the assurance of safety in flight testing. The planned reusable launch vehicle will be the initial application objective of the enhanced software.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Multidisciplinary analysis simulation packages, such as STARS, are in considerable demand both inside and outside of NASA. They are not confined to applications in the aeronautics and space fields, but are of high interest to many product areas. The proposed enhancements will increase the attraction of STARS as a commercial tool for these other industries, such as marine, automotive and civil engineering. A further spin-off benefit is the potential application to Stirling Dynamics? in-house software package, Hypac, which can use the same control and parallelization techniques, and which the company plans to offer as a commercial product.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
NASA will benefit from the expanded analysis capability and increased computational throughput made available by the addition of control systems and parallelization to STARS. NASA Dryden conducts research into the most advanced air vehicles and must maintain software analysis tools of the highest quality to assure safety of flight testing, to which the planned STARS enhancements contribute. The enhanced STARS tool can be offered to other NASA facilities, expanding the user base and ensuring its continued growth. The reusable launch vehicle is a suitable first application, such that the benefit from this STTR project has an early impact.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Modern airfoil design evaluation requires accurate analysis of both structural dynamic as well as fluid oscillatory response. The level of calculation reliability has, in principle, increased significantly, so that now the opportunity exists to optimize aeroelastic behavior in the design stage. This is made possible by new high fidelity structural and CFD tools which predict airfoil steady and transient aero loading, as well as stress and vibrational behavior. However, while single runs of the applicable COTS codes can be parallel-processed reasonably quickly, computational time becomes pacing in airfoil development due to the many iterations that must be performed in order to optimize lift/weight ratios, while ensuring that aeroelastic flutter is avoided. Automated Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MDO) computer algorithms can address this analysis bottleneck, but attempts to date have had only limited success, due to problems with slow convergence and local minima. MSI will locate the true minimum of the multi-disciplinary objective function through a unique optimization approach making appropriate use of stochastic methods. The technique accounts for design constraints, such as component thicknesses and aspect ratios, for airfoils that are practical and cost-effective. Using MSI?s Stochastic Optimization of Airfoil Response (SOAR) methodology, time-savings of several-fold are expected in airfoil design optimization.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The SOAR algorithm may be applied to commercial aircraft airfoil design and development, for both large and small aircraft. The procedure may be used for winged aircraft or helicopters. In addition, with further commercial development in Phase III, the approach may be applied to other transportation fields, as well as to engineering optimization in general.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The SOAR approach is applicable to re-usable launch vehicles, efficient UAV development, new civilian and military aircraft, and improvement studies for existing aircraft, in particular those challenged by issues of relative weight or inappropriate aeroelastic response. In Phase III, other applications can be explored, such as entire airframe optimization.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
In November 1998 a network of seismic stations was deployed by S. Anandakrishnan (now at Penn State) and others in West Antarctica. These autonomous stations returned state-of-health data via satellite, and stored high-volume instrument data for later retrieval. The satellite links demonstrated a novel and sophisticated application of technology to the problem of retrieving in situ data from harsh remote terrestrial environments. Using these Antarctic seismic stations as a starting point, we propose to make a second innovative leap in remote instrumentation by creating intelligent, self-organizing instrument networks capable of recording, storing, processing, and returning high volumes of geophysical data from the field. These instruments will be built from low-cost COTS components, will intercommunicate via wireless microwave protocol, and will return data through a high-rate telemetry system. As such the proposed instrument network will drastically reduce the costs of field instrumentation and data recovery. The notion of an intelligent autonomous array of sensors has gained in popularity and momentum in the scientific world with new technological advances. We believe this is the opportunity to implement such a concept, with considerable but surmountable technical challenges, direct application to NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, and tremendous potential for future commercial application.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
We propose to develop an intelligent self-organizing autonomous wireless network of sensor stations. The technology to be developed under this proposal would enhance both the reliability and cost of any distributed sensor array. Examples of commercialization potential include rapid and complete monitoring of an urban power grid or establishment of an environmental pollution/contamination warning system. This technology could also be used for traffic monitoring in order to optimize traffic flow, and sensors could also be used in this context for law-enforcement and homeland security purposes.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
This proposed research and commercial development is directly applicable to the future exploration of our solar system. For example, an array of sensors on Mars or Europa will have to collect data under harsh environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures and exposure to high winds and radiation. To optimize system redundancy and data return these sensor will intercommunicate, will process and store data, and will autonomously telemeter that data to earth via relay satellite. This scenario precisely mirrors our proposed intelligent regional sensor network in Antarctica. The knowledge and experience gained in designing and operating the Antarctic instrument network will hence become an invaluable part of the preparation for such future planetary missions.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
This phase I proposal with Powdermet and Northwestern University is combining two technologies to provide a new light weight mirror concept.
The combinatiom of the 2 technologies should provide for improved performance and lighter weight strucutre for space applications.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Light weight structure- engine, airframe, floats, Thermal Barrier applications

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Space Mirror application, tehrmal barrier, cryo tank applications
Con-X and other NASA X-ray missions

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
This proposal will enable the most efficient integration of NASA?s semiconductor lasers into strategic optical systems. To protect laser lifetimes and increase performance, these lasers will require isolators to protect them from back-reflections, similar to the isolators in all fiber-optic networks. This work proposes to monolithically integrate magneto-optical isolators with semiconductor platforms in order to reduce the size and weight, as well as increase the performance, of NASA?s semiconductor laser systems. The important elements in an integrated isolator are 1) magneto-optical waveguides and 2) permanent magnet biasing films. Yttrium iron garnet (YIG), the strongest magneto-optical material, is very difficult to grow onto semiconductor platforms. This work will use a novel technique, metallorganic chemical liquid deposition (MOCLD) to achieve this feat. Preliminary results have demonstrated the feasibility, but not the optimization, of this technique. Permanent magnet films of SmCo have also demonstrated promise as biasing magnets in waveguide isolators. Here, SmCo films will be made using a novel in-situ nitriding technique during Sm and Co codeposition. Also proposed is the optimization of buffer layers, which buffer substrates during growth and act as optical claddings. Ridge and interferometer components will be modeled using the beam propagation method before prototype isolators are fabricated.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Optical communications, optical signal processing, and optical data storage systems are all areas that will benefit from the realization of feasible Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). The proposed magneto-optical components, namely isolators, will allow this realization as they extend laser lifetimes and, in dramatic cases, prevent loss of mode lock. This work will also lead to advances in magneto-optical spatial light modulators (MO-SLMs), which when fabricated by standard photolithography have potential for ultrahigh resolution screens. Besides decreasing the size, weight and cost, monolithic integration of electronics with magneto-optical components will also increase the speed and reliability of MO-SLMs.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
At the heart of most NASA missions is the need for high performance devices with low power and small dimension requirements. The results of this proposal will lead to excellent photonics integrated circuits (PICs) that meet these rigorous NASA standards. Therefore, the results will most directly apply to ?Active Optical Systems and Technology? branch of Research Topic 3: Earth Science and Physics and Astronomy. Specifically, the photonic isolating components that emerge from this work will enable the most efficient integration of compact semiconductor lasers into Passive Remote Sensing Detector Systems.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
A lidar laser transmitter useful for profiling of clouds, aerosols, and differential absorption measurements of atmospheric trace constituents such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone is proposed. The proposed laser transmitter is based on a master tunable external cavity diode laser (ECDL) used to injection lock a series of free running laser diodes (FRLD's). The FRDL's amplify the injected optical signal from the master ECDL so that the output of the laser transmitter maintains the tunability and narrow linewidth of the master ECDL. The amplified output signal of the laser transmitter is easily pulsed by modulating the drive current to the FRDL's. The innovative laser transmitter maintains the tunability and narrow linewidth of the master ECDL important for differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements while providing a pulsed amplified output. Cascading four injection locked FRDL's to a master ECDL can produce a peak power of 1W. An order of magnitude improvement in the signal to noise performance of a lidar system can be obtained using the cascaded injection locked laser transmitter compared to the state of the art pulsed flared amplifiers.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The successful completion of the Phase I and Phase II STTR work will benefit NASA by improving the performance and lowering the cost of diode based lidar systems. Lidar systems based on the cascaded injection locked laser transmitters have an order of magnitude improvement in the SNR when compared to the pulsed flared amplifier system. Laser diodes needed for the injection locked laser transmitter cost about $750 per laser while pulsed amplifiers run anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. The savings in cost for the cascaded injection locked system (4 diodes needed) is over an order of magnitude.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The development of the cascaded injection locked laser transmitter involves the development of a tunable ECDL, an amplified cw or pulsed tunable laser system, and a diode based laser transmitter for lidar systems. Chemical sensing is an emerging market able to utilize the tunable ECDL. This work is of interest to both AdvR and Montana State University. The high power pulse injection locked ECDL and the cascaded injection locked ECDL have a potential market for pollution monitoring devices and line of sight chemical absorption measurements for process monitoring and control.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
A collaborative effort between MEMX and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is proposed to develop an innovative approach to enhancing LIDAR and optical communication transmitter systems and components with Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) beam steering components. The MEMS Optical Beam Steerers (MOBSTERs) will demonstrate a capability that is scalable to space or can be mounted on a relevant platform (UAV, long duration balloon, or aircraft) for calibration/validation of a spaceborne system. These Optical Beam Steerers are highly miniaturized with an emphasis on low weight, small volume and low power. The prototype system to be studied would consist of components that can be easily migrated to a space qualified design. To date, MEMS technology has not been used in these applications, and will allow by virtue of their size and mechanical integration significant miniaturization and weight reduction, as well as the potential for multiplicity and redundancy.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The evolving need for increases in satellite communication bandwidths is pushing the state-of-the-art beyond microwaves to optical frequencies. JHU/APL is moving forward on addressing this need by developing a multi-channel video communications paradigm that employs laser terminals in space using an open architecture and scanned optical beams, (which can be developed by MEMX) connecting both fixed and mobile users. Millimeter-wave backup will also be provided for severe weather conditions. Initial projected optical link capabilities at tera-bits per user channel are feasible, however, and they offer orders-of-magnitude improvement over existing RF systems in the near-term.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
A new multi-functional 3-D LIDAR system concept has been developed by JHU/APL that incorporates multi-channel micro-mirror arrays, which can be fabricated by MEMX. This technology can be combined with multi-wavelength fiber lasers and high-speed optical modulator arrays to support a wide variety of measurements from a single platform. This system can adapt in real-time to measure land surface profiles, map aerosols and clouds, measure atmospheric temperature, humidity, and wind speeds, and land surface vibrations. Agile laser tuning, pseudo-random coding, and continuous-wave modulation are additional features that can be used for atmospheric spectroscopy, profiling, and Doppler or laser vibrometry, respectively.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
This research will make significant progress in developing energy-based acoustic sensors and measurement techniques which will provide new insights into acoustic fields. In Phase I, a robust, three-dimensional, energy-based sensor will be developed and commercialized. It will be implemented on an efficient digital platform for acquiring and transmitting data. Energy-based measurement techniques and related software will be developed to determine radiated sound power from sources, enabling efficient in-situ measurements. Energy-based sensor array techniques will be developed to extend characterization of complex acoustic sources by extracting radiation information from sound fields not available from conventional sound pressure measurements.

In Phase II, high temperature/pressure capabilities for close proximity rocket plume measurements will be implemented to the energy-based sensor. A more complete understanding of spatial radiation characteristics and energy propagation, both from the source to the sensors and to remote structures, will be determined from energy-based measurements. Energy-based active control techniques will be developed as useful diagnostic tools to acoustically probe rocket sources and increase understanding of radiation characteristics. Energy-based measurements will be used to update and validate CFD models, and relationships between the acoustic and flow fields will be developed such that flow-field predictions can be made from the energy-based measurements.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Industry will be given powerful new methods and high quality instrumentation to further characterize sound fields through acoustic energy quantities. These tools will allow users to improve their understanding of sound fields, to surmise global sound field conditions, and to conduct more efficient sound power measurements. They will facilitate in-situ measurements of sound power and radiation from noise sources in industrial settings and improve efficiency of these measurements in laboratory settings. They will enable practical but comprehensive sound field assessments for environmental monitoring, noise control, and active sound field control in aerospace, transportation, audio, manufacturing, construction, and many other industries.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The technological developments of this work will apply directly to the measurement and analysis of sound produced in rocket plume environments. They will provide new energy-based methods of sound field and source characterization to enhance both the understanding and prediction of acoustic near fields and far fields. Energy-based active control techniques will be developed as useful diagnostic tools to further probe rocket plume source characteristics. Results will be used to update and validate CFD models and to better understand the relationships between the acoustic and flow fields. The developments will also be useful for many other NASA applications, whenever comprehensive sound field analysis and characterization are required.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Spatial uniformity within combustion devices, especially circumferential, is extremely important to the reliability and durability of a liquid rocket engine. Conventional combustion diagnostics, e.g. pressure and thrust, characterize global engine behavior, but provide no direct information about thermal and species distributions across the engine. Sierra Engineering has shown that exhaust plume measurements can provide many of these details with sensitivity much greater than conventional diagnostics. We have developed a turn-key infrared emission-absorption spectroscopy system capable of planar measurements across a rocket exhaust plume. Data reduction from this single spectrometer system requires that the flow field be assumed axisymmetric. However, simultaneous measurements from three spectrometers allow complete resolution of non-axisymmetric flow fields. The necessary tomographic data reconstruction techniques are commonly employed in the medical field for CAT-scan analyses. The subject proposal adapts the current Sierra emission-absorption plume diagnostic to a compact fiber-optic system suitable for deployment under realistic rocket test situations. The fiber-optic system enables the integration of three sensor systems into a single test setup, thereby permitting accurate characterization of non-axisymmetric flow fields.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The data generated with the instrument is important to rocket engine and gas turbine manufacturers across a range of applications. The DoD plume phenomenology community is intensely interested in both exit plane measurements and their relationship to engine characteristics. The instrument can also be directly applied to gain detailed insight into any combustion phenomena, including industrial boilers to open pool fires.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The resultant instrument determines the cross-sectional species and temperature distributions at the engine exit, which is closely related to the distributions at both the throat and within the nozzle converging section. It is equally applicable to uni element research-scale and large scale prototype engines. These data are essential to NASA and their engine contractors if Gen2 and Gen3 life and reliability goals are to be achieved. The instrument is also applicable for exhaust flow field characterization of gas turbine engines and solid and hybrid motors. Data collected is essential to validate and improve analysis tools, especially computational fluids dynamics (CFD) models.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Omni Technologies, Inc. (OTI) is proposing a unique acoustic method for measuring flow rate of liquid cryogens. Over the last 30 years, acoustic flowmeters have been demonstrated that non-intrusively measure flow rates in fluid filled pipes. The majority of these use pulsed time of flight techniques but none have used continuous wave (CW) techniques as is being proposed. The advantages of the proposed technique are simplicity of electronics, better signal detection capability, and continuous verses periodic measurements. This translates to a cheaper, smaller, more capable and highly accurate sensor suite. The risk of the proposed technique is reduced since proven pulsed time of flight systems use nearly identical sensor configurations and are based on the same physics. Measurement of fluid flow of liquid cryogens adds significant complexity to the sensor design due to material thermal effects but literature suggests that acoustic flowmeters are applicable for flow measurement of liquid cryogens. Upon completion of Phase I, OTI expects to have demonstrated the validity of the proposed method and have a working commercially viable flowmeter design by the end of Phase II. OTI expects the new flowmeter will provide NASA with a means to more accurately and more reliably measure cryogenic flow.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Acoustic flowmeters are applied in many industrial process control applications from the oilfield, to nuclear power plants, to waste water treatment, to manufacturing facilities. Any plant where flow measurements are required is a potential application. The proposed flowmeter likewise has similar application but will be faster and less costly. The proposed flowmeter will be cost competitive with traditional flowmeters but provide better accuracy. Current acoustic flowmeters are costly and generally used only where wetted sensors are not feasible and the cost is not the driving factor.

Researchers have also demonstrated acoustic flowmeters that provide density estimates allowing a single sensor to provide mass flow. This is of particular interest in industries such as the paper industry where process control requires mass flow. OTI believes the proposed flowmeter capabilities can be extend in the future to include density calculations thus increasing market opportunities.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The primary NASA application is that stated in the request for proposal. NASA requires cryogenic flow measurements during fuel loading (liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen) operations. Accurate flow measurements are required to insure that correct amounts of fuel and oxidizer are loaded for test operations as well as Shuttle missions. Accurate flow measurements are also required during test firings for plant control and monitoring. Due to the high pressures involved, wetted flow sensors are less desirable because of the increased risk of leaks. Higher maintenance is also an issue with wetted transducers. Acoustic flow sensors are more accurate and can be operated non-intrusively offering significant advantages. The proposed CW acoustic flowmeter offers inherent advantages. Sample rate is higher and cost is lower than acoustic flowmeters based on different methods.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
ORBITEC and the University of Wisconsin-Madison propose to develop a low-cost, non-intrusive, wavelength-agile optical rocket propulsion sensor (WORPS) to interrogate rocket exhaust plumes and cryogenic fluid properties. The innovative sensor system is based on a Chirped White Pulse Emitter (CWPE). By rapidly monitoring (1 ?Ys response time) broad absorption spectra, the CWPE can interrogate temperature, pressure, and multiple species concentrations in gases at arbitrary conditions and can simultaneously monitor cryogenic liquid properties, all with a simple design. Along a line-of-sight with non-uniform properties, the CWPE can also record gas temperature distributions rather than just the path-averaged temperature. These capabilities represent a dramatic enhancement of the best diode-laser sensors available just two years ago, which were not wavelength-agile. In Phase I, a prototype WORPS system will be designed and fabricated. The unit will be initially demonstrated by interrogating static gas cells at various mixtures and pressures, flat-flame burners, and dewars of LOX containing known amounts of trace constituents (such and N2). Additional demonstrations will be performed by measuring species concentrations and temperature in exhaust plumes from the combustion of GOX/GH2, GOX/RP-1, and GOX/HTPB in lab-scale thrust chambers operating over a range of pressures and nozzle area ratios.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
All industries requiring non-invasive sensing of gas or liquid properties with fast-time response will benefit from the technology. These include virtually all types of engines (rocket, gas turbine, piston, etc.) and associated systems as well as many industrial process monitoring applications (e.g., semiconductor processing). In addition, wavelength-agile light can be used to monitor solid properties, either directly or by embedding fiber-optic sensors. Large industries that may find the technology attractive include the automotive industry for internal combustion engine monitoring and emissions control, the commercial aircraft industry for jet engines and gas turbines, and the power production industry for coal, oil, and natural gas burners.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The goal of this work is to produce multi-purpose, rugged optical sensors from inexpensive components. By the conclusion of Phase II, a single WORPS system is expected to cost less than $5000 and have the capability to monitor multiple gas or liquid properties with time response of 1 ?Ys. Such devices are invaluable to propulsion system developers. Because the WORPS technology can be applied to both combustion and cryogenic systems, the NASA market is large. Potential NASA applications include use for propulsion system monitoring in testing facilities at NASA/SSC, NASA/MSFC, NASA/GRC, NASA/ARC, and NASA/KSC. Because the proposed WORPS system technology is lightweight and has only a few key components, it could potentially find use as a diagnostic tool for on-orbit microgravity combustion, gas, and fluid experiments aboard the Shuttle and ISS. Real-time, in-flight monitoring of the SSME for propulsion system health represents another applications for the mature WORPS system.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Space tether technology can provide propellantless propulsion for orbital maneuvering, orbital transfer, and spacecraft formation flying. The MAST (Multi- Application Survivable Tether) experiment team, consisting of Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI) and the Stanford University Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL), propose to develop and test space-survivable tether technologies relevant to momentum-exchange tethers, electrodynamic propulsion tether systems, formation flying, and space elevator technologies. Specifically, the MAST team will develop both a very small tether deployer suitable for use on picosatellite experiments and a simple tether crawler/inspector, and use these in a very low-cost CubeSat flight experiment to obtain critical data on the survivability of tethers and other gossamer space technologies in the M/OD environment. In the Phase I effort, we will design and build breadboard prototypes of these picosatellite tether systems. In the Phase II effort, we will conduct a flight experiment on the CubeSat platform, obtaining critical data on space tether survivability and the dynamics of tethered spacecraft formations.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The technologies developed as part of the MAST STTR effort will find potential applications on every small satellite launched into LEO. The primary advantage of tether propulsion relative to other technologies is that they can provide microsatellites with propulsion for orbit raising, station-keeping, and inclination changes with zero propellant expenditure, and will thus be most competitive for missions requiring large total delta-V. They will permit commercial imagery satellites to station-keep indefinitely at much lower altitudes than currently possible, thus enabling small, inexpensive observation microsatellites to achieve resolutions currently available only with large, complex spacecraft. Although tether propulsion technologies will be developed specifically for the growing microsatellite market as part of this experiment, the technologies are easily scalable to application on larger spacecraft such as the next generation of telecommunications satellite constellations.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The propellantless nature of tether propulsion will result in highly capable small spacecraft for future Earth science missions that can perform many more orbital maneuvers during their lifetimes than could be achieved with a propellant-limited propulsion. This will enable microsatellites deployed from the Shuttle SHELS payload adapter to raise their orbits up to 2,000 km, allowing longer-duration missions, while maintaining high payload fractions. Tethers will also make feasible formation flying missions, such for SAR and long-baseline interferometry studies, which require large total delta-Vs that are not feasible with propulsion systems that require propellant. Additionally, the technologies developed and demonstrated in the proposed STTR will be scalable to much larger applications, such as orbital maintenance of the International Space Station or a momentum exchange tether facility.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
Low-density, high specific stiffness ceramic and metal open-cell foam materials may be utilized for creation of an innovative fuel matrix for use in space nuclear reactors. Highly porous structural foam may be developed for high thermal efficiency, high temperature fuel elements for both propulsion and gas-cooled power reactors. Current designs, such as annular rods or pebble beds, cannot operate at extremely high temperatures and thus limit efficiency. In this project, the foam fuel material will ultimately consist of a tricarbide, UZrNbC, composed of enriched uranium that is vapor infiltrated into a foam matrix of niobium carbide (NbC) and zirconium carbide (ZrC), although tantalum carbide (TaC) will be substituted for uranium carbide (UC) during initial development. The porous structure provides an extended surface area for highly efficient heat transfer and reduces density, reducing hydrogen turbopump power demands and increasing thrust-to-weight ratio. The foam matrix can have 80-90% open porosity for maximum convection, and the ligament dimensions can be tailored to provide either good or poor thermal conduction as needed. Recent work on porous materials has demonstrated effective heat transfer coefficients with helium near 26,000 W/m2?K. NbC and ZrC foams have several important advantages over other high temperature materials, including low density, lack of degradation in hydrogen at 3000 K (where they also retain structural integrity), and minimal neutron cross-section. The dispersed fissile material is an integral part of a high-conductivity matrix. Thus, a much lower temperature difference can exist between the fuel and the propellant. Extremely high outlet temperatures can be achieved, yielding the high specific impulse required for interplanetary exploration. Ultramet will team with Sandia National Laboratories to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating porous foam fuel elements into a new reactor concept for compact, high-performance space reactors.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
In addition to compact, high-performance space reactors, the proposed technology will assist development of ion drive, plasma thrusters, and fusion propulsion. The foam fuel matrix could also contribute to a new DOE Generation IV power system that significantly lowers cost, improves passive safety, has no carbon dioxide emissions, uses an advanced, proliferation-resistant fuel cycle, and reduces nuclear waste. The foam fuel could also be used in ground-based power or in portable power systems for military or surveillance applications and remote deployment, as well as impact other applications in electronics, aerospace, and catalysis.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Propulsion technologies are sought that will enable dramatic improvements in space transportation safety, reliability, and cost. Key to this goal is the application of innovative, non-traditional propulsion technologies, devices, and systems that could significantly increase the structural margins of future launch systems and substantially reduce the mission times for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. Development of such technologies is sought to enable ambitious commercial, robotic, and human exploration missions in the future. Technology innovations are sought that would provide significant advancements in space transportation capability and lead to the development of safe, affordable, high-performance propulsion technologies, specifically including high-efficiency nuclear-electric propulsion systems.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
UltraSail is a complete sail system for the launch, deployment, stabilization and control of very large (km^2 size) solar sails enabling reduced mission times for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. UltraSail is an innovative, non-traditional approach to propulsion technology achieved by combining propulsion and control systems developed for formation-flying microsatellites with an innovative solar sail architecture to achieve controllable sail areas approaching 1 km^2, sail subsystem area densities of 1 gm/m^2, and thrust levels 20 times those of ion thrusters used for comparable deep space missions. UltraSail can conceivably even achieve outer planetary rendezvous, a deep space capability now reserved for high-mass nuclear and chemical systems. The primary innovation is the near-elimination of sail supporting structures by attaching the sail tip to a number of formation-flying microsatellites which deploy the sail, and then articulate the sail to provide attitude control, including spin stabilization and precession of the spin axis. These tip microsatellites are controlled by a laser metrology system and maneuvered by a 3-axis microthruster system using solar-power to maintain low, constant velocity and proper sail film tension during deployment with negligible propellant mass.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
UltraSail is potentially useful for a range of robotic missions ranging from Mars to the Kuiper Belt. Although inner planet transfers are achievable, UltraSail?s greatest advantages are in outer-planet/solar system exploration. While the obvious first application for outer planet missions would be flyby missions including aerocapture, the large sail area and low density may make planetary rendezvous missions feasible. Phase I should provide initial answers as to the rendezvous question.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
UltraSail may have limited military applications for earth-observing missions at high orbit where stationary observing is useful ? e.g. pole-sitting missions. Also, NOAA and NSF have strong interests in the science that can be returned using sails in non-Keplerian orbits.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
A new modular solar powered rocket engine is proposed to provide a few milligrams to a few kilograms of thrust at 900-1000 seconds of specific impulse by heating hydrogen propellant to average temperatures ranging from 2750 to 3250K. The proposed design utilizes one or several sunflower-like clusters of nonimaging concentrators coupled to optical fiber bundles that guide the solar energy with a throughput of greater than 80% into a Plank cavity/thrust chamber. The Plank cavity receives and entraps solar energy for direct heating of hydrogen and/or storage in a composite thermal storage unit. A nested flow path is designed to force hydrogen flow along the thermal storage/cavity temperature gradient, thereby, producing variable levels of thrust at relatively constant specific impulse of 900 to 1000 seconds. The innovative use of the sun tracking concentrators coupled to optical fibers, combined with the composite thermal storage unit/Plank cavity will allow for receiving and utilization of more than 80% of solar energy for producing thrust. This is a revolutionary improvement over existing solar-electric powered space propulsion systems and could lead to the development of an ultralight, compact, and an order of magnitude lower cost propulsion system for space transportation and solar system exploration.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
NeTech is planning to develop the following technologies that are expected to be of a wide range of applications to space power and propulsion industry: 1) The most significant application of the proposed work is the development of a low cost, ultra-compact, and lightweight solar thermal propulsion system for a wide range of space transportation applications. 2) Development and marketing of glassy carbon container for containment of high temperature corrosive materials. 3) Fabrication technology for low porosity forms of carbon. 4) Refractory carbide coating techniques for graphite and other forms of carbon. The EB-PVD and PVD-thermocarburizing techniques provide for gradient coating of graphite with stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric carbides. NeTech will pursue commercial applications of the modular solar thermal propulsion system as well as the glassy carbon and refractory carbide coating technology both as industrial products and also as service to the industry. NeTech will also pursue the marketing of its computational fluid dynamic and heat transfer capabilities to the aerospace power and propulsion industry.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
Dramatic improvement in utilization of solar energy and high temperature storage/processing of the solar thermal power result in development of very low cost space transportation system for a wide range of applications. Other potential NASA applications include: development of glassy carbon technology, development of refractory carbide coating technology for different forms of graphite, development of a CFD model for analysis of advanced space propulsion systems, and development of ultrahigh temperature furnaces for processing and testing of materials.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS):
ORBITEC, working in cooperation with The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), and others, proposes to develop a low-cost, tethered artificial gravity spacecraft system that can be launched from the STS in a hitchhiker GAS Can or expendible launch vehicle. This variable-gravity platform would be used by scientific researchers of the Texas and Wisconsin Space Grant Consortia as well as college students of Space Grant consortia. This program would allow specific scientific experiments to be flown as part of scientific research and outreach to the public. The Phase I effort involves: Defining the TAG Spacecraft System Requirements and capabilities; conducting deployment/recovery dynamics analysis; evaluation of the launch and operating loads; performing preliminary spacecraft system design specification/definition and analysis required to meet the system requirements; conducting testing of critical subsystem components, a cost analysis, defining the Phase III preliminary design; and establishing a plan for user/outreach program for experiments/payloads. Phase II of this STTR program will culminate in a flight of a model spacecraft in a non-ejected Get-Away-Special (GAS) Canister on the Space Shuttle. It will be operated under the aegis of the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC). TSGC has such a GAS-CAN that it has agreed to make available to the program. Phase III will involve building and flying the TAGS.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
The tethered artificial gravity spacecraft system that can be launched from the STS in a hitchhiker GAS Can or an expendable launch vehicle is a low-cost variable gravity platform that could be used by scientific researchers for experiments that require various g force levels. Variable g levels up to several g?s can be produced by spinning the two end-masses about their common center of mass. This program would allow specific scientific experiments to be flown as part of scientific research and outreach to the public. The platform would also be available for many commercial applications.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS):
It is well-known that prolonged exposure in humans to a microgravity environment leads to significant loss of bone and muscle mass; this presents a formidable obstacle to human exploration of space, particularly for missions requiring travel times of several months or more, such as a trip to Mars. Artificial gravity may be produced by spinning a spacecraft about its center of mass, but unless the distance from the center of rotation is several kilometers, the rotation rate required to generate one ?g? would induce vertigo in the astronauts. By tethering the crew capsule to an object of nearly equal mass (such as the spent final rocket stage) at a distance of a km, the rotation rate would be reduced sufficiently to not cause discomfort for the astronauts. To develop this concept, the dynamics and stability of tethered systems with similar-sized end-masses must be modeled and then tested in space. This is the goal of this STTR proposal. There are many gravity-based research applications to the biological and physical scientific community, once TAGS is fully developed and operational. TAGS can be flown off ELVs, STS, and the ISS.

NASA 2002 STTR Phase 2 Solicitation

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The purpose of this project is to develop a portable, hands free device for emergency medical decision support to be used in remote or confined settings by non-physician providers. Phase I of the project will entail the development of a voice-activated device that will utilize an intelligent algorithm to provide guidance in establishing an airway in an emergency situation. The interactive, hands free software will process requests for assistance based on verbal prompts and algorithmic decision-making. The device will allow the CMO to attend to the patient while receiving verbal instruction. The software will also feature graphic representations where it is felt helpful in aiding in procedures. We will also develop a training program to orient users to the algorithmic approach, the use of the hardware and specific procedural considerations. We will validate the efficacy of this mode of technology application by testing in the Johns Hopkins Department of Emergency Medicine. Phase I of the project will focus on the validation of the proposed algorithm, testing and validation of the decision making tool and modifications of medical equipment. In Phase II, we will produce the first generation software for hands-free, interactive medical decision making for use in acute care environments.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The medical decision software, the algorithmic approach and the hands free technology will be combined to provide a product that can have wide applicability to the emergency care community. Once the technology and software have been developed and tested in the clinical setting, and training programs designed for orientation, it should be an easily marketable technology to almost any medical/para-medical organization. Any algorithm based approach could be adapted to this technology, including Advanced Cardiac Life Support, pre-hospital/paramedic protocols and decision making support for remote or mobile care climates. While it will be useful in the hospital environment, its greatest impact might be on the military and other similar organizations whose infrastructure ?in the field? is not as developed as that of the civilian world. Any isolated population, ie, ship, base, etc. could easily benefit from intelligent, hands free decision-making technology and employ it with very minimal training. This will allow for emergency services to be accessed/provided with more speed, accuracy and reproducibility.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Hands free medical decision support in the international space station. Potentially, medical decision support in all of NASA's ground and space facilities.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The MAST (Multi-Application Survivable Tether) team, consisting of Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (TUI) and the Standford University Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL), propose to develop and fly a very low cost nanosatellite experiment that will demonstrate the deployment of a lightweight multiline tether on orbit and obtain data on its survivability in the micrometeoroid and orbital debris environment. In the Phase I effort, we designed an experiment in which three CubeSats will deploy a 1-kilometer long Hoytether in space, and the middle CubeSat will slowly crawl along the tether, inspecting it for damage. We successfully prototyped and tested key components for this experiment, including a separation/ejection mechanism and avionics for communications, command, and data handling. During the Phase I we also secured $89K in additional, non-SBIR funding that is supporting the development of the crawler and inspector subsystems. In the Phase II effort, we will build and fly the CubeSat-based MAST experiment. The mission will obtain data on tether survivability and tether dynamics that are crucial to the design of all future tether missions.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Phase II effort will demonstrate a space-survivable tether structure that will enable tethers to be used for a wide range of long-duration space missions. The primary advantage of space tethers relative to competing technologies is that they can provide microsatellites with propulsion for orbit raising, station-keeping, and inclination changes with zero propellant expenditure, and can thus provide large total delta-Vs with very low mass requirements. Other tether applications include formation flying and modification of the radiation belts. During the Phase I effort, we were awarded three non-SBIR/STTR contracts from DARPA and NASA worth over $1,115,000 to develop tether technologies and applications. Although tether propulsion technologies will be developed specifically for the growing microsatellite market as part of this experiment, the technologies are easily scalable to application on larger spacecraft such as the next generation of telecommunications satellite constellations.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The propellantless nature of tether propulsion will result in highly capable small spacecraft for future Earth science missions that can perform many more orbital maneuvers during their lifetimes than could be achieved with a propellant-limited propulsion. This will enable microsatellites deployed from the Shuttle SHELS payload adapter to raise their orbits up to 2,000 km, allowing longer-duration missions, while maintaining high payload fractions. Tethers will also make feasible formation flying missions, such for SAR and long-baseline interferometry studies, which require large total delta-Vs that are not feasible with propulsion systems that require propellant. Additionally, the technologies developed and demonstrated in the proposed SBIR will be scalable to much larger applications, such as orbital maintenance of the International Space Station or a momentum exchange tether facility that can reduce the cost of lunar, Mars, and deep-space missions.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Low-density, high specific stiffness ceramic and metal open-cell foams may be utilized for creation of an innovative fuel element for use in space nuclear reactors. Highly porous structural foam may be developed for high thermal efficiency, high temperature fuel elements for both propulsion and gas-cooled power reactors. Current designs, such as annular rods or pebble beds, cannot operate at extremely high temperatures and thus limit efficiency. In the proposed Phase II project, the foam fuel element material will consist of a tricarbide, U(ZrNbC), composed of uranium carbide that is vapor infiltrated into a foam matrix of niobium carbide and zirconium carbide (in Phase I, tantalum carbide was substituted for uranium carbide). The porous foam structure provides an extended surface area for highly efficient heat transfer and reduces density, reducing hydrogen turbopump power demands and increasing thrust-to-weight ratio. In Phase I, Ultramet teamed with Sandia National Laboratories to demonstrate the feasibility of these highly innovative foam fuel elements. This work included chemical vapor infiltration of the carbides into an open-cell foam skeletal structure by Ultramet and fabrication of a matrix of foam densities for thermal/gas flow testing at Sandia. The results of flow testing, coupled with the results of thermomechanical modeling performed at Sandia, confirmed the high potential of this design following continued development. In Phase II, Ultramet and Sandia propose to develop and demonstrate fabrication of the actual (U-Zr-Nb)C foam fuel material. Ultramet will finalize process optimization using the (Ta-Zr-Nb)C material and provide the processing conditions to Sandia which, in conjunction with the University of Florida Institute of Space Power and Propulsion (INSPI) facility, will produce and test (U-Zr-Nb)C foam in a hot hydrogen environment. Sandia will also perform comprehensive thermomechanical modeling, expanding on the modeling performed in Phase I.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
In addition to compact, high-performance space reactors, the proposed technology will assist development of ion drive, plasma thrusters, and fusion propulsion. The foam fuel elements could also contribute to a new DOE Generation IV power system that significantly lowers cost, improves passive safety, has no carbon dioxide emissions, uses an advanced, proliferation-resistant fuel cycle, and reduces nuclear waste. The foam fuel could also be used in ground-based power or in portable power systems for military or surveillance applications and remote deployment, as well as impact other applications in electronics, aerospace, and catalysis.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Propulsion technologies are sought that will enable dramatic improvements in space transportation safety, reliability, and cost. Key to this goal is the application of innovative, non-traditional propulsion technologies, devices, and systems that could significantly increase the structural margins of future launch systems and substantially reduce the mission times for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. Development of such technologies is sought to enable ambitious commercial, robotic, and human exploration missions in the future. Technology innovations are sought that would provide significant advancements in space transportation capability and lead to the development of safe, affordable, high-performance propulsion technologies, specifically including high-efficiency nuclear-electric propulsion systems. Specific NASA applications include the Jupiter Icy Moons Mission (JIMO), which will be the first program to take advantage of spacecraft power system development being performed under Project Prometheus. JIMO will utilize a nuclear fission reactor for propulsion as well as production of the large amount of electrical energy required for scientific instruments (including deep penetrating radar), mission design options, and telecommunications. The proposed high-value project can have a timely and direct impact on Project Prometheus goals.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
UltraSail, proposed by a team of CU Aerospace, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, SRS Technologies, and VACCO Industries, is a next-generation high-risk, high-payoff sail system for the launch, deployment, stabilization and control of very large (km^2 class) solar sails enabling high payload mass fractions for interplanetary and deep space spacecraft. UltraSail is an innovative, non-traditional approach to propulsion technology achieved by combining propulsion and control systems developed for formation-flying microsatellites with an innovative solar sail architecture to achieve controllable sail areas approaching 1 km^2, sail subsystem area densities approaching 1 g/m^2, and thrust levels many times those of ion thrusters used for comparable deep space missions. UltraSail can achieve outer planetary rendezvous, a deep space capability now reserved for high-mass nuclear and chemical systems. The primary innovation presented in Phase I was the near-elimination of sail supporting structures by attaching each blade tip to a formation-flying microsatellite which deploys the sail, and then articulates the sail to provide attitude control, including spin stabilization and precession of the spin axis. These tip microsatellites are controlled by a 3-axis microthruster metrology system to control sail film deployment.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
UltraSail may have military applications for earth-observing missions at high orbit where stationary observing is useful ? e.g. pole-sitting missions. Also, NOAA and NSF have strong interests in the science that can be returned using sails in non-Keplerian orbits.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
UltraSail is potentially useful for a range of robotic missions ranging from Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1 to Mars to the Kuiper Belt. An attractive application is an outer planet mission such as a Titan orbiter. Initial results indicate that high payload mass fractions are achievable.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The ability to quickly estimate flight vehicle behavior in an operational environment is important since engineers from a variety of disciplines require accurate predictions in order to plan flight test experiments, expand aircraft operating envelopes safely, and have access to diagnostic methods when problems arise. STARS is the most comprehensive multidisciplinary finite element-based software for design and analysis and as a simulation tool in flight test environment. STARS strength is in its capability to solve combined CFD, Structural, thermal and control problems. In this phase enhancements in capabilities in finite element-based computer programs with application to STARS are proposed. Enhancement of STARS capabilities are achieved through a complete and thorough evaluation of its structural FE compatibility and accuracy using NASTRAN and IDEAS for comparison; development of translator codes to seamlessly link NASTRAN preprocessor PATRAN with STARS; evaluation and enhancement of the current STARS-NASTRAN translator, NSTARS. Validations and enhancements in capabilities in finite element-based CFD with application to STARS are also proposed. CFDSOL module validation for boundary layer flow in variety of cases will be conducted. Methods for CFD-based stability and control derivative extraction will be developed and tested. Verification of newly developed STARS CFD-based ASE simulation capabilities will be conducted.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology developed in Phase II for enhancement in capabilities and compatibility of finite element-based software will have significant application in today?s multidisciplinary computational, modeling and simulation environment which has become critical in cutting down the design cycle time and resulting in significant savings in R&D. The proposed research has a dual commercial significance. First is its direct application to STARS and its wider commercial use in design, analysis, and simulation of all types of commercial aircraft, jet engines, automobile and engine components. Second, it creates a core competency at the SBC with significant potential for application to similar projects, and the demonstration of its application to STRAS provides a great marketing vehicle for the SBC.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
High-performance flight vehicles that are currently being designed have unprecedented levels of interactions of structures, aerodynamics, propulsion, and flight controls. This will impose considerable design margins for stability and control performance. Therefore, an accurate simulation of flight characteristics of these flight vehicles, prior to testing, will ensure safety of the craft and the crew, relaxes design margin requirements, improve performance, and cut cost. Enhancements in capabilities, accuracy of STARS and its compatibility with widely accepted finite element codes such as NASTRAN we propos will be of immediate use for achieving these objectives within NASA, military and commercial applications.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Scientific Systems Co. Inc. and University of California at Berkeley propose to develop, test and implement a Multi-layer Architecture for Trajectory Replanning and Intelligent plan eXecution (MATRIX) system for fixed and rotary wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The MATRIX system
architecture will consist of several layers including the on-line
path planning and trajectory generation layers, and vision-based obstacle
detection and identification that provides the obstacle information
nedded for path replanning. The architecture also includes the
Failure Detection and Identification (FDI) system and Adaptive
Reconfigurable Controller (ARC), along with a module for on-line
calculation of Achievable Dynamic Performance (ADP) which determines
the maximum performance that can be achieved post-failure with
the available control authority. In order to develop, test and
implement the MATRIX system, the following tasks will be carried
out: (i) Develop obstacle avoidance algorithms and implement
them using the RMax helicopter simulator under Matlab/Simulink.
%the RIPTIDE tool; (ii) Develop vision-based obstacle detection algorithms and implement them under Matlab/Simulink; (iii) Integrate and test obstacle detection and obstacle avoidance algorithms under
suitable simulation environment such as RIPTIDE and MultiUAV simulation tool; and (iv) Develop the MATRIX software tool and pursue its commercialization.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications of the MATRIX system
are in the area of intelligent autonomy for single and multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV). Autonomous intelligent control systems will find wide applications in other programs such as Air Traffic Control and Intelligent Vehicle Highways. Related applications are envisioned in the areas of robotics, and unmanned ground, underwater and surface vehicles.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed MATRIX system and related technologies are critical for realizing the vision of the NASA Aviation Safety Program to reduce the aviation fatal accident rate by a factor of 5 by year 2007, and by a factor of 10 by year 2022. The link to this program is through autonomous intelligent collision avoidance in the airspace shared by manned and unmanned vehicles. The techniques developed under this project are expected to contribute to technologies that will enable autonomous commercial flight in the future, such as those being developed under the NASA Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS).

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Autonomous Power Scheduler (APS) being developed by AeroAstro and Los Alamos National Laboratory will significantly improve the performance of small spacecraft power management, resulting in better utilization of the limited power resources for their payloads and subsystems. APS will dynamically monitor microsatellite power resources and then, by adaptively modifying the algorithmic solution applied by spacecraft systems, it will intelligently and autonomously schedule and distribute available power resources to the processing-intensive payloads and other spacecraft subsystems.

Due to existing power management paradigms, small spacecraft are prohibited from hosting advanced processing-intensive payloads. However, to maintain cost-effective and useful access to space, the future of small spacecraft will be to accomplish more intensive onboard processing. APS will improve the orbital power efficiency of small spacecraft, especially those with processing-intensive payloads, by as much as 10% for an investment measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The overarching goal of proposed Phase II effort is to demonstrate and characterize the performance that can be achieved through implementation of the APS technology in future small satellite systems. The Phase II effort is focused on integration and testing of the APS technology on a hardware testbed that is representative of a spacecraft platform.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Any systems with demanding, power-hungry processing requirements are prime candidates for APS. Theater-specific applications such as SAR, hyperspectral imaging, geo-location, and ELINT result in significant quantities of data. Onboard data processing, often a necessity for these missions, would be enabled by APS. UAVs, becoming more prevalent as an economical and timely method for military operations, homeland security, and SIGINT, suffer the same power demand problems as microsatellites. Here, APS would provide the power management necessary to adaptively process gathered data into a final product. Other potential applications are in the areas of terrestrial remote sensing, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Numerous NASA missions can benefit from the APS technology, particularly those with processing-intensive payloads. Sun-Earth Connection missions, with severely limited solar power collection and battery power/capacity to support the mission in its highly elliptical orbit, are perfect candidates for APS. For interferometric spacecraft constellations using distributed data collection, APS would enable onboard data processing, reducing the volume of transmitted data. Planetary missions with instruments deployed on a planet?s surface might have a limited opportunity to collect solar power but demanding data processing requirements. APS would enable these missions to be accomplished in a smaller, more efficient spacecraft.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A new modular solar powered rocket engine is proposed to provide a few milligrams to a few kilograms of thrust at 1100-1600 seconds of specific impulse by heating hydrogen propellant to average temperatures ranging from 2750 to 3250K. The proposed design utilizes one or several sunflower-like clusters of non-imaging concentrators coupled to optical fiber bundles that guide the solar energy with a throughput of greater than 80% into a Plank cavity/thrust chamber. The Plank cavity receives and entraps solar energy for direct heating of hydrogen and/or storage in a composite thermal storage unit. A nested flow path is designed to force hydrogen flow along the thermal storage/cavity temperature gradient, thereby, producing variable levels of thrust at relatively constant specific impulse of 1100 to 1600 seconds. This is a revolutionary improvement over existing solar-electric powered space propulsion systems and could lead to the development of an ultra-light, compact, and an order of magnitude lower cost propulsion system for space transportation and solar system exploration. Phase I results have demonstrated the feasibility of a low-pressure fed, high temperature solar thermal propulsion system for achieving high Isp. Also, demonstrated in Phase I was the ability to coat graphite for the thermal storage unit with refractory metal carbides to protect from the flowing hot hydrogen propellant.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NeTech is planning to develop the following technologies that are expected to be of a wide range of application to the space power and propulsion industry: 1) The most significant application of the proposed work is the development of a low cost, ultra-compact, and lightweight solar thermal propulsion system for a wide range of space transportation applications. 2) Development and marketing of a glassy carbon container for containment of high temperature corrosive materials. 3) Fabrication technology for low porosity forms of carbon. 4) Refractory carbide coating techniques for graphite and other forms of carbon. The EB-PVD technique provide for gradient coating of graphite with stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric carbides. NeTech will pursue commercial applications of the modular solar thermal propulsion system as well as the glassy carbon and refractory carbide coating technology both as industrial products and also as service to the industry. NeTech will also pursue the marketing of its computational fluid dynamic and heat transfer capabilities to the aerospace power and propulsion industry.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Dramatic improvements in utilization of solar energy and high temperature storage/processing of solar thermal power result in development of a very low cost space transportation system for a wide range of applications. Other potential NASA applications include: development of glassy carbon technology, development of refractory carbide coating technology for different forms of graphite, development of a CFD model for analysis of advanced space propulsion systems, and development of ultra-high temperature furnaces for processing and testing of materials.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The innovation of this project is to bring the power and flexibility of a wireless computer network to harsh-environment fieldwork. By integrating a small computer with GPS and a multi-channel digitizer we have created a network node which is low cost, low power, adaptable to practically any electronic instrumentation, and capable of storing large volumes of data over long field deployments. The node's wireless capability permits data sharing (redundancy) and cost-saving data retrieval via telemetry. During Phase I we exceeded our research objectives by building and testing a working prototype and in consequence have enlisted the interest and enthusiasm of a host of Geophysicists for a variety of experiments. Our baseline test plan in Phase II is a seismic experiment on Whillans icestream, West Antarctica, now supplemented by additional potential research projects. These include ice dynamics surveys on coastal outlet glaciers in Greenland, seismic monitoring of Alaskan tidewater glacier calving, bat research in Southeast Alaska, and bistatic radar sounding experiments on Antarctic ice sheets. These wireless networks are built on the open source paradigm based in our cultural enthusiasm for what we can accomplish as explorers; they will facilitate the next generation of scientific fieldwork on earth and beyond.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Traditional oil exploration research recovers geophone echo data via fragile cables, an expensive, inefficient and labor-intensive process. The wireless sensor nodes built in this project are designed for passive seismic experiments, using a geophone to record echoes from explosive detonations in Antarctica. These devices are directly applicable to oil exploration 'right out of the box', and this is just the starting point of their commercial application potential. This potential extends to any information-intensive human endeavor, any situation where a remote electronic instrument would be used to monitor some environmental parameter. Examples include snow pack and avalanche hazard assessment near roads and populated areas, tracking traffic flow, flood and water channel monitoring, even counting salmon migrating up-river. By combining low-power electronics with photovoltaic power and wireless telemetry, a low-cost autonomous wireless network can be installed to operate for months or years with minimal maintenance and transparent data recovery.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is dedicated to understanding our earth system, a program of cooperative research that (literally) from the ground up relies heavily on in situ data from remote and often harsh environments. Intelligent wireless sensor networks built herein are low cost, low power, adaptable to virtually any field instrumentation, and ruggedized to operate at extreme temperatures. Based on colleague interest, we mention as application examples: Ice dynamic measurements on coastal outlet glaciers in Greenland, bat ecobiology research in Southeast Alaska, bistatic radio echo sounding measurements of Antarctic ice sheet basal temperature regimes and geothermal hot-spots, volcano infrasound and seismic measurements in Hawaii, and temperate tidewater glacier fracture-calving mechanics, among many others. Taking advantage of intrinsic computational power, wireless telemetry data retrieval, and large safe data storage capacity, the 'BRICK' wireless sensor networks provide flexibility, cost savings, and safe high-volume data recovery to scientists with tightly constrained research budgets.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Pilot fatigue in atmospheric flight operation is a major contribution to human error and is a serious concern. The product under development is a small pilot-mounted device which monitors physiological reactions, such as blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and brain activity as well as the vibration environment in which the pilot is operating. Using these inputs as well as knowledge of the pilot?s state before coming on duty, the device will monitor the human fatigue state of the pilot. Before a pilot?s fatigue state reaches a pre-determined threshold the pilot and/or mission planner is alerted. Such a device allows monitoring of the fatigue state of any decision maker who is subject to stress and provides a means of alleviating fatigue-induced human error. Development of the fatigue meter is highly dependent on simulation of the device in the flexible aircraft, such as in the STARS software package. With a view to reducing the development time, advanced computational efficiency methods shall be investigated by the RI and implemented in the design cycle by the SBC. The RI shall investigate structural analysis and control using piezoelectric and piezoceramic sensors and actuators relevant to the pilot?s environmental input to the fatigue meter.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The range of applications originating from government requirements will include operation of air land and sea vehicles in the various divisions the military services. The fatigue meter device will be useful for evaluation of new vehicle types and for in-service measuring and monitoring of fatigue exposure of individual service personnel as they carry out their operational duties. The information acquired will be useful defining new design requirements and for health and safety assessments by both the military authorities and the representatives of the operators. The information can be used to provide evidence in support of any investigations where operator or personnel fatigue is thought to be a relevant factor. The airlines, the airline pilots association and the FAA have been working together to reduce the potential for fatigue induced human error accidents. A device which provides a means to measure human fatigue would have a viable market within this sector.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Since the various divisions of NASA are involved in both air vehicle modifications and new vehicle development, evaluation and testing, it is anticipated that considerable consultancy and hardware sales would be with NASA. Both the aircraft flight test and the space shuttle environments are well suited for application of this product. Success in both environments is highly dependent on human performance, with respect to the test pilots and astronauts as well as the supporting personnel. This product allows the monitoring of the human fatigue of key decision makers, giving visibility of this factor to mission planners. In an environment where higher standards of safety are constantly pursued it is considered that this product provides a means of reducing the threat posed by human fatigue to safe aircraft and spacecraft operations.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this NASA Phase II STTR program Powdermet/Northwestern will fabricate a lightweight (2.4 g/cc, or equivalent to 0.8 kg/m2) thin-wall (0.3-0.5mm ) functional mirror with an angular resolution approaching one arc second. Phase I results demonstrated a composite mirror structure with a density a factor of two lower than the solid nickel with high strength , low CTE, and good optical figure. The Phase II program is designed to develop manufacturing procedures for large (10 cm dia x 50 cm high) Wolter I mirror structures, and to generate detailed structure/property design for use with X-ray/space telescopes. Through a teaming arrangement with Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace, design studies will be carried out on appropriate satellite configuration and integration design schemes, and basic studies will evaluate the new technology relative to existing applications, while identifying very near term applications/components for prototype demonstration purposes.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The plasma spray free standing structures to be developed in this program will have commercial applications in sporting goods, commercial transports, industrial processing equipment, marine structures and submersibles. Sprayed sructures to be developed in this program have a unique blend of strength and density not available in any other material form. Fuirthermore, the scaleable manufacturing processes to be developed in the Phase II effort can be readily adapted to the production of other metal sprayed structures, inlcuding aluminum, steel, and magnesium for a wide range of light weight, high strength applications.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The direct NASA application will be for lightweight X-ray-optics in missions such as Constellation-X and GOES. This high quality lightweight optic will be applicable for other missions too, where lightweight structures are needed. Generation-X is a mission concept for an X-ray observatory with an effective area of 150 m2 at 1 keV, and an angular resolution of ?i0.1 arc second. So light weight will be the key issue. This mission is in NASA!|s road map.

Other NASA applications are:
?< Aircraft, satellite, and launch vehicle structures
?< Engine liners
?< Acoustic Panels
?< Airframe Structure
?< Thermal barrier structure

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ORBITEC, working in cooperation with The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), and others, proposes to develop TAGS II: Tether Electrodynamic Spinup and Survivability Experiment (TESSX). TESSX is a spinning tethered space system, consisting of two end masses separated by an electrodynamic tether. TESSX is believed to be a critically important step in the evolution of several tether applications, addressing: tether electrodynamics; tether survivability and safety; tether deployment, management and tracking; multi-amp current collection and emission; and system deployment and spin-up. The resulting TESSX hardware, software, analysis and other technologies will have direct application to the Tethered Artificial Gravity Spacecraft (TAGS), Tether Reboost System (TRS) and Momentum-eXchange Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) for in-space propulsion, and other tethered systems. The Phase II program will draw on the successful results of the Phase I work and include: the development and delivery to NASA of a multi-strand computer controlled tether deployment system; detailed TESSX systems dynamics and electrodynamics analysis and experimental verification; development of a detailed and optimized TESSX architecture, compatible with ELV constraints; a Phase III TESSX cost analysis and development plan; and commercial applications planning.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This work would have direct relevance to a variety of applications, including: tethers for in-space satellite propulsion via momentum exchange or direct electrodynamic boost; international Space Station re-boost and waste reject; generation of artificial gravity to support long-term human exploration and science; reentry of drag-decelerated tethered satellites/capsules; short-term power generation using electrodynamic tethers; tethered probes for the collection of a sample of martian atmospheric dust; and many other areas. Specific subsystems and technologies that may find application in these tethered systems include: control software; tether deployer system; tether tensiometers; spin-up and stabilization propulsion system; anode and cathode technology; and tethers.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Specific technologies that could find non-NASA commercial applications in a variety of space systems include the: control software; tether deployer system; tether tensiometers; spin-up and stabilization propulsion system; anode and cathode technology; and tethers. Once successfully implemented, MXER and TSR tethered systems are expected to find an abundance of commercial in-space propulsion opportunities. A mature TAGS system will likely be utilized by industry to assist with new technology and product developments. The deployer and tensiometer systems developed during the Phase II program could also find application in the commercial and recreational fishing, paper, and textile industries.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The innovation, that we call ARTEMIS (Autonomous Real-Time EMbedded Immune System) is a solution that combines configurable real-time embedded software technology with extensions to model-based reasoning (MBR) to increase the level of autonomy in complex distributed real-time systems. The solution provides policies and mechanisms to detect, diagnose, and reconfigure systems in the presence of failures, observation conflicts, or unforeseen situations. The technology provides new capabilities that are especially suited to NASA?s Aerospace Technology, Space Flight, and Space Science Enterprises. The innovation directly addresses STTR 2002 Sub-topic #1, which describes a need for new technologies for ?Autonomous Spacecraft, Rovers, and Other Complex Systems.? A key objective of a Phase II award is to create a first product using the newly-developed technology. We have chosen to focus on a product that applies ARTEMIS specifically to sensor/actuator network (SAN) applications. These are networks of very small embedded processors, ranging from the dozens to hundreds (or even thousands), generally in a very localized area.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The National Research Council report entitled, Embedded Everywhere: A Research Agenda for Networked Systems of Embedded Computers, discusses the next generation of complex systems. Unlike many of today?s large monolithic computers, future application may encompass hundreds or thousands of distributed embedded computers. A common problem with all of these applications that are currently preventing deployment is the difficulty in testing, diagnosing, debugging, and repairing the large networks. The proposed innovation directly addresses this need. The first target market for ARTEMIS is the large machine health and diagnostics market. Other commercial markets that may follow include physiological and performance monitoring, environmental monitoring, and asset management and location tracking.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
As NASA space systems become increasingly complex and operate in increasingly distant occluded locations, the need for intelligent control continues to grow. Examples of systems that could benefit from autonomy include Space Flight Enterprise's International Space Station and Space Shuttle, Aerospace Technology Enterprise's launch vehicles, and Space Science's deep space missions, rovers and non-Earth orbiters. The proposed real-time modifications and extensions to a MBR engine are especially of interest to serveral researchers NASA ARC who are working on diagnostics and vehicle health maintenance applications. The key application for first deployment, namely SANs, may provide the level of reliability and robustness needed to use such networks in exploration missions, and is of great interest to several technical staff members working on the Mars rovers at NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This work proposes to capitalize on our Phase I success in monolithically integrating magneto-optic and magnetic materials with semiconductor platforms in order to reduce the size and weight, as well as increase the performance, of NASA?s strategic optical systems. Nonreciprocal components play extremely important role in laser systems and telecommunications. Currently all such components are discrete; there are no fully monolithically integrated nonreciprocal components available in the market. This work will use a novel technique, metallorganic chemical liquid deposition (MOCLD) to achieve this feat. Phase I results have demonstrated the feasibility of this technique in fabricating doped and undoped magneto-optic films, as well as buffer layers, onto semiconductors. Permanent magnet films were also grown with sufficient strengths to bias the magneto-optic films for fully integrated waveguide isolators. All of these materials will be optimized during initial fabrication/characterization tasks in the Phase II program. Also, prototype devices will continue to be simulated using the beam propagation method. These simulation results will allow a fast path toward fabricating prototype devices with minimal processing/testing iterations. Photonic circuitry with electric and magnetic drives and magnetophotonic crystals will also be designed and developed in this Phase II program.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed materials and devices provide a complete solution to integrated optical isolator applications in both NASA and commercial fiber optic communication systems. These devices will extend laser lifetimes without bulky components and normal alignment issues. The new integrated devices promise substantial reduction in cost and size, as well as improvement in performance. Therefore, it is anticipated that the success will lead to practical devices for not only space applications, but also for applications in the military and commercial sectors.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
At the heart of most NASA missions is the need for high performance devices with low power and small dimension requirements. The results of this proposal will lead to excellent photonics integrated circuits (PICs) that meet these rigorous NASA standards. Therefore, the results will most directly apply to ?Active Optical Systems and Technology? branch of Research Topic 3: Earth Science and Physics and Astronomy. Specifically, the photonic isolating components that emerge from this work will enable the most efficient integration of compact semiconductor lasers into Passive Remote Sensing Detector Systems.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The proposed project consists of the development of a three-dimensional, energy-based, acoustic sensor and related measurement techniques. This new sensor which is called an energy density sensor provides several advantages over conventional pressure microphones including significantly enhanced sound field characterizations, lower sensor count, reduced location/position sensitivity, and more global information. Although the focus of this work is in the acoustic free-field, advantages of the energy density sensor apply to both the free-field and enclosed environments.

Because the energy density sensors measure pressure and velocity, energy quantities such as kinetic energy, potential energy, energy density, and Lagrangian energy can be computed from the measurements. Software will be developed and implemented to make these computations. These quantities will allow users to improve their understanding of sound fields, surmise global sound field conditions, characterize and locate unknown sources, and conduct more efficient sound power measurements. The energy density sensors will also enable practical but comprehensive sound field assessments for environmental monitoring, noise control, and active sound field control in many free-field and enclosed field applications. It is further noted that measurement techniques involving these energy quantities have not been previously investigated or commercially developed.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Because an energy density sensor is used to measure a fundamentally different quantity than convensional microphones the product can be extended to address many significant commercial applications. Representative of these applications would be the computation of sound power, near-field acoustic holography, source identification, far-field directivity and acoustic equalization. Energy density measurements have the potential to also be used successfully in the field of active noise control. Advances in any one of these applications would have a significant impact on the acoustic measurements community. This phase II effort will focus specifically on producing commercial solutions for far-field directivity and sound power measurements.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Recently NASA has expressed interest in improved rocket plume measurements for which these sensors have direct application. Because of the harsh environment, it is not possible to locate conventional sensors near these sources and conventional far-field measurements are cumbersome and lack desired information. However, with an array of energy density sensors, further information can be inferred concerning acoustic radiation mechanisms in the near field of a source, based on the increased understanding of spatial field dependence available from the measurements. Although much can be inferred about the near field from the energy density measurements, high temperature and high pressure energy density sensors will also be explored in the Phase II effort.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The goal of this effort is to develop a compact, rugged, electrically efficient, tunable semiconductor laser for the purpose of injection seeding Nd:YAG lasers in NASA lidar systems for remote sensing and atmospheric profiling. A highly stable low power seed laser plays a crucial role in these systems by keeping the high power, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser at a fixed wavelength and single mode. In addition, the seed laser reduces shot-to-shot intensity fluctuations due to mode beating in the YAG laser, which cause damage to internal optics and reduce the laser?s lifetime. Current seed lasers are large, expensive, and suffer under vibration and field use. The proposed miniature seed laser combines optical Bragg waveguide structures and new semiconductor laser technology to create a narrow linewidth laser at the precise wavelength. The entire temperature-stabilized seed laser will be packaged in a robust one-inch-long fiber coupled housing for ultra-stable single frequency output in the face of external vibration and temperature fluctuations.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
One important aspect of the proposed Bragg-stabilized seed laser is that the approach will work equally well not just at 1064 nm but at any wavelength within the range of common laser diodes (i.e. throughout the visible and IR). In contrast, comparable stable narrow linewidth lasers currently available exist only at discrete wavelengths (1064 nm and 1319 nm). This capability will benefit applications in the military, sensing and environmental monitoring, and basic research. Military applications include fiber optic sensors (also used in the private sector) including ship-based towed-arrays and static seabed-arrays. The narrow linewidth and wavelength stability will also benefit remote sensing, precision spectroscopy, and metrology.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA employs high power, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser transmitters for high resolution topographical mapping, remote sensing of atmospheric winds, and profiling of atmospheric molecules and aerosols, that rely on being injection seeded with a stable, low power, cw laser. Unseeded Nd:YAG lasers exhibit multi-mode behavior, wavering frequency, and a greatly reduced lifetime. The size, reliability, and durability of this laser will make it ideal for injection locking airborne and space-based high power Nd:YAG lasers. Other lower power NASA lidar efforts, such as wind lidar techniques and other atmospheric lidars, also need absolute single frequency operation with very high short term frequency stability. The proposed seed laser design will prosper for these applications due to its small size, high efficiency, low thermal mass, and precise thermal control to achieve ultra-stable output.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
ORBITEC and the University of Wisconsin-Madison propose to continue the development of a low-cost, non-intrusive, wavelength-agile optical rocket propulsion sensor (WORPS) to interrogate rocket exhaust plumes and cryogenic fluid properties. The innovative sensor system uses an amplified Chirped White Pulse Emitter (CWPE) to generate high-power wavelength-agile light for probing rocket plumes. It also uses a high-power wavelength-multiplexed differential absorption scheme for probing LOX lines. The plume sensor provides planar images of gas temperature and species concentrations. Furthermore, these measurements will be continuous (one planar measurement every 62 ?Ys) and therefore useful for monitoring the evolution of rocket plume properties. The LOX portion of the Phase II system will be capable of accurate (better than 0.1% error) measurements of LOX concentration in cryogenic fluids with 3 ?Ys time response. The LOX sensor may also be extended to enable determination of LOX flow rates. Phase II will begin with a focus on additional testing of the Phase I sensors. The sensors will then be refined, tested extensively in a variety of rocket exhaust plumes and in a LOX delivery system, and assembled into a portable, user-friendly package for delivery to NASA/SSC.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
All industries requiring non-invasive sensing of gas or liquid properties with fast-time response will benefit from the technology. These include virtually all types of engines (rocket, gas turbine, piston, etc.) and associated systems as well as many industrial process monitoring applications. In addition, wavelength-agile light can be used to monitor solid properties, either directly or by embedding fiber-optic sensors. Large industries that may find the technology attractive include the automotive industry for internal combustion engine monitoring and emissions control, the commercial aircraft industry for jet engines and gas turbines, and the power production industry for coal, oil, and natural gas burners.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
By the conclusion of Phase II, a single WORPS system is expected to cost less than $5000 and have the capability to monitor multiple gas or liquid properties with time response of 1 ?Ys. Such devices are invaluable to propulsion system developers. Because the WORPS technology can be applied to both combustion and cryogenic systems, the NASA market is large. Potential NASA applications include use for propulsion system monitoring in testing facilities at NASA/SSC, NASA/MSFC, NASA/GRC, NASA/ARC, and NASA/KSC. Because the proposed WORPS system technology is lightweight and has only a few key components, it could potentially find use as a diagnostic tool for on-orbit microgravity combustion, gas, and fluid experiments aboard the Shuttle and ISS. Real-time, in-flight monitoring of the SSME, and other flight units, for propulsion system health represents another applications for the mature WORPS system.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Using MSI?s Stochastic Optimization of Aeroelastic Response (SOAR) framework, time-savings of several-fold can be achieved during the airframe conceptual design stage. The availability of fast and inexpensive computers along with higher-fidelity design models has provided the opportunity to optimize aeroelastic behavior and consider uncertainty during the conceptual design phase. However, computational time becomes prohibitive in conceptual airframe development due to the many iterations that must be performed to optimize weight and/or lift/drag ratios, while ensuring that aeroelastic flutter is avoided, particularly when uncertainty effects are included. Automated Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MDO) programs have attempted to address this shortcoming, but recent attempts have had only limited success, due to problems with slow convergence and local minima and due to the computational expense of performing uncertainty analysis. To provide a step improvement, MSI is developing an automated, robust and reliable multidisciplinary optimization method which uses a stochastic approach to avoid local minima, and a compromise response surface method to determine system performance and constraint probability density functions due to both controllable (design variables, operating conditions) and uncontrollable (material defects, wind gusts) random effects. The new SOAR framework combines uncertainty analysis with optimization techniques to obtain an integrated and powerful approach to optimal design.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications for the SOAR methodology include the design and optimization of complex and practical problems such as modern flight vehicles like the X-43 and F-18-AAW, unmanned aerial vehicles, and improvement studies for existing aircraft, in particular those challenged by issues of relative weight or inappropriate dynamic response. In addition, the core optimization technology developed in this research could be directly integrated into the STARS multidisciplinary computer program, which was developed at NASA DFRC.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications for the SOAR methodology include commercial airframe design and development for both large and small aircraft. The framework being developed in this research may be used for winged aircraft or helicopters. In addition, with further commercial development in Phase III, the approach may be applied to design problems in the turbomachinery and automotive industries, as well as to engineering optimization problems in general.