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Author Topic:   NASA 'Tipping Point' Artemis technologies
Robert Pearlman
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posted 08-08-2018 02:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA release
NASA Announces New Partnerships to Develop Space Exploration Technologies

NASA is partnering with six U.S. companies to develop 10 "tipping point" technologies that have the potential to significantly benefit the commercial space economy and future NASA missions, including lunar lander and deep space rocket engine technologies.

Selections are based on the agency's third competitive Tipping Point solicitation, and have a combined total award value of approximately $44 million – a significant investment in the U.S. space industry.

A technology is considered at a "tipping point" if investment in a ground or flight demonstration will result in significantly maturing the technology and improving the company's ability to bring it to market.

"These awards focus on technology collaborations with the commercial space sector that leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA's exploration goals," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "While these key technologies will support NASA's science and human exploration missions in the future, these awards are yet another example of NASA's commitment to our nation's growing commercial space industry today."

This solicitation targeted three Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) strategic technology focus areas: Expand Utilization of Space, Enable Efficient and Safe Transportation Into and Through Space, and Increase Access to Planetary Surfaces.

The selected proposals, organized by strategic technology focus areas, are:

Expand Utilization of Space

  • Blue Origin, L.L.C., in Kent, Washington, $10 million
    Proposal: Cryogenic Fluid Management-Enhanced Integrated Propulsion Testing for Robust Lander Services
    Blue Origin will mature cryogenic liquid propulsion through a combination of technologies in a lunar lander-scaled integrated propulsion system. The project will culminate in testing of the integrated propulsion system and a separate experiment on Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle.

  • Space Systems/Loral, L.L.C., (SSL) in Palo Alto, California, $2 million
    Proposal: In-Space Xenon Transfer for Satellite, Servicer and Exploration Vehicle Replenishment and Life Extension
    This project will advance satellite servicing and in-space platform propellant replenishment capabilities by developing the capability to transfer xenon in space from a servicer or tanker to an active, operational satellite. The incremental addition of xenon transfer to existing robotic refueling payload opens new refueling opportunities. The project will demonstrate that in-space xenon transfer can be performed reliably in-space.

  • United Launch Alliance, L.L.C. (ULA) in Centennial, Colorado, $10 million
    Proposal: Integrated Vehicle Fluids Flight Demonstration
    An Integrated Vehicle Fluids (IVF) system supports extended-duration cryogenic upper stage operations and has applications for lunar landers. It takes advantage of available liquid hydrogen and oxygen to provide multiple kilowatts of power while potentially eliminating battery power, helium pressurization, and the hydrazine reaction control system. This effort includes qualification of key elements of the IVF subsystem and integration and flight on a Centaur upper stage.
Enable Efficient and Safe Transportation Into and Through Space
  • Frontier Aerospace Corporation in Simi Valley, California, $1.9 million
    Proposal: Flight Qualification of the DSE, MON-25 MMH Rocket Engine
    This project will advance Frontier's Deep Space Engine (DSE) by flight demonstration as part of the first Astrobotic Peregrine Lunar Lander mission planned for 2020. The DSE engine uses a propellant that has a lower freezing point, which provides benefits for exploration landers and deep space missions by lowering system weight and required power.

  • Paragon Space Development Corporation in Tucson, Arizona, $1.6 million
    Proposal: Cryogenic Encapsulating Launch Shroud and Insulated Upper Stage (CELSIUS)
    CELSIUS is a system that can be installed on the surface of the cryogenic upper stage tank of a space launch vehicle to provide enhanced insulation capabilities and protection from meteoroids and debris.

  • SSL, $2 million
    Proposal: High Efficiency 6kW Dual Mode Electric Propulsion Engine for Broad Mission Applications
    This project will expand SSL's electric propulsion capabilities by developing a selectable "dual mode" power processing unit (PPU) capable of providing 300 or 600 volts to a 6 kilowatt Hall thruster, increasing overall mission efficiency and flexibility. This provides faster, more efficient, propulsive capabilities for future NASA missions.

  • ULA, $2 million
    Proposal: Cryogenic Fluid Management Technology Demonstration
    This cryogenic fluid management (CFM) demonstration project seeks to prove that very low cryogenic fuel boil off is achievable and can support long duration missions. ULA will perform critical testing of the existing space launch vehicle Centaur Cryote-3 tank.
Increase Access to Planetary Surfaces
  • Astrobotic Technology, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, $10 million
    Proposal: Stand-Alone Sensor for High Precision Planetary Landing
    This project will culminate in a lunar technology demonstration mission, advancing a low-cost, reliable, high-performance, stand-alone Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) sensor suite. This lower-mass, lower-power, passive-optical sensor suite is designed to precisely deliver robotic landers to planetary surfaces. Demonstrating these capabilities will allow the team to assist NASA in dramatically improving the performance of lunar and planetary landing missions.

  • Blue Origin, $3 million
    Proposal: Advancing Sensor Suites to Enable Landing Anywhere on the Lunar Surface
    This project will mature critical technologies that enable precision and soft landing on the Moon. The project team will integrate Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), navigation doppler lidar, and altimetry sensors and conduct flight tests prior to lunar mission implementation. Testing will be performed at approximately 100 km altitude on board the Blue Origin New Shepard vertical takeoff vertical landing (VTVL) suborbital vehicle. The resulting sensor suite will enable precision landing anywhere on the lunar surface.

  • ULA, $1.9 million
    Proposal: Mid-Air Retrieval (MAR) Demonstration
    This project will flight demonstrate mid-air retrieval capabilities up to 8,000 pounds, increasing current capabilities by a factor of four. Paired with the NASA Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) project, this effort will demonstrate mid-air retrieval on a vehicle returning to Earth from orbital velocity. The project will utilize an ocean-going ship capable of transporting a helicopter to the recovery zone and the demonstration will conclude with recovery of the LOFTID reentry vehicle.
Through firm-fixed-price contracts, STMD will make milestone payments that cover as much as $10 million per award, over a performance period of up to 36 months. Each industry partner is required to contribute a minimum of 25 percent of total cost for each project.

STMD is responsible for developing the crosscutting, pioneering technologies and capabilities needed to achieve NASA missions. Projects resulting from the Tipping Point solicitation will enable public-private partnerships managed by programs within STMD.

Robert Pearlman
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NASA release
NASA Announces US Industry Partnerships to Advance Moon, Mars Technology

As NASA prepares to land humans on the Moon by 2024 with the Artemis program, commercial companies are developing new technologies, working toward space ventures of their own, and looking to NASA for assistance. NASA has selected 12 U.S. companies for 19 partnerships to mature industry-developed space technologies and help maintain American leadership in space.

NASA centers will partner with the companies, which range from small businesses with fewer than a dozen employees to large aerospace organizations, to provide expertise, facilities, hardware and software at no cost. The partnerships will advance the commercial space sector and help bring new capabilities to market that could benefit future NASA missions.

"NASA's proven experience and unique facilities are helping commercial companies mature their technologies at a competitive pace," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). "We've identified technology areas NASA needs for future missions, and these public-private partnerships will accelerate their development so we can implement them faster."

The selections were made through NASA's Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) released in October 2018. They will result in non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements between the companies and NASA. The selections cover the following technology focus areas, which are important to America's Moon to Mars exploration approach.

Advanced Communications, Navigation and Avionics

  • Advanced Space of Boulder, Colorado, will partner with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to advance lunar navigation technologies. The collaboration will help mature a navigation system between Earth and the Moon that could supplement NASA's Deep Space Network and support future exploration missions.
  • Vulcan Wireless of Carlsbad, California, also will partner with Goddard to test a CubeSat radio transponder and its compatibility with NASA's Space Network.
Advanced Materials
  • Aerogel Technologies of Boston will work with NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to improve properties of flexible aerogels for rocket fairings and other aerospace applications. The material can result in 25% weight savings over soundproofing materials currently used in rocket fairings.
  • Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, will work with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to test materials made from metal powders using solid-state processing to improve the design of spacecraft that operate in high-temperature environments.
  • Spirit AeroSystem Inc. of Wichita, Kansas, will partner with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to improve the durability of low-cost reusable rockets manufactured using friction stir welding. This welding method, already being used for NASA's Space Launch System, results in a stronger, more defect-free seal compared to traditional methods of joining materials with welding torches.
Entry, Decent and Landing
  • Anasphere of Bozeman, Montana, will partner with Marshall to test a compact hydrogen generator for inflating heat shields, which could help deliver larger payloads to Mars.
  • Bally Ribbon Mills of Bally, Pennsylvania, will perform thermal testing in the Arc Jet Complex at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. The facility will be used to test a new seamless weave for a mechanically deployable carbon fabric heat shield.
  • Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, will collaborate with NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and Goddard to mature a navigation and guidance system for safe and precise landing at a range of locations on the Moon.
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation of Sparks, Nevada, will work with NASA on two entry, decent and landing projects. The company will partner with Langley to capture infrared images of their Dream Chaser spacecraft as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere traveling faster than the speed of sound.
  • For the second collaboration, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Langley will mature a method to recover the upper stage of a rocket using a deployable decelerator.
  • SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, will work with NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to advance their technology to vertically land large rockets on the Moon. This includes advancing models to assess engine plume interaction with lunar regolith.
In-Space Manufacturing and Assembly
  • Maxar Technologies of Palo Alto, California, will work with Langley to build a breadboard – a base for prototyping electronics – for a deployable, semi-rigid radio antenna. In-orbit assembly of large structures like antennae will enhance the performance of assets in space. Such capabilities could enable entirely new exploration missions that are currently size-constrained and reduce launch costs due to improved packaging.
Power
  • Blue Origin will partner with Glenn and Johnson to mature a fuel cell power system for the company's Blue Moon lander. The system could provide uninterrupted power during the lunar night, which lasts for about two weeks in most locations.
  • Maxar will test lightweight solar cells for flexible solar panels using facilities at Glenn and Marshall that mimic the environment of space. The technology could be used by future spacecraft to provide more power with a lower mass system.
Propulsion
  • Aerojet Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, California, and Marshall will design and manufacture a lightweight rocket engine combustion chamber using innovative processes and materials. The goal of the project is to reduce manufacturing costs and make the chamber scalable for different missions.
  • Blue Origin, Marshall and Langley will evaluate and mature high-temperature materials for liquid rocket engine nozzles that could be used on lunar landers.
  • Colorado Power Electronics Inc. of Fort Collins, Colorado, will partner with Glenn to mature power processing unit technology that extends the operating range of Hall thrusters, which are primarily used on Earth-orbiting satellites and can also be used for deep space missions. By integrating their technology with NASA and commercial Hall thrusters, the company expects to provide a propulsion system that can significantly increase mission payload or extend mission durations.
  • SpaceX will work with Glenn and Marshall to advance technology needed to transfer propellant in orbit, an important step in the development of the company's Starship space vehicle.
Other Exploration Technologies
  • Lockheed Martin will partner with Kennedy to test technologies and operations for autonomous in-space plant growth systems. Integrating robotics with plant systems could help NASA harvest plants on future platforms in deep space.
Through ACO, NASA helps reduce the development cost of technologies and accelerate the infusion of emerging commercial capabilities into space missions. As the agency embarks on its next era of exploration, STMD is focused on advancing technologies and testing new capabilities for use at the Moon that also will be critical for crewed missions to Mars.

oly
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An interesting set of technologies.

Perhaps one of the best investments for future lunar exploration would be the establishment of a constellation of navigation and communication satellites using CubeSat technology that could be used to assist the navigation and landing of future missions to be placed in lunar orbit.

Establishing such a system should, in theory, be somewhat straightforward compared to some other challenges, and would assist in reducing the cost of developing future lunar landers and ground equipment. It would allow for equipment to be flown to the Moon and landed in remote areas or lunar far side zones, and easily be located by future crewed missions, and would enable constant communications from any position on the Moon or lunar orbit.

I believe that NASA tested the feasibility of using the existing Earth-orbiting system during the first Orion flight, and have considered ways of using that system to maintain calibration of a lunar orbiting system. The Gateway station could also benefit from having such a system in place.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 08-06-2019 12:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA release
NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative Opens Call for Payloads on Artemis 2 Mission

CubeSats can be part of a historic mission—Artemis 2—when NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send astronauts on their first flight aboard the Orion spacecraft farther into the solar system than humanity has ever traveled before. Artemis 2, will mark a significant step forward in NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and future missions to worlds beyond, including Mars, and the small satellites traveling along for the mission will help inform the next steps of exploration.

NASA is seeking proposals from U.S. small satellite developers to fly their CubeSat missions as secondary payloads aboard the SLS on the Artemis 2 mission under the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). CSLI provides CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct research in space that advances NASA's strategic goals in the areas of science, exploration, technology development, education and operations. The initiative allows students, teachers and faculty to gain hands-on experience designing, building, and operating these small research satellites.

"CubeSats continue to play an increasingly larger role in NASA's exploration plans," said John Guidi, deputy director for the Advanced Exploration Systems division. "These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for a variety of technology demonstrations that may offer solutions for some of the challenges facing long-term human exploration of the Moon and Mars, such as cutting-edge laser communications, energy storage, in-space propulsion, and autonomous movement."

Proposals must include elements designed to extend human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and reduce risk for future deep space human exploration missions. The proposed missions should address at least one aspect of NASA's goals outlined in NASA's 2018 Strategic Plan and address identified strategic knowledge gaps related to the Moon or Mars.

This opportunity will be open to U.S. participants including large and small businesses and other federal agencies, as well as NASA centers, not-for-profit organizations or accredited education organizations.

NASA is also seeking proposals from CubeSat developers for ride-share launch opportunities on missions other than Artemis 2. These opportunities are open to NASA centers, not-for-profit organizations or accredited education organizations and will be for flight as secondary payloads on launches other than SLS, as well as deployments from the International Space Station.

Mission proposals for all opportunities must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. EST, Nov. 4, 2019. Selections will be made by mid-February 2020, however selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity.

To date, the CubeSat Launch Initiative has selected 175 CubeSat missions from 39 states and 97 unique organizations across the country, has launched 88 missions into space, and has 37 scheduled missions to launch within the next 12 months.

Robert Pearlman
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NASA release
NASA Funds CubeSat Pathfinder Mission to Unique Lunar Orbit

NASA has awarded a $13.7 million contract to Advanced Space of Boulder, Colorado, to develop and operate a CubeSat mission to the same lunar orbit targeted for Gateway – an orbiting outpost astronauts will visit before descending to the surface of the Moon in a landing system as part of NASA's Artemis program.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) is expected to be the first spacecraft to operate in a near rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. In this unique orbit, the CubeSat will rotate together with the Moon as it orbits Earth and will pass as close as 1,000 miles and as far as 43,500 miles from the lunar surface.

Above: Highly elliptical, a near rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon takes advantage of a precise balance point in the gravities of Earth and the Moon and creates a stability that is ideal for long-term missions like Gateway. (Advanced Space)

The pathfinder mission represents a rapid lunar flight demonstration and could launch as early as December 2020. CAPSTONE will demonstrate how to enter into and operate in this orbit as well as test a new navigation capability. This information will help reduce logistical uncertainty for Gateway, as NASA and international partners work to ensure astronauts have safe access to the Moon's surface. It will also provide a platform for science and technology demonstrations.

"This is an exciting opportunity for NASA to aggressively push forward towards the Moon in partnership with several American small businesses as a vanguard to Artemis and sustained human presence beyond low-Earth orbit," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "This mission is highly ambitious in both cost and schedule – and taking that deliberate risk is part of the objective of this mission – alongside the rapid technological advancement in cislunar navigation and the opportunity to verify orbital trajectory assumptions and retire unknowns for future missions."

The 12-unit CubeSat is about the size of a small microwave oven. Onboard is a communications system capable of determining how far CAPSTONE is from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and how fast the distance between the two spacecraft is changing. The inter-spacecraft information will be used to demonstrate software for autonomous navigation, allowing future missions to determine their location without having to rely exclusively on tracking from Earth.

CAPSTONE will provide NASA and its partners with important insights to support exploration of the Moon and Mars, including:

  • Demonstration of spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services
  • Verification of near rectilinear halo orbit characteristics for future spacecraft
  • Experience entering this orbit with a highly efficient lunar transfer
  • Experience with rideshare or small dedicated launches to the Moon
  • Commercial experience providing mission planning and operations support services for CubeSats beyond Earth
  • Rapid commercial delivery of a CubeSat mission beyond Earth orbit

Above: Illustration of the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE). (Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems)

"CAPSTONE offers a lot in a small package," said Advanced Space CEO Bradley Cheetham. "Not only will it serve as a pathfinder for Artemis, but it will also demonstrate key exploration-enabling commercial capabilities. Our team will be pioneering state-of-the-art tools for mission planning and operations to enable growth in the number of future missions to the Moon, Mars, and throughout the solar system."

A number of launch options are possible for the mission, including being the primary payload on a small spacecraft launch vehicle. After launch, CAPSTONE will take approximately three months to enter its target orbit and begin a six-month primary demonstration phase to understand operations in this unique regime.

The award to Advanced Space is through a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, a follow-on to earlier SBIR awards that developed CAPSTONE's autonomous positioning and navigation system experiment.

The CAPSTONE team includes Advanced Space and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. of Irvine, California. The project is managed by NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program within the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. Based at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, SST expands U.S. capability to execute unique missions through rapid development and demonstration of capabilities for small spacecraft applicable to exploration, science and the commercial space sector. Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) within NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate will fund the launch and support mission operations. AES engages in activities focused on advanced design, development, and demonstration of exploration capabilities to reduce risk, lower life cycle cost and validate operational concepts for future human missions.

Robert Pearlman
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NASA release
NASA Announces New Tipping Point Partnerships for Moon and Mars Technologies

NASA has selected 14 American companies as partners whose technologies will help enable the agency's Moon to Mars exploration approach.

The selections are based on NASA's fourth competitive Tipping Point solicitation and have a combined total award value of about $43.2 million. This investment in the U.S. space industry, including small businesses across the country, will help bring the technologies to market and ready them for use by NASA.

"These promising technologies are at a 'tipping point' in their development, meaning NASA's investment is likely the extra push a company needs to significantly mature a capability," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). "These are important technologies necessary for sustained exploration of the Moon and Mars. As the agency focuses on landing astronauts on the Moon by 2024 with the Artemis program, we continue to prepare for the next phase of lunar exploration that feeds forward to Mars."

The selections address technology areas such as cryogenic propellant production and management, sustainable energy generation, storage and distribution, efficient and affordable propulsion systems, autonomous operations, rover mobility, and advanced avionics. The selected proposals, organized by technology area, are:

Cryogenic Propellant Production and Management

  • Blue Origin LLC of Kent, Washington, $10 million

    A ground demonstration of hydrogen and oxygen liquefaction and storage, representing rocket and spacecraft propellant that could be produced on the Moon. The demonstration could help inform a large-scale propellant production plant suitable for the lunar surface.

  • OxEon Energy LLC of North Salt Lake, Utah, $1.8 million

    OxEon Energy will work with the Colorado School of Mines to integrate an electrolysis technology to process ice and separate the hydrogen and oxygen. The molecules could then be cooled to produce fuel for cislunar transport. This technology could provide a flexible and scalable solution for future in-situ resource utilization operations on the Moon.

  • Skyre Inc. of East Hartford, Connecticut, $2.6 million

    Skyre, also known as Sustainable Innovations, along with partner Meta Vista USA LLC, will develop a system to make propellant from permanently frozen water located at the Moon's poles, including processes to separate the hydrogen and oxygen, keep the product extremely cold and use hydrogen as a refrigerant to liquefy oxygen.

  • SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, $3 million

    SpaceX will collaborate with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to develop and test coupler prototypes – or nozzles – for refueling spacecraft such as the company's Starship vehicle. A cryogenic fluid coupler for large-scale in-space propellant transfer is an important technology to aid sustained exploration efforts on the Moon and Mars.

Sustainable Energy Generation, Storage and Distribution
  • Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Inc. of Windsor, Connecticut, $4 million

    The company will collaborate with NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to develop a scalable, modular and flexible power and energy product that utilizes new manufacturing methods to reduce cost and improve reliability. The technology could be used for lunar rovers, surface equipment and habitats.

  • Paragon Space Development Corporation of Houston, $2 million

    Paragon Space Development Corporation will work with Johnson and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to develop an environmental control and life support system as well as a thermal control system for lunar missions that maintain acceptable operating temperatures throughout the Moon's day and night cycle. The design of these systems could be adapted for crewed missions to Mars.

  • TallannQuest LLC of Sachse, Texas, $2 million

    Working with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the company, also known as Apogee Semiconductor, will develop a flexible, radiation-hardened switching power controller capable of being configured based on a mission's power needs. This technology could be used for missions to the Moon, Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, and other destinations.

Efficient and Affordable Propulsion Systems

  • Accion Systems Inc. of Boston, $3.9 million

    The first interplanetary CubeSats, NASA's MarCO-A and B, used a set of cold gas thrusters for attitude control and course corrections during their cruise to Mars, alongside the Mars InSight lander. Accion and JPL will partner to mature a propulsion system to demonstrate the same capabilities as those required for the MarCO mission, but with a smaller and lighter system that uses less power. The propulsion system could enable more science opportunities with these small, flexible platforms.

  • CU Aerospace LLC of Champaign, Illinois, $1.7 million

    CU Aerospace, NearSpace Launch and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will build and test a 6-unit CubeSat equipped with two different propulsion systems. These systems were developed with NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding and offer high performance, low cost and safe pre-launch processing. The company plans to deliver the flight-ready CubeSat to NanoRacks for launch and deployment.

  • ExoTerra Resource LLC of Littleton, Colorado, $2 million

    ExoTerra will build, test and launch a 12-unit CubeSat with a compact, high impulse solar electric propulsion module. Once flight-ready, the system will be demonstrated in-space as the CubeSat moves from low-Earth orbit to the radiation belts surrounding Earth. This small electric propulsion system could open up the inner solar system for targeted science exploration missions, using affordable spacecraft that range from 44 to 440 pounds.

Autonomous Operations

  • Blue Canyon Technologies Inc. of Boulder, Colorado, $4.9 million

    As access to space increases, so does the need for ground resources, such as tracking stations. With an in-space demonstration, Blue Canyon Technologies will mature an autonomous navigation software solution for SmallSats and CubeSats so they can traverse space without "talking" to Earth.

Rover Mobility
  • Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, $2 million

    Astrobotic and Carnegie Mellon University will work with JPL and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to develop small rover "scouts" that can host payloads and interface with multiple large landers. This project received previous NASA funding through SBIR awards. The new partnership will develop more mature payload interfaces and increase rover capabilities.

Advanced Avionics

  • Intuitive Machines LLC of Houston, $1.3 million

    Development of a spacecraft vision processing computer and software to reduce the cost and schedule required for deploying optical, or laser, navigation capabilities on government and commercial missions.

  • Luna Innovations of Blacksburg, Virginia, $2 million

    Luna Innovations is partnering with Sierra Nevada Corporation, ILC Dover and Johnson to prove the viability of sensors that monitor the structural health and safety of inflatable space habitats located in orbit or on the surface of other worlds.

Through firm-fixed-price contracts, STMD will make milestone payments over a performance period of up to 36 months. Each industry partner is required to contribute a minimum percent, based on the company's size, of the total cost for each project.

STMD develops transformative space technologies to enable future missions. Tipping Point projects are managed by programs within STMD and in some cases include collaborations with NASA centers.

Robert Pearlman
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NASA release
NASA Announces Partners to Advance 'Tipping Point' Technologies for the Moon, Mars

NASA has selected 14 American companies, including several small businesses, as partners to develop a range of technologies that will help forge a path to sustainable Artemis operations on the Moon by the end of the decade.

U.S. industry submitted the proposals to NASA's fifth competitive Tipping Point solicitation, and the selections have an expected combined award value of more than $370 million. NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate will negotiate with the companies to issue milestone-based firm fixed-price contracts lasting for up to five years.

"NASA's significant investment in innovative technology demonstrations, led by small and large U.S. businesses across nine states, will expand what is possible in space and on the lunar surface," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "Together, NASA and industry are building up an array of mission-ready capabilities to support a sustainable presence on the Moon and future human missions to Mars."

Bridenstine announced the selections Oct. 14 during a keynote address at the virtual fall Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium meeting.

The selections and approximate award values across the three solicitation topic areas of cryogenic fluid management, lunar surface, and closed-loop descent and landing capability demonstrations, are:

  • Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance of Houston, $22.1 million
  • Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, $5.8 million
  • Eta Space of Merritt Island, Florida, $27 million
  • Intuitive Machines of Houston, $41.6 million
  • Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, $89.7 million
  • Masten Space Systems of Mojave, California, $10 million, $2.8 million
  • Nokia of America Corporation of Sunnyvale, California, $14.1 million
  • pH Matter of Columbus, Ohio, $3.4 million
  • Precision Combustion Inc. of North Haven, Connecticut, $2.4 million
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation of Madison, Wisconsin, $2.4 million
  • SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, $53.2 million
  • SSL Robotics of Pasadena, California, $8.7 million
  • Teledyne Energy Systems of Hunt Valley, Maryland, $2.8 million
  • United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colorado, $86.2 million
"This is the most Tipping Point proposals NASA has selected at once and by far the largest collective award value," said NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Technology Jim Reuter. "We are excited to see our investments and collaborative partnerships bring about new technologies for the Moon and beyond while also benefiting the commercial sector."

The majority of the funding will help mature cryogenic fluid management technologies via in-space demonstrations led by small business Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and ULA. Each approach is unique, ranging from small- to large-scale and short- to long-term tests. Future missions could use frozen water located at the Moon's poles to make propellant by separating the hydrogen and oxygen. The ability to store these super-cold liquids, whether they are launched from Earth or produced in space, for an extended period and transfer propellant from one tank to another, is crucial for establishing sustainable operations on the Moon and enabling human missions to Mars.

Ten of the selections will support the development and demonstration of technologies for the lunar surface in the areas of in-situ resource utilization, surface power generation and energy storage, communications, and more.

Intuitive Machines will develop a small, deployable hopper lander capable of carrying a 2.2-pound payload more than 1.5 miles. This hopping robot could access lunar craters and enable high-resolution surveying of the lunar surface over a short distance.

The small business Alpha Space will create a lunar evaluation facility that could eventually be mounted on a lander, giving small experiments access to the lunar environment. Researchers would use the platform to learn what materials and electronics fare well on the Moon, regardless of radiation, temperature, and other environmental factors.

NASA also selected two proposals submitted by Masten Space Systems. The larger of the two awards will demonstrate precision landing and hazard avoidance testing capabilities across relevant lunar trajectories. For this selection, the company will adapt its Xogdor vehicle to provide researchers from government, academia, and industry with a new platform for testing space technologies.

Each company must contribute a minimum percent, based on its size, of the total project cost. Combining NASA resources with industry contributions shepherds the development of critical space technologies while also saving the agency, and American taxpayers, money.

As part of its Artemis program, NASA plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 and establish a sustainable presence there by the end of the decade. The agency will use the Moon to prepare for its next giant leap – human exploration of Mars.

SpaceAholic
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Nokia of America Corporation of Sunnyvale, California, $14.1 million
Telecom equipment supplier Nokia will use a $14.1 million grant to build the moon's first wireless network as part of NASA's plans to establish a human presence there.
The initial 4G network will be upgraded to 5G in the future, it said. It is working with spaceflight engineering company Intuitive Machines on the project.

The network will be adapted to the moon's unique climate, and will be able to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and even rocket landings and launches, which vibrate the moon's surface.

The moon's 4G network will also use significantly smaller cells than those on Earth, Bell Labs said. These will have a smaller range, but they require less power and are easier to transport.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 11-17-2020 11:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) release
SNC Selected for NASA Tipping Point Contract for its Groundbreaking Technology to Produce Oxygen on the Moon

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has been selected for a contract as part of NASA's Tipping Point solicitation to further develop its carbothermal reduction process, which harvests oxygen from minerals on the surface of the Moon.

"Oxygen is one of our most valuable resources for space travel and harvesting oxygen from local in-space resources will be efficient and cost-effective for human exploration and commercial activity in space. Our Carbothermal Reduction Process is the result of decades of research and development work that is focused on both reducing launch mass from Earth drastically reducing mission costs, and enabling long-term activity in low Earth orbit, cislunar and Mars," said Fatih Ozmen, SNC's CEO.

More than 40 percent of the moon is oxygen, but it is locked in the form of minerals in the lunar surface rocks and particulates (regolith). The carbothermal reduction process concentrates heat into the lunar regolith within a methane gas environment to extract oxygen from the minerals while continuously recycling the methane. This capability can efficiently operate at virtually any location on the moon or other planetary surfaces, including asteroids and the moons of Mars.

"We are passionate about leveraging the diverse expertise we have developed over the course of hundreds of successful space missions to create a sustainable and scalable platform for continual government and commercial activity in space. We are moving quickly to further develop this technology and make our vision a reality," said Tom Crabb, vice president of programs for SNC's Propulsion and Environmental Systems.

Above: Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor.

As part of the Tipping Point contract, SNC will develop demonstration hardware of the process that will be tested in a vacuum environment similar to the moon as a precursor to a flight on a commercial lunar lander to prove viability of this process on the Moon.

Ultimately, SNC envisions constructing a plant on the surface of the Moon that can serve as an oxygen fueling station for travel between the Earth and the Moon, the Moon and Mars, and beyond, as well as support human habitation.

Robert Pearlman
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NASA release
NASA Partners with American Companies on Key Moon, Exploration Tech

NASA has selected 11 U.S. companies to develop technologies that could support long-term exploration on the Moon and in space for the benefit of all. The technologies range from lunar surface power systems to tools for in-space 3D printing, which will expand industry capabilities for a sustained human presence on the Moon through Artemis, as well as other NASA, government, and commercial missions.

"Partnering with the commercial space industry lets us at NASA harness the strength of American innovation and ingenuity," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "The technologies that NASA is investing in today have the potential to be the foundation of future exploration."

The projects, chosen under the agency's sixth Tipping Point opportunity, will be funded jointly by NASA and the industry partners. The total expected NASA contribution to the partnerships is $150 million. Each company will contribute a minimum percentage – at least 10-25%, based on company size – of the total project cost. NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) will issue milestone-based funded Space Act Agreements lasting for up to four years.

The selected technologies support infrastructure and capabilities in space and at the Moon. Six of the selected companies are small businesses. The awarded companies, their projects, and the approximate value of NASA's contribution are:

  • Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, $34.6 million – LunaGrid-Lite: Demonstration of Tethered, Scalable Lunar Power Transmission
  • Big Metal Additive of Denver, $5.4 million – Improving Cost and Availability of Space Habitat Structures with Additive Manufacturing
  • Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, $34.7 million – In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)-Based Power on the Moon
  • Freedom Photonics of Santa Barbara, California, $1.6 million – Highly Efficient Watt-Class Direct Diode Lidar for Remote Sensing
  • Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado, $9.1 million – Joining Demonstrations In-Space
  • Redwire of Jacksonville, Florida, $12.9 million – Infrastructure Manufacturing with Lunar Regolith – Mason
  • Protoinnovations of Pittsburgh, $6.2 million – The Mobility Coordinator: An Onboard COTS (Commercial-Off-the-Shelf) Software Architecture for Sustainable, Safe, Efficient, and Effective Lunar Surface Mobility Operations
  • Psionic of Hampton, Virginia, $3.2 million – Validating No-Light Lunar Landing Technology that Reduces Risk, SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power), and Cost
  • United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, $25 million – ULA Vulcan Engine Reuse Scale Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator Technology Demonstration
  • Varda Space Industries of El Segundo, California, $1.9 million – Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator Tech Transfer and Commercial Production
  • Zeno Power Systems of Washington, $15 million – A Universal Americium-241 Radioisotope Power Supply for Artemis
"Our partnerships with industry could be a cornerstone of humanity's return to the Moon under Artemis," said Dr. Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator for STMD at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By creating new opportunities for streamlined awards, we hope to push crucial technologies over the finish line so they can be used in future missions. These innovative partnerships will help advance capabilities that will enable sustainable exploration on the Moon."

Five of the technologies will help humanity explore the Moon. For astronauts to spend extended periods of time on the lunar surface, they will need habitats, power, transportation, and other infrastructure. Two of the selected projects will use the Moon's own surface material to create such infrastructure – a practice called in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU. Redwire will develop technologies that would allow use of lunar regolith to build infrastructure like roads, foundations for habitats, and landing pads.

Blue Origin's technology could also make use of local resources by extracting elements from lunar regolith to produce solar cells and wire that could then be used to power work on the Moon.

Astrobotic's selected proposal will advance technology to distribute power on the Moon's surface, planned to be tested on a future lunar mission. The company's CubeRover would unreel more than half a mile (one kilometer) of high-voltage power line that could be used to transfer power from a production system to a habitat or work area on the Moon.

The remaining seven projects will help create new capabilities in other areas of space exploration and Earth observation. Freedom Photonics will develop a novel laser source that could enable a more efficient lidar system – a technology similar to radar that uses light instead of radio waves to make measurements. This system could better detect methane in Earth's atmosphere and improve scientists' understanding of climate change.

United Launch Alliance will continue development of inflatable heat shield technology, building on the success of LOFTID (Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator). ULA will further develop the technology for possible use to return large rocket components from low Earth orbit for reuse. Such technology could also be used to land heavier payloads – such as the infrastructure required for crewed missions – on destinations like Mars.

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