Strategic technology development to support future ExEP projects.

Q-thruster technology is a mission enabling form of electric propulsion and is already being traded by NASA's Concept Architecture Team (CAT) & Human Space Flight (HSF) Architecture Team (HAT) as an electric propulsion effector for Asteroid Recovery Vehicle (ARV) mission extensibility options out to Mars.  The Nuclear Electric Propulsion mission allows for rapid transit while allowing for a heavy, more near-term reactor design and the Solar Electric Propulsion mission allows for a power starved approach with similar mission durations to Design Reference Architecture - DRA 5.0 that would not be possible without the Q-thruster technology.

Innovative projects are sought in the areas of basic research, fundamental research, applied research, development and systems and other concept formulation studies. Projects combining both science and technology are encouraged.

The methodology developed under this grant is primarily an effort to develop new sub-payload technologies and an inexpensive method of testing them. The three technical goals are: (1) to improve and test the existing spring sub-payload ejection system and rocket propelled ejection system, (2) to test the performance of ampule-deployed radar chaff (rather than TMA) to track high altitude winds, and (3) to develop and test sensor and telemetry packages to monitor the attitude stability and position of deployed sub-payloads.  The proposed effort will also demonstrate very low cost, low altitude rockets as an inexpensive flight test of payloads prior to expensive sounding rocket deployments. The payloads tested on 5 to 7 low-cost rockets will be (1) foil chaff designed for radar tracking of mesospheric winds, (2) plasma instruments composed of GPS monitors, magnetometers, and accelerometers, and (3) android phones for the investigation of off-the-shell instrumentation and telemetry.  Finally, a campaign of 2 to 4 sounding rocket deployments on ‘as-available’ flights from Poker Flats will be used to test spring ejection without spin up, spring ejection with spin up for sub-payload attitude control, and rocket ejection

Develop control and planning algorithms for a science-driven spacecraft/rover hybrid, such that the rover is able to autonomously reach designated targets and point instruments traverse performance meets science objectives of 20-30% of traverse distance.

JSC provides and applies its preeminent capabilities in science and technology to develop, operate, and integrate human exploration missions.  The center encourages collaboration with aerospace and non-aerospace industries, government agencies, and academia to solve science and technology challenges, while actively striving to maximize technology transfer into the commercial sector.

An active and sustainable science and technology development program is key to ensuring the challenges of human exploration are successfully overcome. The JSC-directed solicitations program enables the center to invest strategically in high priority areas needed to accomplish future missions, as articulated in the NASA Technology Roadmaps and the Space Technology Investment Plan (STIP). It offers the center the ability to address technology gaps that are beyond the requirements of near-term programs to fund.  The program also provides a platform to continue to grow and maintain critical skills and innovations needed to ensure future mission success.  These solicitations encourage use of collaborations to ensure maximum benefit to both the space program and the nation.  As such, external partnerships are highly encouraged not only as a funding leverage but to bring innovative ideas and approaches into human exploration programs.

Selection Process

Typically, JSC solicitations are developed by the JSC CTO and the JSC Technology Working Group (JTWG). Competitive calls are coordinated with JSC Senior Staff and communicated to the JSC workforce via internal email distribution to an R&D community list and through postings on the internal center website and through JSC Today notices.

The JTWG solicits, evaluates and prioritizes all JSC solicitation responses in a two-stage process. The JTWG members review project proposals and work together to down-select to the finalists. The Principal Investigators (PIs) make presentations to the JTWG to provide more in-depth project details. This allows the members to have multiple sets of data to select the most innovative finalists to support for the year.  Selection criteria and funding vary based on the focus of the solicitation; but of primary interest are:

• Human Space Flight Architecture Team (HAT) prioritized technology needs
• Priority JSC technology core competencies
• High potential areas for technology commercialization
• High potential areas for technology partnerships

Project Accomplishments

Through the result of research and development, JSC’s IR&D project PIs are making essential progress in the advancement of technology needed to enable NASA’s mission of space exploration. Additionally, many of the technologies developed to meet the challenges of space exploration have great commercialization potential. Each year, many of JSC’s IR&D projects file New Technology Reports (NTRs) through the JSC Tech Transfer Office. Several of these reports have received New Technology Evaluation Patent ratings to pursue patents, while additional ones have been scheduled for success story articles to be written and published.

JSC projects active in FY12 and beyond have been included in TechPort. Through the TechPort tool information on the projects is provided and will be updated by PIs as developments and updates become available. This will offer further knowledge and information sharing between NASA developers, researchers, engineers and scientists, and other internal and external stakeholders.

The LEARN Project explores the creation of novel concepts and processes with the potential to create new capabilities in aeronautics research through awards to the external community including university and industry teams. The LEARN Project incorporates a competitive review process of the external teams’ proposals to develop integrated solutions for complex technical problems captured in the ARMD strategic thrusts, followed by short duration activities for feasibility assessment. Follow-on phases of the most promising ideas are also funded. LEARN also utilizes challenges and prizes to the external community.  With these processes, NASA funds also help catalyze investments from the aerospace and non-aerospace communities toward solving problems aligned with NASA interests.

The NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) has been established to achieve the LEARN Project’s goals.  NARI will complement other ARMD efforts in seeking early-stage innovative concepts applicable to a broad spectrum of aeronautical challenges in the nation’s air transportation system by sponsoring research solicitations and by hosting future competitive challenges. The Institute will coordinate these efforts and communicate the outcome of the research conducted to interested parties both internal and external to NASA. ARMD’s goal is to mature the new concepts in order to infuse them into current ARMD research programs, to enable new avenues of aeronautics research that are not currently supported by ARMD program and project funds, or to achieve practical application by the aeronautics community.