Spaceships could utilize nuclear thermal propulsion to travel quickly to Mars. (Image Credit: USNC Tech)
On March 25th, NASA announced that it rewarded $45 million in grants to 365 small business proposals from its Small Businesses Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. These grants fund the development of new technologies ranging from power-beaming lasers for lunar missions to testing high-temperature components for nuclear-powered rockets. The SBIR/STTR Phase 1 solicitation was rewarded to recipients two months early to help enterprises cope with the impact of COVID-19.
“At NASA, we recognize that small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). “This year, to get funds into the hands of small businesses sooner, we accelerated the release of the 2021 SBIR/STTR Phase I solicitation by two months. We hope the expedited funding helps provide a near-term boost for future success.”
This year, 289 small businesses and 47 research institutions in the US are receiving Phase 1 funding. Over 30% of the awards are going to first-time NASA SBIR/STTR recipients. “We are excited to have a large cohort of new small businesses join the NASA family via the SBIR/STTR program,” Reuter said.
Selected companies are receiving up to $125,000 to establish the merit and feasibility of their tech innovation proposals for aeronautical development and space exploration. Small businesses receive the Phase 1 SBIR contracts, which last for six months. Meanwhile, small businesses in partnership with a research institution receive the Phase 1 STTR contracts, which last for 13 months. Based on their Phase 1 progress, companies may submit proposals for additional funding.
The full list of SBIR and STTR grants can be found on NASA’s website. Here are some companies receiving funds:
LaserMotive, d.b.a. PowerLight Technologies, Kent: Developing a laser-power beaming system for lunar mission scenarios, including autonomous rovers and crewed bases.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. – Technologies, Seattle: This company is designing an extremely high-temperature facility to test material properties and evaluate performance. It’s for space nuclear reactor core and fuel components.
American Daedalus LLC, Puyallup: Studying the feasibility of infrasonic monitoring to detect aircraft-scale atmospheric turbulence.
Innoveering LLC: Developing a wind sensor to enable a flight path control system for high-altitude scientific balloon operations. This technology could also provide accurate weather forecasts.
Qubitekk: Qubitekk is forming a partnership with the University of New Mexico to develop an affordable and compact hardware package that provides a calibration tool for detectors of quantum-sized information. The goal is to secure satellite communication networks, cybersecurity, deep-space laser communications, and computing.
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