NASA Selects Small Business Research and Tech Projects
NASA is negotiating contracts with 350 small businesses that had the best proposals to address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The proposals are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program, known as SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, known as STTR.
"The SBIR and STTR programs help facilitate innovative research and technology development among America's most creative small businesses," said Bobby Braun, NASA chief technologist at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "These Phase 1 awards will serve as seed funds for transformative research and technology projects that have the potential to mature new products and services of great benefit to NASA and the nation."
The SBIR program selected 450 proposals for negotiation of Phase 1 contracts with a total value of approximately $45 million. The STTR program chose 45 proposals for negotiation of Phase 1 contracts with a total value of approximately $4.5 million. The SBIR contracts will be awarded to 309 small, high technology firms in 37 states. The STTR contracts will be awarded to 41 small high technology firms in 16 states. As part of the STTR program, the firms will partner with 41 universities or research institutions in 22 states.
Innovative research areas among these selected proposals include:
- Analytical and experimental methodologies for reliably predicting the effects of aeroelasticity and its impact on aircraft performance, flight dynamics, and safety of flight;
- Advanced photovoltaic systems to enable low cost, low mass, high reliability and efficient power generation systems for a wide variety of deep space exploration missions;
- Innovative technologies for accurate measurements of atmospheric parameters and surface topography of the Earth, Mars, the moon and other planetary bodies;
- Technologies that provide innovative ways to leverage existing International Space Station facilities for new scientific payloads and on orbit analysis to enhance capabilities and reduce sample return requirements.
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