[meteorite-list] NASA Asks Universities For Early Stage Innovation Tech Proposals

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 14:19:37 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201304022119.r32LJbtU014421_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

April 02, 2013

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz at nasa.gov

RELEASE: 13-095

NASA ASKS UNIVERSITIES FOR EARLY STAGE INNOVATION TECH PROPOSALS

WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking innovative, early-stage space technology
proposals from accredited U.S. universities that will enable NASA's
future missions and America's leadership in space.

Proposals are sought for science instruments, cryogenic propellant
storage for long-duration space exploration, optical coatings for
astrophysical pursuits, oxygen recovery for life support systems, and
to improve our understanding of and protection from near-Earth
asteroids.

Each of these space technology areas requires dramatic improvements
over existing capabilities. New early stage, or low technology
readiness-level, technologies could mature into tools that solve the
hard challenges facing NASA's future scientific and human spaceflight
missions. Researchers should propose unique, transformational space
technologies that address specific topics found in this solicitation.

"Space technology is the underpinning of all of NASA's future
missions," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for
the Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington. "NASA's
collaboration with the National Research Council and the agency's
recent Strategic Space Technology Investment Plan have helped us
identify areas where new, cross-cutting space technologies are needed
to enable our future missions. Now we're reaching out to American
universities to tap into the nation's best and brightest minds to
help solve these tough technology problems."

This solicitation requests proposals on five topic areas. The first
topic area seeks new instrument technologies for the exploration of
planetary bodies within our solar system. Innovative technology
advances are needed to support the instruments that scientists will
need to better understand the history, climates, evidence of past
life and future potential habitability of planets and moons within
the solar system.

Spaceflight architectures for future human space exploration beyond
low-Earth orbit will require technologies and capabilities not
available today, such as long duration storage of cryogenic
propellants in a zero gravity environment. Under a second topic area
for this solicitation, NASA is particularly interested in proposals
regarding how to mature fundamental experimental and computational
solutions to address the challenges of cryogenic storage of liquid
hydrogen.

Through a third topic area for this solicitation, NASA is seeking
advances in optics technologies to enable the challenging science
measurements that may contribute to the understanding of the first
moments of the universe, the characterization of galaxy evolution
over time and the characterization of newly found exoplanets.

As future exploration missions extend beyond low-Earth orbit, vehicles
and extraterrestrial surface habitats housing astronauts will need to
be highly reliable and self-sufficient; the opportunity for resupply
of consumables diminishes the farther from home you go. The fourth
topic area of this solicitation seeks novel technologies that will
help close the atmosphere revitalization loop aboard spaceships and
surface habitats during long duration space missions. New
technologies must have the potential to significantly increase the
oxygen recovery rate beyond the current state of the art.

Under a final topic area, NASA is seeking proposals for new
technologies to better understand and protect our planet from
near-Earth asteroids. Early stage technologies that will help with
characterizing, understanding, and planning how to mitigate the
threat of near-Earth asteroids are of great interest. These efforts
are important for the sustainability and future of our home planet.

NASA expects to make approximately 10 awards this fall, based on the
merit of proposals received. Each award will be made for one year
with an additional year of research possible. The typical annual
award value is expected to be approximately $250,000. Second-year
funding will be contingent on the availability of appropriated funds
and technical progress. Only accredited U.S. universities may submit
proposals to this solicitation. Notices of intent are due by April 29
with proposals due May 21.

To view the Early Stage Innovation NASA Research Announcement and
information for submitting proposals, visit:

http://go.usa.gov/25De

The solicitation is a part of NASA's Space Technology Mission
Directorate, which is innovating, developing, testing and flying
hardware for use in NASA's future missions. For more information
about NASA's investment in space technology, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech
        
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Received on Tue 02 Apr 2013 05:19:37 PM PDT