Full and Open Competition after exclusion of sources
Major Defense Program
Not listed
Pricing Type
Firm Fixed Price
Place of Performance
Torrance, CA 90501, USA
Solicitation Procedures
Negotiated Proposal / Quote
Number Of Offers Received
500
Legislative Mandate
Not listed
National Interest Action
Not listed
Research Type
SBIR Program Phase I Action
Primary Consortia Member
Not listed
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded a $124,985.00 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I contract to Physical Optics Corporation (POC), a division of Mercury Systems Inc. The contract is for the development of a novel Balanced Electric Spacecraft Thruster (BEST) system to address NASA's need for high-thrust electric propulsion technologies that can enhance mission capabilities such as attitude control and dual manifest launch opportunities. The BEST system will leverage a new thruster design and advanced ionic liquid monopropellant to provide balanced and throttled high thrust with variable impulse, which aligns with NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the BEST approach through proof-of-concept analysis and experiments to reach Technology Readiness Level 3. In Phase II, POC will design, build, and test a BEST prototype to achieve TRL-6 and deliver it to NASA.