Full and Open Competition after exclusion of sources
Major Defense Program
Not listed
Pricing Type
Firm Fixed Price
Place of Performance
Natick, MA 01760, 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 Firm Fixed Price contract to Busek Co., Inc., a small business manufacturer of spacecraft propulsion systems, to develop a precision spacecraft pointing and attitude control system. The $124,805 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract will focus on acquiring and analyzing data on the performance characteristics of Busek's BET-1MN electrospray thrusters, which can achieve sub-milliarcsecond pointing accuracy, to define the control system requirements needed to realize the full potential of this technology. The proposed innovations aim to replace reaction wheel actuators with vibration-free thrust-based actuators, enabling high-precision pointing and slew maneuvers for observation and laser communication missions, while reducing spacecraft size, weight, and complexity.