The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I contract to Photonic Cleaning Technologies, LLC (DBA First Contact Polymer) to develop polymer coating-based contaminant control and elimination solutions for the Exo-S starshade probe. The $108,394 firm-fixed-price contract, which was set aside for small businesses, aims to address challenges in applying the company's strippable polymer coating technology to surfaces like iron, steel, copper, and nickel that are important for NASA programs, including the starshade. The contract requires the development, verification, and testing of application and removal procedures, as well as proof-of-principle metrology, before the technology can be used in the critical launch path and proximity glare suppression for the starshade.
Generated 3/24/24, 6:32 AM