Cooperative Agreement 80MSFC19M0012

Rocket Propulsion Systems LLC received a $255,993 Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Project Grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a liquid oxygen-methane engine for small satellite launch vehicles. Funded under the NSF's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), this 12-month award will support the design and testing of an engine using liquid oxygen and methane propellants. The Engineering program seeks to improve engineering research and education to foster innovation and...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) Project Grant award of $274,969 to Juno Propulsion Inc. will develop a new satellite thruster prototype using rotating detonation combustion (RDC) and non-toxic propellants. The thruster is projected to significantly increase satellite lifespan and performance capabilities in low Earth orbit, enabling up to a 100% increase in satellite lifespan and a 40% increase in camera resolution or payload mass...

This $256,000 Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program will support Onyx Aerospace Inc.'s development of an additively manufactured, non-toxic, advanced storable hybrid rocket propulsion system. Specifically, the company will develop a thermoplastic-based fuel with electrical ignition properties suitable for cubesats. They will test fuel formulations for compatibility with the ignition...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) supports research on the combustion behavior of new sustainable and environmentally friendly fuels, including ammonia and dimethyl ether (DME) blends. The $345,000 award to Wayne State University aims to investigate the "autoignition-assisted flame regime" of these fuel mixtures, focusing on...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Program (CFDA 47.041) provides $400,204 to Purdue University to conduct an integrated molecular dynamics and machine learning investigation of gas-liquid interfaces in transcritical reacting flows. The project aims to improve the understanding of the underlying physics governing interfaces, phase changes, and molecular transport within high-pressure, transcritical fluid flows, which are critical for the efficiency of...

Mahle Powertrain, LLC was awarded a $1.88 million cooperative agreement from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy to develop advanced low temperature methane oxidation catalysts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from lean-burn natural gas engines. The three-year project, titled "Reduction of GHG Emissions from Lean-Burn Natural Gas Engines Using Advanced Low Temperature Methane Oxidation Catalysts," aims to design new catalyst formulations capable...

Innio Waukesha Gas Engines Inc. was awarded a $2.23 million cooperative agreement from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) program. The project aims to develop an ultra-low methane slip reciprocating engine that will reduce methane emissions by 82% while maintaining engine effectiveness over the lifetime of the engine. In addition, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compound, and formaldehyde emissions will be decreased with no effect on nitrogen oxide...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1,000,000 Cooperative Agreement under its Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program to Field Propulsion Technologies Inc., a small business in Aurora, Colorado. The funding supports the development of an advanced propellant-less propulsion system for small satellites. The key innovation is a new class of metamaterial based on graphene composite that utilizes unresolved longitudinal Ampere forces to generate thrust. The project...

This $499,999 National Science Foundation project grant supports research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute to develop an in-depth understanding of ammonia sprays and combustion behavior under elevated pressures up to 80 bar. The grantee will combine laser diagnostics and numerical simulations to study non-vaporizing, vaporizing, and reacting spray conditions. Advanced laser diagnostics including 2D Raman, PLIF and rainbow reflectometry will provide unprecedented flow,...

Rogue Space Systems Corp. was awarded a $271,381 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (NSF TIP, CFDA 47.084) to develop a prototype metal-fueled Hall effect thruster using radioisotope heating. The award period is August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023. Under this award, Rogue Space Systems Corp. will produce a prototype thruster that utilizes zinc fuel and a radioisotope power system unit. A thermal management system will deliver the...