Attachment I_SOO.pdf

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Space Strategic Technology Institute (SSTI): Advanced Space Power and Propulsion

A. Overview

The United States Space Force (USSF) is establishing Space Strategic Technology Institutes (SSTIs) to address space science and technology (S&T) challenges through a network of partnered universities.1 The USSF goal is for the SSTIs to facilitate joint applied research and focus it on transformational space domain technology breakthroughs and developments that lead to the advancement of capabilities that can be transitioned and integrated into current and future USSF and U.S. Government space capabilities. It is highly desired for the research to lead to testbeds, high fidelity modeling and simulations, demonstrations, and prototypes. The research is expected to transition technology to higher technology readiness levels throughout the period of performance and out years will be awarded based on an evaluation of this ability.

The Advanced Space Power and Propulsion (ASPP) SSTI will comprise a team of at least three universities (including the lead university). The team of universities in the ASPP SSTI are encouraged to collaborate with other institutions of higher education, for-profit entities (within the NAICS 541715), non-profit entities, state, local, and tribal government, and small business enterprise to address space research, development, and demonstration needs.

USSF plans to make the full award to the lead university submitting the proposal. This research institution will manage the research of any ASPP subtopics, such as those described in section C. The lead institution is responsible for distributing funds to team member institutions via subawards. At least 50% of SSTI awarded funds are required to go to the supporting institutions. It is also permissible for team member institutions to issue further subawards.

B. Statement of Objectives

Advanced power and propulsion technologies and systems can lower size, weight, and power (SWAP) requirements, enable faster transit times, allow better use of resources, and implementation of a greater variety of technologies. With respect to power, this refers to improving energy storage, discharge rates, conversion efficiencies, sustained electrical voltage/current output, peak voltage/current output, abuse tolerance, manufacturability, reliability, and long-term energy storage capabilities. Note: The value of power technology will be assessed by its ability or potential to enable new operations. For example, while new batteries with high energy densities are sought, improvements in energy density will not be of value if it significantly degrades other battery performance metrics, such as current or voltage output, to levels that make them unviable for use in conventional systems. With respect to propulsion, this refers to improving specific impulse, sustained thrust, maximum thrust, throttling capabilities.

The university teams proposing to the SSTI ASPP will propose research that is aligned with their team’s unique research strengths. This section provides descriptions of example technologies that are related to ASPP. These examples are not exhaustive and are intended to be non-prescriptive. The intent is to provide broad focus area examples that will help the proposers to understand typical S&T challenges and needs for the SSTI.

Each team is encouraged to include future technology vectors and horizon scanning on emerging and forward leaning technologies through a systematic assessment of potential future threats and technology surprises. Proposed solutions must include clear explanation of why they are superior to the current state of the art and why known problems with proposed solutions will be mitigated or resolved. It is also recommended that the collaboration includes a multidisciplinary approach, not only across technical disciplines, but also including non- technical aspects and approaches to the problems.

In future years the research may include additional partner universities, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), or other DoD or U.S. Government agencies and laboratories, as well as industry and international partners. The government laboratories have a deep understanding of the technology needs, end-user’s requirements, and potential applications of the research outcomes.

C. Description of Technical Area

The Power and Propulsion Technologies and Operating Concepts STI will focus on technologies needed to ensure continued and enhanced capability across all space areas (including moons and planets) of U.S. military and civil operation.

Advanced Power Technologies and Techniques

• In Space Power Beaming technologies (includes space to surface)

• Surface systems to receive beamed power

• Technologies to minimize hazards to lifeforms and objects in the beam path of power beaming

• Improvements in microwave optics to reduce Airy disk beam spreading

• Technologies to constrain power transmission to very small beam angles

• Technology advancement in energy collection for power beaming (e.g., solar thermal, solar pumped laser, stellaser, fusion decay, solar wind loop, direct mirrors, etc.)

• Satellite architecture for power beaming (e.g., swarms, free floating components, spin stabilization, photonic laser thruster stabilization)

• Technologies for power transmission beyond RF (e.g., laser, atmospheric waveguide, nuclear synthesis particle accelerators)

• Nuclear power in space

• Nuclear power on lunar or other surfaces

• Photovoltaic o Efficiency improvements o Material properties advances o Materials with greater resistance to micrometeoroids, UV degradation, and high optical energy effects o Adaptive photovoltaics

• Distributed aperture solar collection/beaming

• Novel deployable solar power structures

• Novel conformable solar power structures

• Novel surface coatings that have dual use in generating solar power

• Technologies to minimize in space waste heat from space power systems – improved thermal control methodologies

• Using in situ resources to build solar powered systems

• Functional high performance surface coatings

• Energy absolving, storage, and harvesting materials

• Smart adaptive materials

• Improved energy generation, transmission, storage

• Improved depth of discharge, discharge rates, and charge/discharge cycling

• Low self discharge

• Synthetic fuel generation

• Lunar electrification – establishing a power grid on the moon (or other surfaces)

• New materials

• Technologies to allow remote or robotic maintenance on power beam infrastructure

• Technologies for advanced in radioisotope power sources in space

• Advanced in nuclear fission reactors in space

• Fission surface power systems

• Megawatt capable space reactors

• Heat pipe power system reactors

• New materials for high energy environments

• Lower SWAP power systems

• Cyber security and data trust specific to space power

• Trusted autonomy specific to space power

• Recyclability

• Easy raw material sourcing

• Improved manufacturability

• High gas pressurization (100s of bar)

• Safe high pressure storage

• Graceful failure

Advanced Propulsion Technologies and Techniques

• Launch propulsion systems, technologies, and elements (e.g., injector elements, pumps, etc.)

• In space propulsion systems, technologies, and elements

• High Power Electric Propulsion (e.g., fission, fusion, solar, plasma, ion, etc.)

• Nuclear thermal propulsion

• Advanced electric propulsion (e.g., microwave, etc)

• Green (or less toxic) propellants and associated rocket engines, including pressurization schemes and methods

• Multi-mode Propulsion (e.g., using the same propellant for high-thrust chemical rocket and high Isp EP device)

• On orbit propellant storage and transfer

• In situ propellant manufacturing

• High gas pressure storage

• High gas pressurization

• Reliable high-pressure helium regulation

• Technologies to allow remote or robotic maintenance and refueling

• Propulsion system diagnostics to improve reliability and safety (all systems, including nuclear)

• Magnetically confined fusion power – when we can do fusion…

• New materials for high energy environments (including nuclear systems and high heat loads)

• Agile/rapid qualification and accelerated life testing

• Trusted autonomy specific to space propulsion

• Cyber security and data trust specific to space propulsion

Interested offerors may propose additional technologies related to the technical areas listed above, that bolster R&D innovation, increase the maturity and market readiness of DoD relevant technologies to prepare them for transfer and commercialization that support DoD needs.