TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Coil-On-Plug Igniter for Reliable Engine Starts (MSC-TOPS-105)
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- T2P-JSC-00058
- Agency
-
Marshall Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 927110 Space Research and Technology
- PSC
- 9999 Miscellaneous Items
- Points of contact
-
- NASA's Technology Transfer Program agency-patent-licensing@mail.nasa.gov
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has published a Special Notice announcing a technology transfer licensing opportunity for a coil-on-plug ignition system developed at NASA Johnson Space Center. The technology, designated MSC-TOPS-105, is a coil-on-plug igniter designed for reliable engine starts in integrated liquid oxygen and liquid methane propulsion systems operating in thermal vacuum environments. This innovation addresses corona discharge issues and reduces overall mass by eliminating bulky standalone coil-packs and conventional high-voltage spark plug cables. The system combines the coil and spark plug into a single component, adapting off-the-shelf automotive technology for spacecraft applications. NASA successfully tested this technology and proved its viability for future spacecraft propulsion systems.
The purpose of this Special Notice is to solicit inquiries from companies interested in obtaining exclusive or nonexclusive licensing rights to commercialize, manufacture, and market this ignition technology. Companies must submit license applications through NASA's Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by the deadline of July 17, 2026. No specific eligibility criteria are mentioned, suggesting the opportunity is open to all qualified companies capable of commercializing the technology. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses, and license rights may include specific fields of use restrictions. Interested parties can access the application system through the provided NASA technology portal link or contact the Technology Transfer Program via email for additional information about this licensing opportunity.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
9/08/2025 - Updated title to reflect correct TOPS # MSC-TOPS-105 rather than TOPS # MSF-TOPS-105
____________________________________________________________________
NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.
THE TECHNOLOGY:
Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a coil-on-plug ignition system for integrated liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid methane (LCH4) thermal-vacuum environment propulsion systems operating in a thermal vacuum environment. The innovation will help quell corona discharge issues and reduce overall mass. Corona discharge represents a local region surrounding a high-voltage conductor where air has undergone an electrical breakdown and become conductive due to ionization, allowing a charge to leak off the conductor and cause a possible malfunction. NASA worked with commercial vendors to modify off-the-shelf automotive coil-on-plug spark plug systems for use with LOX/LCH4 igniters. The coil-on-plug configuration eliminates the bulky standalone coil-pack and conventional high-voltage spark plug cable by combining the coil and the spark plug into a single component. The test campaign successfully proved that coil-on-plug technology can enable integrated LOX/methane propulsion systems in future spacecraft.
To express interest in this licensing opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-TOPS-105
If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/.
These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.
Update #1 ·
NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.
THE TECHNOLOGY:
Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a coil-on-plug ignition system for integrated liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid methane (LCH4) thermal-vacuum environment propulsion systems operating in a thermal vacuum environment. The innovation will help quell corona discharge issues and reduce overall mass. Corona discharge represents a local region surrounding a high-voltage conductor where air has undergone an electrical breakdown and become conductive due to ionization, allowing a charge to leak off the conductor and cause a possible malfunction. NASA worked with commercial vendors to modify off-the-shelf automotive coil-on-plug spark plug systems for use with LOX/LCH4 igniters. The coil-on-plug configuration eliminates the bulky standalone coil-pack and conventional high-voltage spark plug cable by combining the coil and the spark plug into a single component. The test campaign successfully proved that coil-on-plug technology can enable integrated LOX/methane propulsion systems in future spacecraft.
To express interest in this licensing opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MSC-TOPS-105
If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/.
These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.
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