NASA SBIR 2009 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.
2750 Indian Ripple Road
Dayton, OH 45440 - 3638
(937) 320-1877

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Jason M Hermiller
hermillerjm@crgrp.com
2750 Indian Ripple Road
Dayton, OH 45440 - 3638
(937) 320-1877 Extension :1129

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 4
End: 5

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG), proposes to develop self-deploying, composite structures for lunar habitats, based on CRG's Veritex(TM) materials. These structures will provide a rigid, durable habitat that will reduce the risk of mechanical failure due to crew or environmentally induced damage compared with inflatable structures that are more susceptible to punctures and damage from micrometeoroid impacts. Veritex is a composite material consisting of common reinforcement fibers, such as e-glass, carbon, Kevlar(R), or high-strain capable fabrics, and one of CRG's shape memory polymers (SMP). Veritex materials will return to a memorized shape when raised above a specific activation temperature. This unique feature enables the use of Veritex(TM) as a primary lunar structure for its predictability and repeatability, which will offer quick, self-deploying lunar habitat that can return to a rigid enclosure after the deployment process. The development of expanding composite habitats will offer increased packing efficiency compared with fully rigid structures that lack expandable characteristics and waste valuable cargo space. This habitation structures technology will achieved Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 during Phase 1 with proof-of-concept feasibility studies and will achieve a TRL of 5 during Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Supporting NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, this project's technologies directly address requirements for expanding habitation systems for multi-gravity environments (micro and reduced gravity), multi-use work stations, and long duration, deep-space habitats. This project's technologies offer significant volume reduction potential that will utilize storage volume more efficiently in transit to its destination. The self-deploying habitat will also minimize manual labor required by astronauts during the deployment process.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
This project's technologies developed for NASA systems would directly apply to systems operated by other government and commercial enterprises. In addition to space applications, the self-deployable structures could be used in various terrestrial commercial markets such as for semi-permanent shelters, emergency and relief shelters, deployable research facilities in extreme environments and mothballing and long-term storage of naval vessels and military equipment, such as aircraft, and potentially armor and artillery. Government systems that would derive the same benefits would include, but not be limited to, uninhabited space structures, barracks, mess halls, and operation centers operated by the Department of Defense.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.)

Composites Erectable Inflatable Kinematic-Deployable Modular Interconnects Multifunctional/Smart Materials Structural Modeling and Tools