NASA SBIR 2020-I Solicitation

Proposal Summary


PROPOSAL NUMBER:
 20-1- Z8.02-4538
SUBTOPIC TITLE:
 Communications and Navigation for Distributed Small Spacecraft Beyond LEO
PROPOSAL TITLE:
 Optical Communication Terminal
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Relative Dynamics, Inc.
6401 Golden Triangle Drive, Suite 201
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(410) 978-8210

Principal Investigator (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Dr. Michael Krainak
E-mail:
m.krainak@relative-dynamics.com
Address:
7852 Walker Drive Ste 405 Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3209
Phone:
(410) 746-3539

Business Official (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Kush Patel
E-mail:
Kush.Patel@Relative-Dynamics.com
Address:
4601 Golden Triangle Drive, STE 201 Greenbelt, MD 20770 - 3209
Phone:
(301) 335-0491
Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) :
Begin: 2
End: 4
Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)

NASA needs cost-effective high-data-rate communications and navigation knowledge for Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM) and small spacecraft.  Our Relative Dynamics Inc. (RDI) solution is an optical communication terminal (SCOUT) using integrated, modular, scalable and future-extendable communications for small spacecraft in the DSM configuration. Each key cost-driven optical communication terminal sub-system has been carefully considered to enable a number of key cost-saving high-performance innovations into our proposed RDI SCOUT.  Precision (microradian)-pointing actuator and motors are vital for optical communications.  We propose lowering system complexity and cost with a new-class of high-performance ultra-high-vacuum compatible motors that are widely used in the manufacturing industry.  The RDI SCOUT terminal uses an innovative small-aperture structure small spacecraft antenna (telescope).  The SCOUT terminal opto-mechanical structure uses new materials with high strength-to-weight ratio that are robust against thermal deformation. The new material is low-cost, widely available, readily manufacturable and amenable to compression-molding mass production. Low-cost high-performance telecommunications integrated photonic transceiver are at the heart of the RDI SCOUT modem. RDI SCOUT will use an open data format for compatibility and interoperability with lunar communications and navigation architecture plans.  RDI SCOUT incorporates dual (comm and nav) functionality to enable clock-recovery based sub-millimeter laser ranging and precision pointing-knowledge for optical navigation with sub-arcsecond accuracy.  A lander or orbiter system could provide valuable calibrated navigation range/angle data using both active terminals and passive corner-cubes.  RDI will provide system engineering for DSM operational scenarios for the SCOUT terminal including planetary lander/orbiter, planetary lander/Earth terminal, satellite-to-satellite and satellite/Earth terminal.

Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

Our RDI proposed Small Spacecraft Optical Terminal (SCOUT) will enable a collaborative configuration of widely distributed NASA small spacecraft operating from near-Earth to deep space. SCOUT will enable NASA mission Uplinks (Earth-to-space) and Downlinks (space-to-Earth) at tens of Mbps data rates for the Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM) for return of science data to Earth and bi-directional telemetry and navigation. RDI SCOUT enables robotic and manned spacecraft communication and navigation for NASA lunar lander and orbiter spacecraft. 

Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

Fortune 500 companies are pursuing High Altitude Platform and very large constellations (thousands of LEO satellites) for global internet use.  This is a key commercial market for our low-cost high-data-rate optical communication RDI SCOUT terminal.  Mobile video is expected to increase to by an order of magnitude by 2025. Current satellite communication systems cannot meet this growing need.

 

 

Duration: 6

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