· web viewspie optical engineering press, bellingham wa, pp. 59-72, 1995. 4. metevier c, gaughan...

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) 18.2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Proposal Submission Instructions

I. INTRODUCTION

The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) mission is to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.

The MDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is implemented, administered, and managed by the MDA SBIR/STTR Program Management Office (PMO), located within Advanced Technology (DV). Specific questions pertaining to the administration of the MDA SBIR Program should be submitted to:

Missile Defense Agency SBIR/STTR Program Office

MDA/DVRBldg. 5224, Martin Road

Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

Email: [email protected]: 256-955-2020

Proposals not conforming to the terms of this Announcement will not be considered. MDA reserves the right to limit awards under any topic, and only those proposals of superior scientific and technical quality as determined by MDA will be funded. Only Government personnel with active non-disclosure agreements will evaluate proposals. MDA reserves the right to withdraw from negations at any time prior to contract award. The government may withdraw from negotiations at any time for any reason to include matters of national security (foreign persons, foreign influence or ownership, inability to clear the firm or personnel for security clearances, or other related issues).

Please read the entire DoD Announcement and MDA instructions carefully prior to submitting your proposal. Please go to https://www.sbir.gov/about/about-sbir#sbir-policy-directive to read the SBIR Policy Directive issued by the Small Business Administration.

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Support Contractors

The offeror's attention is directed to the statement that non-Government technical consultants (consultants) to the Government may review and provide support in proposal evaluations during source selection. Consultants may have access to the offeror's proposals, may be utilized to review proposals, and may provide comments and recommendations to the Government's decision makers. Consultants will not establish final assessments of risk and will not rate or rank offerors’ proposals. They are also expressly prohibited from competing for MDA SBIR awards in the SBIR topics they review and/or on which they provide comments to the Government.

All consultants are required to comply with procurement integrity laws. Consultants will not have access to proposals that are labeled by the offerors as "Government Only." Pursuant to FAR 9.505-4, the MDA contracts with these organizations include a clause which requires them to (1) protect the offerors’ information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from

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using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. In addition, MDA requires the employees of those support contractors that provide technical analysis to the SBIR/STTR Program to execute non-disclosure agreements. These agreements will remain on file with the MDA SBIR/STTR PMO.

Non-Government advisors will be authorized access to only those portions of the proposal data and discussions that are necessary to enable them to perform their respective duties. In accomplishing their duties related to the source selection process, employees of the aforementioned organizations may require access to proprietary information contained in the offerors' proposals.

II. OFFEROR SMALL BUSINESS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Each offeror must qualify as a small business at time of award per the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) regulations at 13 CFR 121.701-121.705 and certify to this in the Cover Sheet section of the proposal. Small businesses that are selected for award will also be required to submit a Funding Agreement Certification document prior to award.

SBA Company Registry

Per the SBIR Policy Directive, all SBIR applicants are required to register their firm at SBA’s Company Registry prior to submitting an application. Upon registering, each firm will receive a unique control ID to be used for submissions at any of the eleven (11) participating agencies in the SBIR program. For more information, please visit the SBA’s Firm Registration Page: http://www.sbir.gov/registration.

Performance Benchmark Requirements for Phase I Eligibility

MDA does not accept proposals from firms that are currently ineligible for Phase I awards as a result of failing to meet the benchmark rates at the last assessment. Additional information on Benchmark Requirements can be found in the DoD Instructions of this Announcement.

III. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (OCI)

The basic OCI rules are covered in FAR 9.5 as follows (the Contractor is responsible for compliance):

(1) the Contractor's objectivity and judgment are not biased because of its present or planned interests which relate to work under this contract;

(2) the Contractor does not obtain unfair competitive advantage by virtue of its access to non-public information regarding the Government's program plans and actual or anticipated resources; and

(3) the Contractor does not obtain unfair competitive advantage by virtue of its access to proprietary information belonging to others.

All applicable rules under the FAR Section 9.5 apply.

IV. USE OF FOREIGN NATIONALS

See the “Foreign Nationals” section of the DoD SBIR Program Announcement for the definition of a Foreign National (also known as Foreign Persons).

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ALL offerors proposing to use foreign nationals MUST disclose this information regardless of whether the topic is subject to export control restrictions. Identify any foreign citizens or individuals holding dual citizenship expected to be involved on this project as a direct employee, subcontractor, or consultant. For these individuals, please specify their country of origin, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing and an explanation of their anticipated level of involvement on this project. You may be asked to provide additional information during negotiations in order to verify the foreign citizen’s eligibility to participate on a SBIR contract. Supplemental information provided in response to this paragraph will be protected in accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), if applicable, and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6)).

Proposals submitted with a foreign national listed will be subject to security review during the contract negotiation process (if selected for award). If the security review disqualifies a foreign national from participating in the proposed work, the contractor may propose a suitable replacement. In the event a proposed foreign person is found ineligible by the government to perform proposed work, the contracting officer will advise the offeror of any disqualifications but may not disclose the underlying rationale.

V. EXPORT CONTROL RESTRICTIONS

The technology within some MDA topics is restricted under export control regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). ITAR controls the export and import of listed defense-related material, technical data and services that provide the United States with a critical military advantage. EAR controls military, dual-use and commercial items not listed on the United States Munitions List or any other export control lists. EAR regulates export controlled items based on user, country, and purpose. The offeror must ensure that their firm complies with all applicable export control regulations. Please refer to the following URLs for additional information: http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/regulations_laws/itar.html and http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/export-administration-regulations-ear.

Proposals submitted to export control-restricted topics will be subject to security review during the contract negotiation process (if selected for award). In the event a firm is found ineligible to perform proposed work, the contracting officer will advise the offeror of any disqualifications but may not disclose the underlying rationale.

Most MDA SBIR topics are subject to ITAR and/or EAR. If the topic write-up indicates that the topic is subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) and/or Export Administration Regulation (EAR), your company may be required to submit a Technology Control Plan (TCP) during the contracting negotiation process.

VI. CLAUSE H-08 PUBLIC RELEASE OF INFORMATION (Publication Approval)

Clause H-08 pertaining to the public release of information is incorporated into all MDA SBIR contracts and subcontracts without exception. Any information relative to the work performed by the contractor under MDA SBIR contracts must be submitted to MDA for review and approval prior to its release to the public. This mandatory directive also includes the subcontractor who shall provide their submission to the prime contractor for MDA’s review for approval.

VII. FLOW-DOWN OF CLAUSES TO SUBCONTRACTORS

The clauses to which the prime contractor and subcontractors are required comply include, but are not limited to the following clauses: MDA clause H-08 (Public Release of Information) , DFARS 252.204-7000 (Disclosure of Information) , and D FARS clause 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense

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http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/export-administration-regulations-ear

http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/regulations_laws/itar.html

Information and Cyber Incident Reporting). Your proposal submission confirms that your subcontract is in accordance to the clauses cited above and any other clauses identified by MDA in any resulting contract.

VIII. OWNERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Prior to award, the Missile Defense Agency may request business/corporate documentation to assess ownership eligibility as related to the requirements of the Guide to SBIR Program Eligibility. These documents include, but may not be limited to, the Business License; Articles of Incorporation or Organization; By-Laws/Operating Agreement; Stock Certificates (Voting Stock); Board Meeting Minutes for the previous year; and a list of all board members and officers. If requested by MDA, the contractor shall provide all necessary documentation for evaluation prior to SBIR award. Failure to submit the requested documentation in a timely manner as indicated by MDA may result in the offeror’s ineligibility for further consideration for award.

IX. FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE

To Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse, Please Contact: MDA Fraud, Waste & AbuseHotline: (256) [email protected]

DoD Inspector General (IG) Fraud, Waste & AbuseHotline: (800) [email protected]

Additional information on Fraud, Waste and Abuse may be found in the DoD Instructions of this Announcement; sections 3.6 and 4.19.

X. PROPOSAL FUNDAMENTALS

Proposal SubmissionAll proposals MUST be submitted online using the DoD SBIR/STTR submission system (https://sbir.defensebusiness.org). Any questions pertaining to the DoD SBIR/STTR submission system should be directed to the DoD SBIR/STTR Help Desk: 1-800-348-0787.

It is recommended that potential offerors email topic authors to schedule a time for topic discussion during the pre-release period from 20 April 2018 – 21 May 2018.

Organizational Conflict of InterestIf you, or another employee in your company, developed or assisted in the development of any SBIR requirement or topic, please be advised that your company may have an organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Your company could be precluded from an award under this BAA if your proposal contains anything directly relating to the development of the requirement or topic. Before submitting your proposal, please examine any potential OCI issues that may exist with your company and understand that if any exist, your company may be required to submit an acceptable OCI mitigation plan prior to award.

Classified ProposalsClassified proposals are not accepted under the MDA SBIR Program. The inclusion of classified data in an unclassified proposal MAY BE grounds for the Agency to determine the proposal as non-responsive

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and the proposal not to be evaluated. Contractors currently working under a classified MDA SBIR contract must use the security classification guidance provided under that contract to verify new SBIR proposals are unclassified prior to submission. Phase I contracts are not typically awarded for classified work. However, in some instances, work being performed on Phase II contracts will require security clearances. If a Phase II contract will require classified work, the offeror must have a facility clearance and appropriate personnel clearances in order to perform the classified work. For more information on facility and personnel clearance procedures and requirements, please visit the Defense Security Service Web site at: http://www.dss.mil/index.html.

CommunicationAll communication from the MDA SBIR/STTR PMO will originate from the [email protected] email address. Please white-list this address in your company’s spam filters to ensure timely receipt of communications from our office.

Proposal StatusThe MDA SBIR/STTR PMO will distribute selection and non-selection email notices to all firms who submit an MDA SBIR proposal. The email will be distributed to the “Corporate Official” and “Principal Investigator” listed on the proposal coversheet. MDA cannot be responsible for notification to a company that provides incorrect information or changes such information after proposal submission. Selection and non-selection notifications will be distributed to all offerors in the September 2018 timeframe.

Proposal FeedbackMDA will provide written feedback to unsuccessful offerors regarding your proposal. Requests for feedback must be submitted in writing to the MDA SBIR/STTR PMO within 30 calendar days of non-selection notification. Non-selection notifications will provide instructions for requesting proposal feedback.

Discretionary Technical Assistance (DTA)Section 9(b) of the SBIR Policy Directives allows agencies to enter into agreements with suppliers to provide technical assistance to SBIR awardees, which may include access to a network of scientists and engineers engaged in a wide range of technologies or access to technical and business literature available through on-line data bases.

MDA permits award recipients to obtain technical assistance in accordance with the SBIR Policy Directive. An SBIR firm may acquire the technical assistance services described above on its own. Firms must request this authority from MDA and demonstrate in its SBIR proposal that the individual or entity selected can provide the specific technical services needed. In addition, costs must be included in the cost volume of the offeror’s proposal. The DTA provider may not be the requesting firm, an affiliate of the requesting firm, an investor of the requesting firm, or a subcontractor or consultant of the requesting firm otherwise required as part of the paid portion of the research effort (e.g. research partner or research institution). If the awardee supports the need for this requirement sufficiently as determined by the Government, MDA will permit the awardee to acquire such technical assistance, in an amount up to $5,000 per year. This will be an allowable cost on the SBIR award. The per year amount will be in addition to the award and is not subject to any burden, profit or fee by the offeror. The per-year amount is based on the original contract period of performance and does not apply to period of performance extensions. Requests for DTA funding outside of the base period of performance (6 months) for Phase I proposal submission will not be considered.

The purpose of this technical assistance is to assist SBIR awardees in:

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1. Making better technical decisions on SBIR projects;2. Solving technical problems that arise during SBIR projects;3. Minimizing technical risks associated with SBIR projects; and4. Commercializing the SBIR product or process.

XI. PHASE I PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

The DoD SBIR/STTR Proposal Submission system (available at https://sbir.defensebusiness.org) will lead you through the preparation and submission of your proposal. Read the front section of the DoD Announcement for detailed instructions on proposal format and program requirements. Proposals not conforming to the terms of this Announcement will not be considered. To be considered for evaluation the proposal package must be formally submitted on the DoD SBIR/STTR submission system by clicking the green “SUBMIT PROPOSAL” button.

MAXIMUM PHASE I PAGE LIMIT FOR MDA IS 20 PAGES FOR VOLUME 2, TECHNICAL VOLUME

Any pages submitted beyond the 20-page limit within the Technical Volume (Volume 2) will not be evaluated. Letters of support should be included as part of Volume 5 and will not count towards the 20-page Technical Volume (Volume 2) limit. Any technical data/information that should be in the Technical Volume (Volume 2) but is contained in other Volumes will not be considered.

MDA’s objective for the Phase I effort is to determine the merit and technical feasibility of the concept. The contract period of performance for Phase I shall be six (6) months and the award shall not exceed $100,000. A Phase I Option must be submitted with a period of performance of six (6) months and an amount not to exceed $50,000. The Phase I option may only be exercised if your firm is selected for a Phase II award. This option may or may not be exercised at the sole discretion of MDA. A list of topics currently eligible for proposal submission is included in these instructions, followed by full topic descriptions. These are the only topics for which proposals will be accepted at this time.

Phase I ProposalA complete Phase I proposal consists of four volumes: Volume 1 (required): Proposal Cover Sheet (does not count towards 20-page limit) Volume 2 (required): Technical Volume (maximum of 20 pages) Volume 3 (required): Cost Volume (does not count towards 20-page limit) Volume 4 (required): Company Commercialization Report (does not count towards 20-page limit) Volume 5 (optional): Letters of Support (does not count towards 20-page limit)

Volume 5 InformationMDA will only accept letters of support in Volume 5. Any other type of documentation included as part of Volume 5 will not be considered.

References to Hardware, Computer Software, or Technical DataIn accordance with the SBIR Directive, SBIR contracts are to conduct feasibility-related experimental or theoretical R/R&D related to described agency requirements. The purpose for Phase I is to determine the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the proposed effort.

It is not intended for any formal end-item contract delivery, and ownership by the Government of your hardware, computer software, or technical data. As a result, your technical proposal should not contain any reference to the term "Deliverables" when referring to your hardware, computer software, or technical

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data. Instead use the term: “Products for Government Testing, Evaluation, Demonstration, and/or possible destructive testing.”

All contract deliverables (reports) MUST be submitted to MDA via the AMRDEC SAFE Web Application (https://safe.amrdec.army.mil/safe/).

52.203-5 Covenant Against Contingent Fees

As prescribed in FAR 3.404, the following FAR 52.203-5 clause shall be included in all contracts awarded under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA):

(a) The Contractor warrants that no person or agency has been employed or retained to solicit or obtain this contract upon an agreement or understanding for a contingent fee, except a bona fide employee or agency. For breach or violation of this warranty, the Government shall have the right to annul this contract without liability or to deduct from the contract price or consideration, or otherwise recover, the full amount of the contingent fee.

(b) Bona fide agency, as used in this clause, means an established commercial or selling agency, maintained by a contractor for the purpose of securing business, that neither exerts nor proposes to exert improper influence to solicit or obtain Government contracts nor holds itself out as being able to obtain any Government contract or contracts through improper influence.

"Bona fide employee," as used in this clause, means a person, employed by a contractor and subject to the contractor's supervision and control as to time, place, and manner of performance, who neither exerts nor proposes to exert improper influence to solicit or obtain Government contracts nor holds out as being able to obtain any Government contract or contracts through improper influence.

"Contingent fee," as used in this clause, means any commission, percentage, brokerage, or other fee that is contingent upon the success that a person or concern has in securing a Government contract.

"Improper influence," as used in this clause, means any influence that induces or tends to induce a Government employee or officer to give consideration or to act regarding a Government contract on any basis other than the merits of the matter.

XII. PHASE I PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

All of the following criteria for Volumes 1 through 4 must be met or your proposal will be REJECTED.

____1. The following have been submitted electronically through the DoD submission site by 8:00 p.m. (EDT) 20 June 2018.

_____ a. Volume 1: DoD Proposal Cover Sheet

_____ b. Volume 2: Technical Volume (DOES NOT EXCEED 20 PAGES): Any pages submitted beyond this will not be evaluated. Your Proposal Cover Sheet, Cost Volume, and Company Commercialization Report DO NOT count toward your maximum page limit.

_____ c. If proposing to use foreign nationals; identify the foreign national(s) you expect to be involved on this project, the type of visa or work permit under which they are performing, country of origin and level of involvement.

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_____ d. Volume 3: Cost Volume. (Online Cost Volume form is REQUIRED by MDA)

_____ e. Volume 4: Company Commercialization Report. (required even if your firm has no prior SBIR/STTR awards).

_____ f. Volume 5 (optional): Letters of Support.

____2. Phase I proposal including its option is not to exceed $150,000. (does not include DTA)

____3. The proposal must be formally submitted on the DoD SBIR/STTR submission website by clicking the green “SUBMIT PROPOSAL” button. Proposals that are not submitted will not be evaluated.

XIII. PHASE I OPTION MUST BE INCLUDED AS PART OF PHASE I PROPOSAL

MDA implements the use of a Phase I Option that may be exercised at MDA’s sole discretion to fund interim Phase I activities to bridge the gap between Phase I and Phase II contracts. The exercise of a Phase I option does not guarantee an award of a Phase II contract. The Phase I Option, which must be included as part of the Phase I proposal, should cover activities over a period of up to six months and describe appropriate initial Phase II activities that may lead to the successful demonstration of a product or technology. The Phase I Option must be included within the 20-page limit as part of the Phase I proposal. Offerors who fail to include the Phase I option will not be eligible for Phase I option funding if selected for Phase II award.

Proposal titles, abstracts, anticipated benefits, and keywords of proposals that are selected for contract award will undergo an MDA Policy and Security Review. Proposal titles, abstracts, anticipated benefits, and keywords are subject to revision and/or redaction by MDA. Final approved versions of proposal titles, abstracts, anticipated benefits, and keywords may appear on the DoD SBIR/STTR awards website (https://sbir.defensebusiness.org) and/or the SBA’s SBIR/STTR award site (https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/award/all).

XIV. MDA PROPOSAL EVALUATIONS

MDA will evaluate and select Phase I and Phase II proposals using scientific review criteria based upon technical merit and other criteria as discussed in this Announcement document. MDA reserves the right to award none, one, or more than one contract under any topic. MDA is not responsible for any money expended by the offeror before award of any contract. Due to limited funding, MDA reserves the right to limit awards under any topic and only proposals considered to be of superior quality as determined by MDA will be funded.

Phase I proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined below, including potential benefit to the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Selections will be based on best value to the Government considering the following factors which are listed in descending order of importance:

a) The soundness, technical merit, and innovation of the proposed approach and its incremental progress toward topic or subtopic solution.

b) The qualifications of the proposed principal/key investigators, supporting staff, and consultants. Qualifications include not only the ability to perform the research and development but also the ability to commercialize the results.

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c) The potential for commercial (Government or private sector) application and the benefits expected to accrue from its commercialization.

Firms with a Commercialization Achievement Index (CAI) at or below the 20th percentile will be penalized in accordance with the DoD program Announcement.

Please note that potential benefit to the BMDS will be considered throughout all the evaluation criteria and in the best value trade-off analysis. When combined, the stated evaluation criteria are significantly more important than cost or price.

It cannot be assumed that reviewers are acquainted with the firm or key individuals or any referenced experiments. Technical reviewers will base their conclusions on information contained in the proposal. Relevant supporting data such as journal articles, literature, including Government publications, etc., should be contained in the proposal and will count toward the applicable page limit.

Qualified letters of support should be included as part of Volume 5 and will not count towards the 20-page Volume 2 page limit. Letters of support will be evaluated towards criterion C if included as part of Volume 5, but are not required for Phase I or Phase II. Letters of support shall not be contingent upon award of a subcontract.

A qualified letter of support is from a relevant commercial or Government Agency procuring organization(s) working with MDA, articulating their pull for the technology (i.e., what BMDS need(s) the technology supports and why it is important to fund it), and possible commitment to provide additional funding and/or insert the technology in their acquisition/sustainment program. This letter should be included as Volume 5. Letters of support which are faxed or e-mailed separately will NOT be considered.

Phase II Proposal Submission

Per DoD SBIR Phase II Proposal guidance, all Phase I awardees from the 18.2 Phase I Announcement will be permitted to submit a Phase II proposal for evaluation and potential award selection. Details on the due date, content, and submission requirements of the Phase II proposal will be provided by the MDA SBIR/STTR PMO. Only firms who receive a Phase I award resulting from the 18.2 Announcement may submit a Phase II proposal. MDA will evaluate and select Phase II proposals using the Phase II evaluation criteria listed in the DoD Program Announcement. While funding must be based upon the results of work performed under a Phase I award and the scientific and technical merit, feasibility and commercial potential of the Phase II proposal; Phase I final reports will not be reviewed as part of the Phase II evaluation process. The Phase II proposal should include a concise summary of the Phase I effort including the specific technical problem or opportunity addressed and its importance, the objective of the Phase I effort, the type of research conducted, findings or results of this research, and technical feasibility of the proposed technology. Due to limited funding, MDA reserves the right to limit awards under any topic and only proposals considered to be of superior quality will be funded. MDA does not participate in the DoD Fast Track program.

All Phase II awardees must have a Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) approved accounting system. It is strongly urged that an approved accounting system be in place prior to the MDA Phase II award timeframe. If you do not have a DCAA approved accounting system, this will delay/prevent Phase II contract award. Please reference www.dcaa.mil/small_business/Accounting_System.pdf for more information on obtaining a DCAA approved accounting system.

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Approved for Public Release 18-MDA-9528 (1 Mar 18)

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MDA SBIR 18.2 Topic Index

MDA18-009 Element Model FrameworkMDA18-010 Methodologies for Cost-Effective Measurement of Dynamic Material Properties for Carbon-

Carbon CompositesMDA18-011 Advanced Data Management and Mining for BMDS Digital SimulationsMDA18-012 Model Level Integrated Simulation Architecture for Collaborative DevelopmentMDA18-013 Advanced Phase Modulation Techniques for Mitigation of Optical Nonlinearities in High

Power Fiber AmplifiersMDA18-014 Modeling of Fiber Laser Refractive Index Profiles and Dopant Index Profiles for Predicting

High Power Fiber Laser PerformanceMDA18-015 Graphics Processing Unit for Space-based ApplicationsMDA18-016 High Power Pump Signal Combiners for Next Generation Monolithic Fiber AmplifiersMDA18-017 Low Size, Weight, and Power, Multi-component, High Power IsolatorMDA18-018 Photon Sensitive CameraMDA18-019 Enabling Technologies for an Exo-atmospheric Neutral Particle Beam Sensor WeaponMDA18-020 High Power Density Source for Space ApplicationsMDA18-021 Advanced Low Cost Upper Stage Propellant TanksMDA18-022 Innovative Mobile Launch PlatformMDA18-023 Recoverable and Reusable Air Launch PalletMDA18-024 Ink-based 3D Electronics Printing for Missile System Applications

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MDA SBIR 18.2 Topic Descriptions

MDA18-009 TITLE: Element Model Framework

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

OBJECTIVE: Develop a missile defense system element model framework that supports element and missile defense system-of-systems level performance assessment.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks a Modeling and Simulation (M&S) framework that defines a common environment to allow for the connection of models representing phenomenology, weapon system missile 6 Degrees of Freedom models, and lethality models to support a digital end to end (E2E) capability for integration into the missile defense system digital E2E capability. This framework should integrate multiple models located at various sites, developed by various vendors, as well as provide a single point of integration with the Objective Simulation Framework to support the government Tier 2 Digital Architecture. Additionally, the framework should allow the models to sequentially pass data packages that allow the models to run partially concurrently resulting in early identification of issues. The government uses a variety of different models to represent different aspects of the combat system. Currently, these models execute in relative isolation, requiring the output of data of one to be transferred manually to serve as an input to another. A common framework that integrates these models will significantly decrease cost and time required for high-fidelity analysis of combat system performance as well as analysis of performance in the larger missile defense system

The models required to support high-fidelity performance analysis are produced by different developers on different platforms at different locations. They are not directly integrated with each other. This requires batch data to be run on one model and then transferred as input to the next model in the end-to-end missile defense system engagement sequence. Output from this next model then needs to be transferred for use as input to the next model. Without a framework to integrate the models, problems identified in the models used in the later stages of the modeling effort require the sequence to begin again at the beginning of the sequence. Integration should allow these processes to be executed concurrently, significantly increasing efficiency, while reducing analysis time and costs. The challenge with manual transfer of data between models also directly impacts cost and efficiency of system-level analysis activities. A common framework enables an integrated E2E capability across a high-fidelity model federation of the entire missile defense system.

Each M&S developer develops models that are accredited to support missile defense system performance assessment, though multiple models are developed to represent the same functionality. A common framework should allow all of these models to be included into an E2E representation of the system without challenging the intellectual property concerns of the developers of the individual models. This would significantly improve flexibility and capacity while leveraging the efforts of multiple model developers.

PHASE I: Develop a proof of concept design. Identify designs and conduct a feasibility assessment for the proposed solution. Perform analysis and limited bench level testing to demonstrate the concept and provide an understanding of the new and innovative technology.

PHASE II: Develop and refine the proposed solution. Validate the feasibility of the Phase I concept by development and demonstrations that will be tested to ensure performance objectives are met. Validation should include, but not be limited to, system simulations, operation in test-beds, or operation in a demonstration subsystem. Develop a prototype with commercialization potential.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate the scalability of the developed technology, transition the component technology to a government system integrator or payload contractor, mature it for operational insertion and demonstrate the technology in an operational level environment.

REFERENCES:

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1. Lynch CJ, Diallo SY, Tolk A. Representing the ballistic missile defense system using agent-based modeling, In: proceedings of the 2013 conference of spring simulation’s military modeling & simulation (MMS) symposium, vol. 3, pp. 1–8. San Diego CA: SCS, 2013.

2. Castro PE, et al. Modeling and Simulation in Manufacturing and Defense Acquisition: Pathways to Success, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington DC, 2002.

3. Crosby LN. SIMNET: an insider’s perspective, In: Distributed Interactive Simulation Systems for Simulation and Training in the Aerospace Environment, edited by TL Clarke. SPIE Optical Engineering Press, Bellingham WA, pp. 59-72, 1995.

4. Metevier C, Gaughan G, Gallant S, Truong K and Smith G. A path forward to protocol independent distributed M&S. In: Proceedings of the 2010 Interservice/ Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, Orlando FL, pp. 2764-2775, November 29-December 2, 2010.

KEYWORDS: Common Digital Simulation Integration Framework, Common Modeling and Simulation Environment, Model Synchronization, Model Federation

MDA18-010 TITLE: Methodologies for Cost-Effective Measurement of Dynamic Material Properties for Carbon-Carbon Composites

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials/Processes

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement.

OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative and cost-effective laboratory-based methodology for obtaining dynamic material property measurements of carbon-carbon composite material responses under a range of energetic loadings to support first-principles hydro-codes modeling.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks carbon-carbon composite material data for high strain (strain to failure) and high strain rate (above 10^6 s^-1) loadings that is valid for a wide range of temperatures (25 degrees C up to well above 1000 degrees C). This data is needed to support hydro-code modeling and analysis of structural responses to energetic events such as explosions or high-velocity impacts where distortion of the structure is extreme and the time-scales are very short. Conventional material properties such as ultimate strength, yield strength, strain to failure, elastic modulus, etc., do not fully explain the behavior of carbon-carbon composite materials under extreme dynamic loadings which occurs during hypervelocity impact events. Materials characterization data is needed that allows for estimation of material properties like fracture energy and energy release rate as well as ultimate strength and fracture strains. In the case of impact loadings, impact surface morphology, failure mechanisms, and changes in fracture toughness are areas of interest. Impact testing is typically done using gas-gun testing, which is an expensive approach. A more cost-effective methodology is desired.

PHASE I: Develop an innovative and cost-effective solution for testing and measuring material properties of carbon-carbon composite materials under high strain/high strain rate loadings. This may include existing technology in new applications, as well as new approaches and measurement devices. In order to show feasibility, demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach through experiment, simulation, and analysis.

PHASE II: Demonstrate measurement performance, in a laboratory environment, to determine the material properties of carbon-carbon materials under higher strain-rate loadings (above 10^7 s^-1). The test methodology

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should include uncertainty quantification for material properties determined via testing. Hydro-codes use this uncertainty as an input to the modeling of energetic events.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Transition the measurement and characterization system from a developmental unit to a test asset and use it to provide test data for determination of material properties of carbon-carbon composite materials under high strain-rate loadings. This technology would benefit modeling and simulation across the aerospace and defense industries.

REFERENCES:1. https://www.mda.mil/system/system.html.

2. Talreja, R. Composite materials Series, Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials, vol. 9, ch. 6, Elsevier, 1994.

3. Melis, et al. Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Subcomponent Flat Plate Impact Testing for Space Shuttle Orbiter Return to Flight, NASA/TM 2007-214384, September 2007.

4. Carney, et al. A Heterogeneous Constitutive Model for Reinforced Carbon-Carbon using LS-DYNA, 10th International LS-DYNA User’s Conference – Material Modeling, 2008.

5. Melis and Lyle. Impact Testing on Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Flat Panels With BX-265 and PDL-1034 External Tank Foam for the Space Shuttle Return to Flight Program, NASA TM 2009-213642, 2009.

KEYWORDS: Carbon-carbon, Dynamics, Test Methodologies, Dynamic Material Properties, High Strain-rate Testing, Impulsive Loadings, High-velocity Impact, Uncertainty Quantification

MDA18-011 TITLE: Advanced Data Management and Mining for BMDS Digital Simulations



OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative big data technologies to advance data management and data mining systems within a missile defense digital architecture.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative complex data management methods that go beyond traditional relational database management systems. The focus should be on the creation of efficient and cost-effective technologies to collect, manage, retrieve and analyze large data sets derived from missile defense modeling and simulation (M&S) results. Performance assessment studies using all-digital simulations generate nearly two Petabytes of data annually. Database management technologies based on traditional relational database systems are inadequate to deal with this predicted volume, variety, veracity, and velocity of data, especially when applied to big data systems in science and engineering simulations. Big data technology areas of interest include, but are not limited to:• Software tools, algorithms, and turnkey solutions for complex big data management such as NOSQL/graph databases to manage and analyze hybrid structured and unstructured data in new ways.• Visualization and data processing methods for unstructured multi-dimensional data and robust tools to test, validate, and remove defects in large unstructured data sets.• Data mining technologies to extract information, trends, and patterns from modeling and simulation data.

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• Security and privacy solutions.• Big data solutions as a service system.• Online management and analysis of streaming simulation data and text data from instruments or embedded systems.

PHASE I: Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts to advance big data as it pertains to the analysis and results of science and engineering simulations in a cloud-like environment. The solutions should capture the key areas for new development, suggest appropriate methods and technologies to minimize the time intensive processes, and incorporate new technologies researched during the design and development.

PHASE II: Complete a detailed prototype design incorporating government performance requirements. Coordinate with the government during prototype design and development to ensure that the delivered products will be relevant to an ongoing missile defense architecture and data management plans.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale-up the capability from the prototype utilizing the new technologies developed in Phase II into a mature, full scale, fieldable capability. Work with missile defense integrators to integrate the technology into a missile defense system level test-bed and test in a relevant environment.

REFERENCES:1. http://www.baselinemag.com/analytics-big-data/utilizing-cutting-edge-unstructured-data-analytics.html.

2. https://go.oracle.com – White Paper on Going Big Data? You Need a Cloud Strategy.

3. https://www.cloudtp.com/doppler/building-platform-machine-learning-analytics/ -- Building a Platform for Machine Learning and Analytics.

4. http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/bs2003/bs03_0911_918.pdf -- Conference paper on APPLICATION OF DATA MINING TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING SIMULATION PERFORMANCE PREDICTION ANALYSIS.

5. http://www.ijcte.org/papers/828-S015.pdf -- Journal article: How Data Mining Techniques Can Improve Simulation Studies.

KEYWORDS: Big Data, Database, NOSQL, Modeling and Simulation, Complex Data Management, Data Mining, Unstructured Data, Machine Learning

MDA18-012 TITLE: Model Level Integrated Simulation Architecture for Collaborative Development


OBJECTIVE: Develop a simulation architecture framework that enables development teams to integrate algorithmic models into a simulation solely through a collaboration layer/interface and software controls (requiring no modification to the simulation’s central architecture/engine software).

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks a capability to easily integrate algorithmic models (e.g. gravity model, radar detection model) directly into a simulation architecture as modules with the objective of allowing distributed development of models by expert teams, while retaining the advantages of an integrated simulation (consistency of models, consistent input data formats, centralized data management, etc.). Because different models require access to the central engine software and pass different data items, the data items handled by the simulation architecture and its collaboration interface must be easily expandable without modification of the individual simulation software. Once integrated, the model modules should be accessible through the central simulation architecture to other models and be composable into assemblies of models to represent simulated entities (e.g. a radar, a missile) and complex

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phenomenon. Models integrated through this architecture should have very limited or no impact on simulation execution speed when compared to native integrated simulation models. The simulation architecture and interface should support tactical messaging in various forms.

The proposed simulation architecture should address:• Ease of model integration: A development team with access to specifications of the collaboration interface, but in isolation of the simulation architecture team, should be able to integrate a model into the simulation architecture. Adding a new model should not generally require any changes to the simulation architecture software, with all modifications of data structure (e.g. adding additional parameters) accomplished through model meta-data/parameters. Models needed to produce required additional data items of a new model would themselves be added through the collaboration interface.

• Model composability: A team developing a representation of a system or sub-system within the simulation architecture should be able to select needed models from a library of integrated models and build up their respective relationships relative to the representation, to include triggering mechanisms, and association with self and other entities.

• Speed of execution: Ideally, a simulation constructed with this architecture would execute as fast as a fully integrated simulation using the same algorithmic models. The difference between this ideal and the developed capability should be minimized.

• Ease of data collection and retrieval: All representation/entity level state data and any data passed between models should be collectable. All data collected should be retrievable through a single point of entry by an analyst.

PHASE I: Develop the proposed simulation architecture/collaboration layer to a sufficient level to provide a proof-of-concept. Evaluate its potential value against stated goals, either analytically, through test, or both. Define the software architecture for further development in Phase II.

PHASE II: Develop the proposed software architecture to the level of an operational prototype. Test the prototype for ease of model integration, model composability, speed of execution, data collection, and retrieval. Software must meet government cyber security standards to allow government testing of the prototype. Provide basic documentation of the collaboration interface, algorithms, code structure, coding standards, cyber security scans and practices, and user guidance. Define the expected Phase III development effort required to transition from a prototype capability to an operational capability.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Extend development of the prototype into a fully operational simulation architecture environment with supporting tools as required by concept. All software must meet government cyber security standards for government operational use. Develop documentation of the collaboration interface, algorithms, code structure, coding standards, cyber security scans and practices, and user guidance.

REFERENCES:1. Gianni D, D’Ambrogio A, Iazeolla G. A Layered Architecture for the Model-Driven Development of Distributed Simulators, Institute for Computer Science, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, March 2008. https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1416291.

2. Steinman J, Walter B, Park J, Delane N. A Proposed Open System Architecture for Modeling and Simulation, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, March 2007.https://www.sisostds.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?Command=Core_Download&EntryId=27797&PortalId=0&TabId=105.

3. Steinman J, Walter B, Park J, Delane N. A Proposed Open System Architecture for Modeling and Simulation, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, March 2007.https://www.sisostds.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?

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Command=Core_Download&EntryId=27797&PortalId=0&TabId=105.

KEYWORDS: Model, Simulation, Interface, Software, Integration, Federation, Composability, Distributed Objects, Simulation Architecture, Simulation Interfaces, Collaboration Layer

MDA18-013 TITLE: Advanced Phase Modulation Techniques for Mitigation of Optical Nonlinearities in High Power Fiber Amplifiers

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons


OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative solutions for mitigating optical nonlinearities in high energy beam combinable fiber laser systems via advanced phase modulation techniques while extending power scalability beyond the current state of the art.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks novel concepts and hardware which would enable advanced phase modulation techniques for use in next generation high power fiber laser weapon systems by extending the efficiency, reliability and Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of beam combinable multi-kW fiber amplifiers. Narrow linewidth all-fiber laser sources are highly desired for directed energy applications as they can be either spectrally or coherently beam combined for further power scaling to power levels of interest. However, due to small glass dimensions and long interaction lengths, high power narrow linewidth fibers are limited by the onset of detrimental nonlinear effects such as stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). Consequently, spectral linewidth broadening via external phase modulation has been successfully utilized to suppress optical nonlinearities and narrow-linewidth, kW-class, Ytterbium doped fiber amplifiers have been recently demonstrated. Beam combining of fiber amplifiers modulated at the GHz level has also been demonstrated for both spectral and coherent beam combining architectures; bypassing power limits of single fibers and allowing further scaling in power. Despite promising results, scaling to multi-kW levels per fiber has proven difficult, with broader linewidths envisioned which may hinder efficient beam combining.

Overall, the goal of this topic is to demonstrate the highest fiber output power at the narrowest laser linewidth/bandwidth. The government is interested in the development of novel phase modulation techniques as well as reconfigurable RF electronics. There is also interest for a successful nonlinear mitigation demonstration in a single multi-kW fiber amplifier. Phase modulation sub-system designs should be compatible with dense packaging and integration into both conventional and low SWaP fiber amplifiers. Prevalent nonlinear effects should be considered for narrow linewidth fiber amplifiers such as SBS, SRS, self-phase modulation, and Kerr nonlinearities. Proposals should also address the impact of phase modulation linewidth broadening on beam combining performance.

PHASE I: Design and model concepts for mitigation of optical nonlinear effects in a single multi-kW, narrow linewidth fiber amplifiers. Develop phase modulation schemes that can achieve multi-kW power levels (> 2 kW) while maintaining narrow linewidths of <10 GHz (~0.1 nm). Modeling and simulation using existing tools are encouraged to guide the development of the multi-kW fiber amplifier designs in all phases of the effort.

PHASE II: Demonstrate phase modulation schemes that can mitigate the aforementioned nonlinear effects in optical fibers at multi-kW power levels. The government desires single multi-kW fiber amplifier demonstrations. Team with owners or suppliers of high power optical amplifiers for Phase II demonstrations since the cost of multi-kW optical amplifiers may be cost prohibitive. Perform beam combining analysis to ensure proposed schemes are compatible with prevalent coherent and spectral fiber laser beam combining techniques. Address robustness and

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SWaP to ensure that they are amenable for application in a missile defense environment.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Work with missile defense prime contractors and subsystem integrators to incorporate the phase modulation technology into sensor, weapon, and targeting systems for directed energy, interceptor, and platform remote sensing applications. A compact, robustly packaged, phase modulation subsystem would be valuable for most next generation high power beam combined laser systems. If scaled to high average powers, the technology could also be attractive for industrial and laser machining applications.

REFERENCES:1. Hadjifotou A and Hill GA. Suppression of stimulated Brillouin backscattering by PSK modulation for high-power optical transmission, IEE Proceedings – Optoelectronics, vol. 133, pp. 256-258, 1986.

2. Zeringue C, Dajani I, Naderi S, Moore GT, and Robin CA. A theoretical study of transient stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical fibers seeded with phase-modulated light, Optics Express, vol. 20, pp. 21196-21213, 2012.

3. Honea EC, Afza R, Savage-Leuchs MP, Gitkind N, Humphreys R, Henrie J, Brar K, and Jander D. Spectrally beam combined fiber lasers for high power, efficiency, and brightness, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 8601, pp. 860115, 2013.

4. Goodno GD, McNaught SJ, Rothenberg JE, McComb TS, Thielen PA, Wickham MG, and Weber ME. Active phase and polarization locking of a 1.4 kW fiber amplifier, Optics Letters, vol. 35, pp. 1542-1544 2010.

5. Naderi NA, Flores A, Anderson BM, and Dajani I. Beam combinable, kilowatt, all-fiber amplifier based on phase-modulated laser gain competition. Optics Letters, vol. 41, pp. 3964-3967, 2016.

6. Flores A, Robin C, Lanari A, and Dajani I. Pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulation for narrow linewidth, kilowatt, monolithic fiber amplifiers, Optics Express, vol. 22, pp. 17735-17744, 2014.

KEYWORDS: High Power Fiber Lasers, Nonlinear Optical Effects, Fiber Amplifiers, Coherent Beam Combining, Spectral Beam Combining, Phase Modulation

MDA18-014 TITLE: Modeling of Fiber Laser Refractive Index Profiles and Dopant Index Profiles for Predicting High Power Fiber Laser Performance



OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative physics based modeling methods for predicting high power fiber laser performance given refractive index and doping profile geometries of “as drawn” optical fibers.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks mathematical and physics based modeling and simulation source codes that import actual fiber refractive index and doping profile geometries to predict fiber performance and to estimate high power performance limitations. The need to model and verify, “as drawn,” fiber parameters to an intended design is critical to extending the laser reliability and power scaling designs beyond current state of the art. This modeling capability is critical to developing next generation high power fiber laser weapon systems as it will extend their efficiency, reliability, and multi-kW power scaling capabilities.

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Narrow-linewidth all-fiber laser sources are highly desired for directed energy applications, as they can be either spectrally or coherently beam combined for further power scaling to power levels. Develop and demonstrate concepts and hardware which enable high-brightness, high-power scaling of Ytterbium and Thulium fiber lasers/amplifiers to mature components and subsystems for robust system architectures.

Fiber refractive index and rare earth doping profiles impact the ability of the fiber optic wave guide to maintain diffraction limited beam quality and produce good beam quality output at high power. Commercial measurement apparatus are available to provide refractive index and doping profile input parameters. Measurement of refractive index and tolerance of refractive index for typical large mode area rare earth doped fused silica fibers can be commercially manufactured with tolerances of 1x10-4, plus or minus 5x10-5. Therefore, refractive index differences between cores and cladding materials are critical parameters when propagating or combining multiple fiber lasers concurrently and is critical to the implementation of advanced beam control architectures. Similarly, non-destructive commercially available approaches can measure distribution and concentration of dopant materials in an optical fiber with measurement by % weight of rare earth dopants in an active fused silica cores to an accuracy of +/- 0.1 percent.

PHASE I: Develop and mature innovative physics based modeling and simulation software methods that import as measured refractive index and doping profile geometries of fibers designed and fabricated for high power fiber lasers/amplifiers. Modeling and simulations should incorporate physical configuration geometries and operational performance parameters from actual fiber laser implementations to provide prediction of deleterious effects.

PHASE II: Expand the physics based modeling and simulation software methods to include both commercially available and novel optical fibers fabricated for high power fiber lasers. Advanced modeling and simulations should incorporate realistic heating, fiber coiling, and changes to amplifier seeding methods and pumping. Software source codes should demonstrate that physics assumptions incorporate actual measurement parameters including minute changes to refractive index profiles and rare earth doping constituents distributions to verify fiber geometry of single mode, multimode and novel fibers including; conventional large mode area, photonic crystal, and photonic bandgap fibers.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Commercialize the software and technologies for accurately modeling and predicting deleterious effects in novel fibers designed for high power operation.

REFERENCES:1. Marcuse D. Principles of Optical Fiber Measurement, ch. 4, New York: Academic Press, 1981.

2. Yablon AD and Jasapara J. Hyperspectral optical fiber refractive index measurement spanning 2.5 octaves, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 8601, 86011V, 2013.

3. Zhao Y, Fleming S, Lyytikainen K, and Poladian L. Nondestructive Measurement for Arbitrary RIP Distribution of Optical Fiber Preforms, Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 22, pp 478-486, 2004.

4. Pace P, Huntington S, Lyytikäinen K, Roberts A, and Love J. Refractive index profiles of Ge-doped optical fibers with nanometer spatial resolution using atomic force microscopy, Optics Express, vol. 12, pp. 1452-1457, 2004.

5. Dragomir NM, Goh X, and Roberts A. Three-Dimensional Quantitative Phase Imaging: Current and Future Perspectives, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 6861, pp. 686106, 2008.

KEYWORDS: Fiber Laser, Rare Earth Doped Fibers, Optical Fiber Refractive Index, Dopant Modeling

MDA18-015 TITLE: Graphics Processing Unit for Space-based Applications

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TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Space Platforms


OBJECTIVE: Develop a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for space applications that is radiation hardened for survivability.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks to develop a radiation hardened GPU for space applications in low Earth orbits (up to 1000 km) and medium Earth orbits (< ~13,000 km) with a goal of radiation hardening to support missions in the inner Van Allen Belt. Hardening and/or additional shielding should reduce the susceptibility of the GPU to radiation; however, shielding adds additional mass and size. The lifetime for the GPU should be greater than 2 years with a goal of 5 years.

Central Processing Units (CPUs) have been instrumental in processing sensor data. The CPUs typically have a few cores and can only process a few software threads at a time. Recent advances in sensor technology require much more capable processing units to perform processing in real-time. To accommodate for the real-time processing demands of modern sensor technologies, a GPU is desired. GPUs have hundreds of cores, can process thousands of threads at a time, and therefore are ~10X faster than CPUs.

PHASE I: Demonstrate through modeling, simulations, and analysis (MS&A), and proof-of-principle experiments, the critical elements for the proposed GPU technology. Validate the feasibility of the proposed technology and provide proof-of-concept documentation. The proof-of-concept documentation should include a clear, concise technology development plan and schedule, predicted GPU performance metrics, a transition risk assessment, and associated requirements documentation. Collaborate and cultivate relationships with other contractors to ensure the applicability of the space-based GPU and to initiate technology transition.

PHASE II: Fabricate a prototype or engineering demonstration unit of the space-based GPU technology using the resulting designs, techniques, and architectures developed during Phase I. Characterize and test the GPU and provide the real-time processing performance. Radiation testing is highly encouraged. Generate comparisons between the MS&A Phase I results against the GPU performance test data obtained during Phase II and note any differences. Provide the GPU technology and interface electronics to a laboratory for test and validation of the proposed technology. Continue to collaborate and cultivate relationships with other contractors while considering the overall objective of commercialization of the GPU technology in Phase III.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Either solely, or in partnership with a suitable production foundry, implement, and verify (in full scale) that the Phase II demonstration technology is economically viable. Develop and execute a plan to market the GPU technology. Assist the government in transitioning the GPU technology to a prime contractor for the engineering integration and testing.

REFERENCES:1. Buonaiuto N, Kief C, Louie M, Aarestad J, Zufelt B, Mital R, Mateik D, Sivilli R, and Bhopale A. Satellite Identification Imaging for Small Satellites Using NVIDIA, Small Satellite Conference, 2017.

2. NVIDIA Tesla K20, https://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/kepler/Tesla-K20-Passive-BD-06455-001-v05.pdf and http://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/kepler/Tesla-K20-Active-BD-06499-001-v02.pdf.

3. NVIDIA Tesla K40, https://www.nvidia.com/content/PDF/kepler/Tesla-K40-Active-Board-Spec-BD-06949-001_v03.pdf.

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4. Stassinopoulos EG, and Raymon JP. The space radiation environment for electronics, Proc. of IEEE, vol. 76, 1988.

5. Tripathi RK. Radiation Effects In Space, AIP Conf. Proc., vol. 1336, 2011.

KEYWORDS: Graphics Processing Unit, GPU, Radiation Hardened, Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit, Modern Sensor Technology

MDA18-016 TITLE: High Power Pump Signal Combiners for Next Generation Monolithic Fiber Amplifiers



OBJECTIVE: Develop innovative high power pump-signal combiner concepts that extend power scaling capabilities beyond the current state of the art and are suitable for use in the next generation of beam combinable high energy laser systems.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative architectures which would enable all-fiber (monolithic), (X + 1) x 1 pump and signal combiners capable of handling > 1kW pump power per leg and are compatible with bi-directional pumping configurations. Designs for the fiber optic pump combiners with signal feed throughput must address multi-kW power handling and low insertion-loss operation for signal and pump inputs compatible with commercially available pump diode output fiber and conventional double-clad polarization maintaining (PM) and non-PM large-mode-area (LMA) fibers. High efficiency pump-signal combiner designs are targeted for lasing of Ytterbium (Yb) at ~1 µm and Thulium (Tm) at ~2 µm. Techniques should concentrate on high power handling capability with low loss for both the pump and signal combiner, suitability for use in all-fiber (monolithic) fiber amplifier systems and robust power scaling to multi-kilowatt power levels. This topic is also looking for innovative concepts for efficient all-fiber pump-signal combiners for microstructure fibers including Photonic Band Gap (PBG) and Photonic Crystal Fibers (PCF) for power handling and reliability.

High power laser technology has great potential for a variety of industrial and military applications. Particularly, narrow-linewidth all-fiber laser sources are highly desired for directed energy applications as they can be spectrally or coherently beam combined for further power scaling to multi-kW power levels. These monolithic fiber amplifier systems require coupling the low brightness light from high power diodes to the cladding of a rare-earth doped, double, or triple cladded fiber. Current pump signal combiners consist of a tapered fiber bundle suitable for end-pumping a high power fiber amplifier. Such architectures typically have 98% transmission for the multi-mode pump diodes and 92% transmission for the single-mode signal. These pump signal fibers are capable of handling hundreds of watts per multi-mode channel and are suitable for use in kilowatt-class amplifiers. Furthermore, while the transmission for the single-mode signal is high enough for use in a co-pumped fiber amplifier architecture, such losses would be too high for a bi-directionally pumped, multi-kilowatt system. Novel pump-signal combining schemes compatible with both co- and counter-pumping architectures are needed to enable the next generation of high power fiber amplifier systems.

PHASE I: Develop high power handling fiber optic combiner modeling, design and packaging concepts for pump coupling to double-clad Yb-doped and Tm-doped LMA fibers. Criteria for both the PM and non-PM combiner designs include: low-loss, high power pump coupling (> 1kW power handling per input leg) to conventional double clad LMA fibers compatible with bi-directional pumping schemes, throughput signal brightness and polarization preservation, and robust packaging. Designs for pump coupling to commercial off-the-shelf double-clad LMA fibers

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and initial testing at moderate power levels (up to 2kW) for proof of concept are desired. High efficiency, all-fiber pump-signal combining design concepts compatible with LMA microstructure fibers including PBG and PCF are also of interest.

PHASE II: Build, test, and demonstrate low insertion loss, all-fiber pump-signal combiners compatible with bi-directional pumping configurations and capable of handling multi-kW of pump power (> 1kW per input leg). Conduct in-depth characterization of the hardware to verify maturity of technology toward potential commercial and military applications. Deliver packaged devices for laboratory high power test and evaluation.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Fabricate the all-fiber, high efficiency, bi-directional, multi-kilowatt power scaling capable pump and signal combiner and perform reliability testing for militarily significant environments. Demonstrate and deliver advanced microstructure fibers including PCF and PBG. Package the pump and signal combiner for system insertion and commercialization.

REFERENCES:1. Bansal L, Rosales-Garcia A, Supradeepa VR, Taunay T, Headley III C. Efficient pump combiners for fiber lasers and amplifiers, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 9728, pp. 97283C, 2016.

2. Zhan H, Wang Y, Peng K, Wang J, Jing F, and Lin A. 5kW GT-wave fiber, Proc. OSA Asia Communications and Photonics Conference, AS3A.3, 2016.

3. Holehouse N, Magné J, and Auger M. High power performance limits of fiber components, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 9344, pp. 93441F, 2015.

4. Sincore A, Tafoya J, Sipes Jr. D, Leick L, Shah L, and Richardson M. Photonic crystal fiber pump combiner for high-peak power all-fiber thulium lasers, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 8961, pp. 896133, 2014.

5. Theeg T, Sayinc H, Neumann J, Overmeyer L, and Kracht D. Pump and signal combiner for bi-directional pumping of all-fiber lasers and amplifiers, Optics Express, vol. 20(27), pp. 28125-28141, 2012.

6. Zimer H, Kozak M, Liem A, Flohrer F, Doerfel F, Riedel P, Linke S, Horley R, Ghiringhelli F, Demoulins S, Zervas M, Kirchhof J, Unger S, Jetschke S, Peschel T, and Schreiber T. Fibers and fiber-optic components for high power fiber lasers, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 7914, pp. 791414, 2011.

7. Jauregui C, Böhme S, Wenetiadis G, Limpert J, and Tünnermann A. All-fiber side pump combiner for high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 7580, pp. 75801E, 2010.

KEYWORDS: High Power Fiber Lasers, Fiber Amplifiers, All-Fiber Pump, Signal Combiner

MDA18-017 TITLE: Low Size, Weight, and Power, Multi-component, High Power Isolator



OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative, compact, light-weight, high power handling fiber coupled optical isolator for integration with all-fiber components between fiber preamplifier stages.

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DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative fiber coupled optical isolator architectures to address critical issues related to power handling and integration of key components in the amplifier chain and improvements to the overall efficiency and Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of the laser system. Both Polarization Maintaining (PM) and non-Polarization Maintaining (non-PM) designs are sought including microstructure Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) and Photonic Band Gap (PBG) fiber architectures. Designs are targeted for lasing of Ytterbium (Yb) at ~1 µm and Thulium (Tm) at ~2 µm. Techniques should concentrate on low loss, high efficiency devices compatible with SWaP constraints and robust scaling to multi-kW power levels. To address high power handling, investigation of new materials which may provide significantly higher Verdet constants and other improved characteristics as compared with current state-of-the-art glasses is desired.

The development of efficient, compact, and high power scalable fiber lasers has seen rapid progress in recent years with an emerging wide range of applications including material processing and directed energy (DE). Narrow-linewidth all-fiber (monolithic) laser sources are highly desired for DE applications, as they can be readily beam combined for further power scaling. The all-fiber amplifier chain consists of multiple low power pre-amplifier stages to boost a coherent seed signal to suitable power levels for insertion into the final power amplifier stage. In order to protect the pre-amplifier stages from unwanted backward traveling light generated either from reflection or nonlinear scattering processes, fiber coupled optical isolators are inserted between the pre-amplifier chain and final high power stage. Current commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) fiber-coupled isolators have either poor SWaP and low isolation, or limited power handling. One of the most common isolator designs consists of free space optics and large crystals with high Verdet constants, which increases the SWaP and is sensitive to thermal lensing in the crystals. In contrast, multi-pass isolators offer smaller crystal sizes, but have poor isolation and limited power handling. Higher power handling optical isolators, with high isolation, are required for further power scaling of beam combinable fiber amplifiers to the multi-kW regime desired for DE applications. Furthermore, optical isolators are frequently used in conjunction with other critical components (such as tap couplers, mode field adapters, and wavelength division multiplexers), unnecessarily increasing the SWaP of the system as a whole. Integration of several components in the isolator package should reduce the overall SWaP and improve the overall efficiency of the system.

Specific components and technologies sought for this topic include:

• High power double clad fiber based optical isolator for integration between fiber amplifier stages. Designs should address light-weight and compactness, high power handling (> 100W forward throughput power and > 50 W of broadband backward power), low insertion-loss operation (< 0.2 dB) and high isolation (> 45 dB), and be compatible with COTS double-clad fibers.

• Integrated all-fiber mode field adapter for low loss mode-field conversion between fibers with various core diameters including double clad single mode to large mode area (LMA) fibers. PM and non-PM mode field adapter designs including microstructure PCF and PBG fiber.

• Integrated fiber optic bi-directional tap couplers for monitoring forward and backward signals in double clad fibers including single mode and LMA fibers. PM and non-PM tap-coupler designs including microstructure PCF and PBG fiber designs.

• Integrated low-loss wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) for coupling amplified seed signals at 1064nm (+/-2nm) and 1035nm (+/- 10nm) into the final amplifier stage and integrated bandpass filter (< 1.0 nm bandwidth) for suppression of unwanted parasitic lasing (i.e. Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE)) in the amplifier chain. Designs must emphasize low insertion loss (< 0.2 dB) and high power handling capability (> 100 W). Polarization maintaining and non-polarization maintaining designs including microstructure PCF and PBG fiber designs. The low SWaP multi-component isolator design concepts must concentrate on reducing the overall size and weight of the packaged device with a target weight of < 0.1 Kg and an optimized structural footprint for dense packaging in the pre-amplifier chain.

PHASE I: Develop high power handling fiber optic isolator models, design and packaging concepts for compact, light-weight integration with bi-directional tap coupler, WDM, ASE filter, compatible with double-clad single mode and LMA fibers. Criteria for both PM and non-PM designs include: low-loss (< 0.2 dB), high isolation (> 45 dB),

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high power handling (> 100 W forward throughput power and > 50 W broadband backward power), throughput signal brightness and polarization preservation and robust packaging. Designs that are compatible with COTS double-clad fibers and testing at moderate throughput power levels (up to 50 W) for proof of concept is desired. Efficient design concepts compatible with LMA microstructure fibers (i.e. PBG and PCF) are also sought.

PHASE II: Fabricate and demonstrate an integrated all-in-one optical isolator/multi-component prototype at high power levels (> 100 W forward throughput power and > 50 W broadband backward power) and conduct in-depth characterization of the hardware to verify maturity of the technology toward potential commercial and military applications. Prepare the all-in-one packaged device(s) for laboratory high power test and evaluation.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Fabricate and reliability test for militarily significant environments and package for system insertion and commercialization. Demonstrate and deliver an integrated multi-component/optical isolator packaged device compatible with microstructure fibers including PCF and PBG.

REFERENCES:1. Schlichting W, Stevens K, Foundos G, and Payne A. Commercializing potassium terbium fluoride, KTF (KTb3F10) faraday crystals for high laser power optical isolator applications, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 10448, pp. 104481N, 2017.

2. Zelmon DE, Erdman EC, Stevens KT, Foundos G, Kim JR, and Brady A. Optical properties of Lithium Terbium Fluoride and implications for performance in high power lasers, Applied Optics, vol. 55, pp. 834-837, 2016.

3. Stadler B and Mizumoto T. Integrated magneto-optical materials and isolators: A Review, IEEE Photonics Journal, vol. 6, pp. 600215, 2014.

4. Rothhardt C, Rekas M, Kalkowski G, Haarlammert N, Eberhardt R, and Tünnermann A. Fabrication of a high power Faraday isolator by direct bonding, SPIE Proceedings, vol. 8601, pp. 86010T, 2013.

5. Mizumoto T, Takei R, and Shoji U. Waveguide Optical Isolators for Integrated Optics, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 48, pp.252, 2012.

6. Sun L, Jiang S, Zuegel JD, and Marciante JR. All-fiber optical isolator based on Faraday rotation in highly terbium-doped fiber, Optics Letters, vol. 35, pp. 706-708, 2010.

7. Van Parys W, Vanwolleghem M, Van Thourhout D, Baets R, Lelarge F, Thedrez B, and Lagae L. Study of a Magneto-optic contact for an amplifying waveguide optical isolator, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 19, pp. 659, 2007.

KEYWORDS: High Power Fiber Lasers, Fiber Amplifiers, All-Fiber Optic Components, Fiber Optic Isolator

MDA18-018 TITLE: Photon Sensitive Camera

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors, Space Platforms


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OBJECTIVE: Develop a radiation hardened photon sensitive camera for space-based Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) applications.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks a radiation hardened photon sensitive camera that would enable the government to explore the applicability of LADAR to support future missile defense missions. At this time, there is no particular platform identified and future systems could be ground, air, or space-based platforms. In general, LADAR systems require photon sensitive cameras to detect objects of interest. These photon sensitive cameras are typically avalanche photodiodes.

Innovative technical solutions are solicited to assist the government in exploring the applicability of LADAR technology that meets the requirements as described below:

The desired camera characteristics are: high-photon sensitivity centered around 1064nm laser wavelength and formats of 128 x 128 or larger. Time-of-flight measurements should have a resolution of a few nanoseconds or better. The camera can operate in either Geiger-mode or Linear-mode. To aid the government in understanding the applicability of LADAR, the camera should be hardened to radiation in low Earth orbits (up to 1000 km) and lower medium Earth orbits (< ~13,000 km) with the goal of radiation hardening to meet the harsh environment of the inner Van Allen Belt. Hardening and/or additional shielding could reduce the susceptibility of the camera to radiation; however, shielding adds additional mass and size. Whether terrestrial or space-based, the lifetime for the camera should be greater than 2 years with a goal of 5 years.

PHASE I: Demonstrate, through Modeling, Simulations, and Analysis (MS&A), the proposed photon sensitive camera technology. If possible, perform proof-of-principle experiments of the critical elements of the technology to assist in validating the proposed technology. Provide the proof-of-concept design to include a clear, concise technology development plan and schedule, predicted performance metrics for the photon sensitive camera, and a transition risk assessment. Any associated requirements documentation should also be included in the proof-of-concept design. Collaborate and cultivate relationships to ensure the applicability of the photon sensitive camera and to initiate work towards transitioning the proposed technology.

PHASE II: Fabricate a prototype or engineering demonstration unit (EDU) of the photon sensitive camera technology based on the designs, techniques, and architectures obtained from Phase I. The prototype or EDU camera should undergo characterization testing within the cost and schedule constraints of the program. The characterization tests should show the performance achieved from the photon sensitive camera technology. Radiation testing is also highly encouraged. Document comparisons and note the differences between the Phase I MS&A results and the photon sensitive camera performance test data obtained during Phase II. Deliver the photon sensitive camera technology and interface electronics to a laboratory for test and validation. Continue to collaborate and cultivate relationships while considering the overall objective of commercialization of the photon sensitive camera technology.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Either solely, or in partnership with a suitable production foundry, implement and verify in full scale that the technology is economically viable. The proposer should develop and execute a plan to market the photon sensitive camera technology developed in Phase II. Assist the government in transitioning the photon sensitive camera technology to an appropriate prime contractor for the engineering integration and testing.

REFERENCES:1. Beck J, Welch T, Mitra P, Reiff K, Sun X, and Abshire J. A highly sensitive multi-element HgCdTe e-APD detector for IPDA lidar applications, Proc. Of SPIE, Sensors and Systems for Space Applications VI, 87390V, 2013.

2. Beck J D, Kinch M, and Sun X. Update on linear mode photon counting with the HgCdTe linear mode avalanche photodiode, Opt. Eng., vol. 53(8), pp. 081906, 2014.

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3. Zappa F, Tisa S, Tosi A, and Cova S. Principles and features of single-photon avalanche diode arrays, Sensors and Act. A, 140, 2007.

4. Renker D and Lorenz E. Advanced in solid state photon detectors, J. of Instr., vol. 4, 2009.

5. Entwistle M, Itzler MA, Chen J, Owens M, Patel K, Jiang X, Slomkowski K, and Rangwala S. Geiger-more APD camera system for single photon 3-D LADAR imaging, Proc. of SPIE, Advanced Photon Counting Techniques VI, 2012.

6. Yuan P, Sudharsanan R, Bai X, Boisvert J, McDonald P, and Eduardo L. Geiger-mode LADAR cameras, Proc. of SPIE, Laser Radar Technology and Applications XVI, 2011.

7. Becker HN, Farr WH, and Zhu DQ. Radiation Response of Emerging High Gain, Low Noise Detectors, IEEE Trans on Nucl. Sci., vol. 54, 2007.

8. Harris RD, Farr WH, Becker, HN. Degradation of InP-based Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes due to proton irradiation, J. Mod. Opt., vol. 58, 2011.

9. Johnston AH. Radiation effects in optoelectronic devices, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., vol. 60, 2013.

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Radiation Hardened, High-photon Sensitivity, LADAR, LIDAR, Geiger Mode, Linear Mode

MDA18-019 TITLE: Enabling Technologies for an Exo-atmospheric Neutral Particle Beam Sensor Weapon

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Sensors, Space Platforms, Weapons


OBJECTIVE: Develop the enabling technologies required to field an operational exo-atmospheric Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) system.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks lightweight, compact, energy efficient, radiation hardened, components significantly more advanced than technologies demonstrated in the BEAM Experiment Aboard Rocket (BEAR) system flown in 1989 to enable development of NPB system(s) capable of operating in sub-orbital (pop-up) or orbital (space based) mode. A conceptual NPB system would generate, accelerate, focus, and direct a stream of highly energetic electrically-neutral atomic particles, traveling at near the speed of light, unperturbed by the earth’s magnetic field, at exo-atmospheric targets. Particle interactions with target matter can cause damage and generate measurable emissions allowing target characterization. Desired NPB enabling technologies include:

• Lightweight, compact, and energy efficient particle accelerators

• Compact power sources

• Particle neutralizers that exhibit minimal scatter, have extended operational life, and have minimal impact on operating environment

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• Anion sources, extractors, and injectors

• Beam transport, collimator, focusing, steering, sensing, and tracking components

• Sensors capable of detecting emissions from targeted objects

Proposed efforts may seek to develop any of the above components within the context of a proposed system concept, with emphasis on achieving low size, weight, and power.

PHASE I: Develop preliminary design for the component(s). Perform Modeling, Simulation and Analysis (MS&A) and/or limited bench level testing to demonstrate the concept and an understanding of the technology. The proof of concept demonstration may be subscale and used in conjunction with MS&A results to verify scaling laws and feasibility.

PHASE II: Complete a critical design and demonstrate the use of the technology in two or more prototype efforts. Evaluate the effectiveness of the technology or technique. Perform MS&A and characterization testing within the financial and schedule constraints of the program to show the level of performance achieved.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Demonstrate the product’s performance improvement as compared to the state of the art. Perform analysis to evaluate the ability of the technology to function within a hypothetical NPB system.

REFERENCES:1. O'Shea PG, Butler TA, Lynch MT, McKenna KF, Pongratz MB, and Zaugg TJ. A Linear Accelerator in Space - The BEAM Experiment Aboard Rocket, Proc. of the Linear Accelerator Conf., Albuquerque NM, 1990.

2. Vretenar M. The Radio Frequency Quadrupole, Contribution to CAS - CERN Accelerator School: Course on High Power Hadron Machines, Bilbao Spain, May 24 - June 2, 2011. http://cds.cern.ch/record/1536736

3. Humphries, S. Charged Particle Beams (Dover Books on Physics), Reprint edition, April 17, 2013.

4. Humphries, S. Principles of Charged Particle Acceleration (Dover Books on Physics), Dover Publications, November 21, 2012.

5. Bloembergen N, et.al. Report to The American Physical Society of the study group on science and technology of directed energy weapons, Rev. Mod. Phys., vol. 59, pp. S1-S201, July 1, 1987.

KEYWORDS: Neutral Particle Beam, Particle Neutralizer, Compact Accelerator, RFQ Accelerator, Particle Beam Control, Gamma Ray Detector, X-ray Detector, Charge Stripper

MDA18-020 TITLE: High Power Density Source for Space Applications

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Space Platforms


OBJECTIVE: Develop technologies for satellite energy storage with periodic high power rate requirements.

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DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks high power energy storage technologies for use in low Earth orbit. Conops for future missile defense satellites involve long periods and many cycles of low power usage followed by short periods (less than 10 minutes) of high power need. Typical space qualified lithium ion cells have sufficient energy density (up to 150Wh/kg) to store energy in between solar charging, yet reduced performance at high rates of discharge. Continuous discharge rates are typically limited to 1C due to impedance and imbalances between cells at higher discharge rates. This is acceptable for applications with long periods of low rate discharge but would be limiting in applications with less predictable current profiles. Ultra capacitors can operate very efficiently at high rates of discharge, but currently lack the energy density required to be useful for the length of typical discharge periods. The government seeks technologies to address these issues. Technologies should survive launch conditions and be capable of performing in low Earth orbit environments including radiation. Total ionizing dose of 300 krads (Si) is a common standard though actual dosage can vary greatly depending on application.

Approaches may include battery components, novel battery management systems with hybrid combinations of high energy and high power cells, or other innovative ideas. Efforts seeking to qualify and develop completely new cell manufacturing capability would be excessive.

Though future systems are only in concept and there are no definite power requirements, one may assume the vast majority of power cycles to draw up to 40% depth of discharge at low discharge rates (C/2) and less than 1% of cycles to draw deeper discharges at rates up to 5C for continuous discharge. Proposed technologies should be able to maintain reasonable capacity (80%) and stable discharge performance after 25,000 cycles.

PHASE I: Complete initial design for power storage technology to demonstrate proof of concept. Include laboratory experimentation and/or modeling to verify the proposed concept. Describe an initial design for prototype along with performance estimates.

PHASE II: Complete detailed prototype design. If applicable, work with a manufacturer to construct a prototype for testing in a simulated environment. Testing should verify design assumptions and performance estimates. Include a detailed design and detailed performance analysis from prototype testing. Due to cycle life requirements for space power systems proposers should also begin analysis to ensure capacity retention.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Work with system integrator to refine requirements and demonstrate technology in relevant environment. Qualify technology for cycle life requirements. Transition the technology into missile defense application.

REFERENCES:1. Reddy TB. Linden’s Handbook of Batteries, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011.

2. Office of Scientific and Technical Information. Undated. Link to documents with information on power system technology. Retrieved from http://www.osti.gov.

KEYWORDS: Power Density, Rechargeable Power Systems, Space systems, Low Earth Orbit

MDA18-021 TITLE: Advanced Low Cost Upper Stage Propellant Tanks

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Space Platforms


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OBJECTIVE: Develop an advanced manufacturing technology process for producing low cost, low structural density, liquid propellant tanks with complex internal and external shapes and structures for use in upper-stage propulsion system applications.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks an innovative manufacturing technology process for reducing structural density and cost of fuel tanks for liquid upper-stage propulsion system applications. Material options must account for physical and environmental requirements during storage and operations while lowering the cost of manufacturing. Applications include large missiles where weight optimization and robust adherence to standard military requirements are critical. Proposals should demonstrate an innovative concept that has realistic potential for reducing the overall weight of the missile system through robust design, advanced materials, and/or advanced manufacturing techniques while reducing manufacturing cost. As test systems require integration of more sensors and equipment, there is a need to maintain a constant overall missile mass while enabling most efficient and creative use of internal volume. This drives a need to reduce the mass of other missile system components. Liquid-propellant tank structures claim a significant fraction of upper-stage mass; therefore, this topic is seeking a new advanced technology for containing liquid propellants that can also accommodate new components with minimal impact on overall internal target volume. Combinations of advanced materials and robust manufacturing techniques should enable the construction of functional, easily producible and lightweight structural liquid propellant tanks that allow the missile system to accomplish its task.

PHASE I: Perform analysis of liquid propellant pressure vessel structures/materials, in potentially complex shapes, that provide the greatest weight and cost savings ratio of a missile. Develop the proposed hardware concepts through experimentation to demonstrate the feasibility of performance and weight optimized solutions. The government will provide successful bidders with generic interface requirements for an upper stage propulsion system as well as general storage and functional environments. During this phase, tailor the innovative concepts to those generic interface and performance requirements.

PHASE II: Demonstrate the feasibility of the innovative hardware solutions by building and testing prototype liquid-propellant tanks. This phase will focus on verifying that the proposed concepts will actually provide weight savings to the overall missile system, and determine the economies of scale. The scope of this phase is to highlight the specific design benefits.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Integrate the proposed system into a critical missile system application and generalize the application for broader use across government programs and commercial applications. Demonstrate applicability in one or more element systems, subsystems, or components. Clearly state the projected benefits to improve safety, reliability, and producibility, while reducing weight and cost. The demand for reliable, robust, and lightweight materials for upper-stage liquid-propellant tanks have a wide market appeal for commercial space launch vehicles, defense weaponry, and commercial and defense aircraft.

REFERENCES:1. NASA. Lightening the Load: Composite Cryotank Technologies, United States, April 12, 2012. https://gameon.nasa.gov/2012/04/12/lightening-the-load-composite-cryotank-technologies/rence.

2. Morring Jr., F. Advances In Lightweight Composite Tanks For Launchers, Aviation Week & Space Technology, May 13, 2015. http://aviationweek.com/space/advances-lightweight-composite-tanks-launchersrence.

3. Kotliar, IK. Patent: Pressure vessels, design and method of manufacturing using additive printing WO 2015142862 A1, Application number: PCT/US2015/020985, September 24, 2015. http://www.google.com/patents/WO2015142862A1?cl=en.

4. Cole, M. Newly developed Nanotube Technology could revolutionize spaceflight. United States. July 26, 2017. www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/nasa/newly-developed-nanotube-technology-revolutionize-spaceflight.

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KEYWORDS: Advanced Manufacturing Technology, High-storage Density Tanks, Liquid Propellant Tank, Upper-stage Propulsion System

MDA18-022 TITLE: Innovative Mobile Launch Platform

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles


OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative air, sea, and ground-mobile launch platform solution that would reduce fielding infrastructure costs and is capable of launching all target missile systems.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks an innovative approach to develop an operationally safe, reliable, and modular mobile launch capability that provides the flexibility for air, sea, or ground-based launch, minimizes mission limitations, accommodates a wide variety of missile classes and types, reduces test infrastructure, operational cost, and logistics footprint. The proposed solution should streamline and optimize the process of transporting, deploying, and launching target missile systems. The current mobile launch platform is an operationally expensive air launch platform with target launch mission limitations. The existing air mobile launch implementation limits the missile class, type, and size of the missile that can be launched due in part to the large mechanical loads generated during missile extraction, the air transportation requirements, and the air transportation platform size. Proposed solutions can be a replacement of the current air launch solution, or proposed as an alternative to complement the current capability.

PHASE I: Perform analysis of alternatives (to include novel concepts) of advanced materials and innovative production methodologies to provide a mobile air, sea, and ground-based launch platform that satisfies program requirements while reducing cost and simplifying infrastructure and logistics. Demonstrate through modeling and simulation, the feasibility of the selected solution. During this phase, tailor the innovative concepts to generic performance requirements.

PHASE II: Demonstrate the feasibility of the innovative mobile air/sea/ground-based launch platform by building and testing a model prototype solution. This phase will focus on verifying that the proposed concept(s) will actually provide a safe, reliable, flexible, and modular mobile launch platform that does not have mission limitations, accommodates a wide variety of missile classes and types, and reduces test site infrastructure, operational cost, and logistics footprint.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Integrate the proposed system into a critical missile system application and generalize the application for broader use across government programs and commercial applications. Demonstrate applicability in one or more missile systems. Clearly state the projected benefits to improve safety, reliability, flexibility, and modularity of the mobile launch platform while reducing test site infrastructure, operational cost, logistics footprint, and streamlined fielding and target missile systems launching process. The demand for safe, reliable, and modular mobile launch platform have a wide market appeal for commercial space launch vehicles, and defense weaponry.

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REFERENCES:1. Missile Defense Agency. Ground-based Missile Defense Extended Test Range: Draft Environmental Impact, January 2003. https://books.google.com/books?id=chE0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA209&lpg=PA209&dq=air+launch+missile+pallets&source=bl&ots=rWJElrhGUq&sig=NpZupS2pV2ao9Twl1EGMtG_Pds&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiln7Lku6LXAhUEwiYKHX8JCr0Q6AEINDAF#v=onepage&q=air%20launch%20missile%20pallets&f=false.

2. Missile Defense Agency. Development and Demonstrations of the Long Range Air Launch Target System Environmental Assessment, October 2002. https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/report/enviro/lraltea.pdf.

KEYWORDS: Reliable, Safe, Modular Mobile Launch Platform, Streamline Fielding and Launching of Missile Systems, Streamline Process, Reduces Logistics Foot Print

MDA18-023 TITLE: Recoverable and Reusable Air Launch Pallet

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform, Weapons


OBJECTIVE: Develop a recoverable and reusable air launch missile pallet to assist the government in reducing launch cost per mission.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative solutions for an air launch missile pallet that are low cost, modular, safe, reliable, light, recoverable, reusable, and accommodates multiple missile configurations to safely accomplish the mission. The current air launch missile pallet is used to launch missile target systems from a military aircraft. This is an expensive one-time use item and it is not designed to be recovered or reused for another mission. The proposed solution should provide for a recoverable and reusable missile launch pallet that incorporates efficient aircraft loading operations, minimum logistic support requirements, minimum storage requirements, and long shelf life. A capability for mounting instrumentation on the pallet structure to record the mechanical loads experienced by the pallet environment during pallet and missile deployment is desired as is a capability to locate and recover the pallet after missile deployment.

PHASE I: Perform analysis of alternatives, to include novel concepts, advanced materials and innovative production methodologies, to provide an air launch missile pallet that satisfies program requirements while reducing cost and simplifying infrastructure and logistics. During this phase, tailor the innovative concepts to generic performance requirements.

PHASE II: Demonstrate the feasibility of the innovative air launch missile pallet platform by building and testing a prototype solution. This phase will focus on verifying that the proposed concepts will actually provide a low cost, modular, safe, reliable, recoverable, and reusable air launch missile pallet that accommodates the target air launch class and missile types to safely accomplish the mission.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Integrate the proposed system into a critical missile system application and generalize the application for broader use across government programs and commercial applications. Demonstrate applicability in one or more missile systems. Demonstrate the projected benefits to improve safety, reliability, flexibility, and modularity of the air launch missile pallet while simplifying loading operations, logistics, and streamline launching target missile systems process should be made clear. The demand for safe, reliable, and modular air launch missile pallet platforms have a wide market appeal for commercial space launch vehicles, and

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defense weaponry.

REFERENCES:1. Missile Defense Agency. Ground-based Missile Defense Extended Test Range: Draft Environmental Impact, January 2003. https://books.google.com/books?id=chE0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA209&lpg=PA209&dq=air+launch+missile+pallets&source=bl&ots=rWJElrhGUq&sig=NpZupS2pV2ao9Twl1EGMtG_Pds&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiln7Lku6LXAhUEwiYKHX8JCr0Q6AEINDAF#v=onepage&q=air%20launch%20missile%20pallets&f=falsed Reference.

2. Missile Defense Agency. Development and Demonstrations of the Long Range Air Launch Target System Environmental Assessment, October 2002. https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/report/enviro/lraltea.pdf.

KEYWORDS: Recoverable, Reusable, Low Cost, Safe, Modular, Air Launch Missile Pallet

MDA18-024 TITLE: Ink-based 3D Electronics Printing for Missile System Applications

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials/Processes


OBJECTIVE: Develop an ink-based advanced manufacturing technology to print circuits and electronics for missile systems applications.

DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks innovative solutions for an advanced additive manufacturing technology to manufacture electronic circuits using solid and liquid ink-based printing materials. Expected benefits of the proposed solution are to reduce Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) requirements by producing complete electronic printed circuit functionality to include those functions of traditional electronics components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, diodes, and integrated circuits products. Additionally, the advanced ink-based printed circuits technologies should enable printed circuits to be mechanically flexible, with a capability to be embedded into or attached to the system structure, to be adaptable to the shape or form of the embedded structure, and to withstand launch and space system environments. The need for smaller, more versatile, and more efficient electronic systems is growing due to an increased number of sensors and equipment required for packaging into test systems. Smaller platforms may not have sufficient space or power delivery systems to accommodate all needed electronic items and functions.

PHASE I: Perform an analysis of potential alternatives and present an innovative system capable of meeting the expected benefits of the topic. Demonstrate the electronics printing capability and its application and characterize the shapes, materials, and production methods options. Demonstrate an innovative solution that will easily integrate ink-based electronic printed circuits into the missile system.

PHASE II: Fabricate a prototype and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution in meeting the expected benefits. Provide a final design and documentation for the innovative solution.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Fabricate, design, and conduct ground tests to demonstrate survivability in missile flight environments. Incorporate successful designs into government targets for flight tests.

REFERENCES:

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1. Brownell, L. Low-cost wearables manufactured by hybrid 3D printing, United States, September 6, 2017. https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2017/09/low-cost-wearables-manufactured-by-hybrid-3d-printing.

2. Short, K and Van Buren, D. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, PRINTABLE SPACECRAFT: Flexible Electronic Platforms for NASA Missions, United States, September 10, 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Short_2012_PhII_PrintableSpacecraft.pdf.

KEYWORDS: Ink-based Electronic Printing, Solid and Liquid Based Printing, Printed Electronics, Additive Manufacturing

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· web viewspie optical engineering press, bellingham wa, pp. 59-72, 1995. 4. metevier c, gaughan...

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