Synopsis: NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a strain-sensing system that can be affixed to a spacecraft's micrometeoroid/orbital debris (MMOD) shielding layer or structure. This technology detects the occurrence, time, location and severity of a MMOD strike on the shield, allowing for detection and location of potentially harmful MMOD strikes on both crewed and unmanned spacecraft. Fiber Bragg Grating sensors provide an efficient and easily implemented means of instrumenting MMOD shields and spacecraft structure and the system can be manufactured from commercially available components. Multiple strain sensors encoded into one or more optical fibers are affixed to a MMOD shield or structure. The optical fiber(s) is/are connected to a data collection device that records strain data at a frequency sufficient to resolve MMOD impact events. Strain data are processed and presented on a computer display. MMOD impact imparts a transient shock loading to a structure which is manifested as transient strain as the shock wave moves through the structure. MMOD impacts are determined from the time signature of, both, measured strain from multiple sensors on the optical fiber(s) as well as strain resulting from plastic strain induced in the MMOD shield and structure as a consequence of the MMOD impact (for materials exhibiting plastic strain). The array of strain sensors, encoded into one or more optical fibers using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology, records time varying strain to identify that a strike has occurred and at what time it occurred. Strike location information can be inferred from the residual plastic strain recorded by the multitude of strain sensors in the fiber(s). One or more optical fibers may be used to provide optimal coverage of the area of interest and/or to ensure a sufficient number of strain measurements are provided to accurately characterize the nature of the impact. Complex unmanned vehicles such as satellites and UAVs may also benefit from automated object impact detection. NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially in the United States. US Patent pending. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide how you foresee using the technology along with a brief background of your company. Additionally, please identify any non-US interests/subsidiaries in your company as well. For more information about licensing other NASA Langley-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Langley's Technology Gateway at https://technologygateway.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA Langley's Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development "OSACB" for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.