Novel Spacecraft Power Supply

OBJECTIVE: Develop alternative power sources for spacecraft to provide operational or design improvements over traditional solar power systems. DESCRIPTION: The DoD is seeking functional alternative power source options to enable novel spacecraft designs and payload operations. The power source must be scalable to support ESPA-class spacecraft variants (1/4, 1/2, full ESPA, ESPA-Grande) and must be either mass-efficient compared to traditional power systems, enable a significantly unique design, distinct application, or both. Power source concepts must be capable of operating for at least 1 year in common orbits and in space environment conditions (low earth orbit, geosynchronous earth orbit, transfer orbit, in vacuum, in dynamic thermal conditions, etc.). Power systems may be fully standalone or auxiliary in expected function (e.g., intended to meet all spacecraft power needs for the entirety of the satellite's operational life, act as an auxiliary power source to a traditional system, provide power to a particular payload only and not an entire spacecraft, etc.). Proposals must describe in detail how the proposed solution will provide power to a notional spacecraft, what unique applications are enabled by the proposed technology (if any) and/or how this technology would support more standard applications, and what notable challenges (radiation hardening, form factor, technical nascence, etc.) will be addressed during this SBIR program. As necessary for lower technical readiness level technologies, proposals should provide academic or similar reference materials to verify the viability of the foundational mechanics involved with the power source. PHASE I: This phase will develop the preliminary power source design for space qualification, model scalable power performance, and investigate unique spacecraft design considerations necessary to utilize the power source. At the close of this SBIR phase, awardees will deliver to the government: 1. Study report detailing power system conceptual design, expected and scaled (ie, cubesat, 1 2 ESPA, ESPA Grande classes, etc.) power system performance, (if any) refined enabled application concepts based on design maturation, and preliminary spacecraft design considerations and recommendations that address issues identified within the proposal and/or during the study itself. This report will be delivered electronically and results will be summarized during a study outbrief. 2. Schedule and Cost Estimation for development, manufacture, and delivery of 3 prototype power source test units to inform Phase 2 planning and determinations PHASE II: Should a Phase 2 follow-on effort be awarded, Phase II is expected to develop a preliminary spacecraft prototype design that incorporates the power source design developed in Phase 1, will deliver power source prototype test units, and then, as required, support and/or execute a series of ground space-environment testing to verify space environment functionality of the power source. Phase 1 work should be accomplished with this goal in mind. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Developed alternative power sources could enable both commercial and military applications that are not suited for or would be otherwise limited by solar power systems. Applicable dual use applications could include emergency or on-demand spacecraft power supply, more mass-efficient spacecraft design and manufacture, and novel payload support. REFERENCES: 1. ESPA user guide (ref for sizing/scaling in SBIR): https://elibrary.gsfc.nasa.gov/_assets/doclibBidder/tech_docs/Moog_ESPA_UsersGuide%20-%20Copy.pdf; 2. NASA power supply roadmap: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2015_nasa_technology_roadmaps_ta_3_space_power_energy_storage.pdf KEYWORDS: Electric Power System, Satellite, Spacecraft, Power, Power Source, Solar Power, Solar Array, Battery