National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Technology Transfer 1998 Program Solicitation

Topic 6. Space Propulsion

NASA Installation: Marshall Space Flight Center

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The Center of Excellence seeks development of affordable, high-performance launch and space transportation capabilities. Key to this goal is the application of innovative, non-traditional propulsion technologies, devices and systems that could contribute to dramatic reductions in launch costs and in-space transportation time. Development of such technologies is sought to enable ambitious commercial, robotic and human exploration missions in the future.

A core technology challenge to support this Center of Excellence for this Solicitation includes:

Exotic "Breakthrough" Technologies
Results from "leading edge" physics and engineering research at research institutions can lead to exotic "breakthrough" technologies. The following are some specific areas that will provide significant advancements in space transportation capability and lead to development of affordable, high-performance propulsion technologies:

• Research which could lead to techniques for manipulation of relativistic phenomena, exploitation of vacuum zero-point fields and/or hyper-fast transportation.

• Research and technology advancement in antimatter production, storage, transportation, and utilization for application as a propulsion energy source. Of special interest is research which could lead to methods for convenient, low-cost antiproton production and robust, high-containment density storage devices.

• Propulsion applications of technology innovations in fission or fusion energy production. Of special interest is research leading to application in commercial transportation and energy markets, and methods for economical and environmentally acceptable testing.

• Enhancements to or development of new propulsion systems utilizing electromagnetic fields or solar interactions, such as solar/magnetic sails, solar thermal propulsion and electrodynamic tethers.

• Technology innovations for beamed power primarily in the area of launch applications. Of special interest is research leading to economical launch of small payloads and affordable electromagnetic transfer of power from space to Earth.

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