NASA Selects Maturing Technology Proposals For Phase II
Contracts
NASA has selected 85 small business proposals to enter into
negotiations for Phase II contract awards through the agency's
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The selected
projects have a total value of approximately $63 million. NASA will
award the contracts to 79 small high technology firms in 27 states.
These competitive awards-based programs encourage U.S. small
businesses to engage in federal research, development and
commercialization. The programs also enable businesses to explore
technological potential, while providing the incentive to profit
from new commercial products and services.
"Small businesses are not only crucial to NASA's trailblazing
achievements in space exploration; they are the backbone of the
American economy," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "As the
wheels of our economy continue to pick up speed, it is important to
remember that small business is the engine that is getting us
moving again. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration,
small firms have generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past
17 years. And federal procurement for women-, minority- and
veteran-owned small businesses are a big part of that
equation."
NASA's SBIR programs address specific technology gaps in agency
missions, while striving to complement other agency research
investments. Program results have benefited many NASA efforts,
including modern air traffic control systems, Earth-observing
spacecraft, the International Space Station and the Mars
rovers.
"Working with small businesses through Phase 2 SBIR awards, NASA
helps mature novel technologies and concepts to demonstrate their
applicability to NASA's current and future space and aeronautics
needs," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology
Program. "This maturation process also provides NASA's small
business partners to more fully explore opportunities to transfer
that technology to the marketplace, while creating new jobs and
growing our economy."
In addition to meeting NASA's needs, the proposals also provide
innovative research in areas that have other commercial
applications. Examples include:
- Development of design and fabrication techniques that will be
used to create better UV detectors useful to NASA's missions to
monitor ozone, aerosols and air pollution, which also are essential
in the semiconductor, food processing and healthcare industries,
where bacterial sterilization is important.
- A new composite material manufacturing process which could
decrease manufacturing costs for NASA's future heavy lift launch
vehicles, as well as military and commercial aircraft, wind blades
and towers, civil and automotive infrastructure and marine
vessels.
- New high-performance lubricants beneficial to robotic
spacecraft operations in extreme temperature ranges that also may
benefit automobile performance.
- A laser-ranging technology that can be used as the next
generation air data system for aircraft that will measure velocity,
wind speed, air pressure and temperature. This will help predict
turbulence, ensuring a safer and more comfortable flight.
The SBIR program is a highly competitive, three-phase award
system. It provides qualified small businesses, including those
owned by women and the disadvantaged, with opportunities to propose
unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of
the federal government.
Phase 1 is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and
technical merit of an idea. Awards are for as long as six months.
The selected Phase 2 projects will expand on the results of Phase 1
projects selected last year, with up to $750,000 to support
research for up to two years. Phase 3 is for the commercialization
of the results of Phase 2 and requires the use of private sector or
non-SBIR federal funding.
Participants submitted 428 Phase 2 proposals. The criteria used
to select the winning proposals included technical merit and
innovation, Phase 1 performance and results, value to NASA,
commercial potential and company capabilities.