NASA Invests in Small Businesses to Advance Alternative Fuels and Other Technologies

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is a pioneering organization that explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. One of the ways NASA achieves its mission is by investing in small businesses and their research institution partners to develop cutting-edge technologies. The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, a key initiative of NASA, supports small businesses in the early stages of research and development, bringing their innovative technologies one step closer to infusion into NASA missions or commercialization in the marketplace.

The cost of transitioning research from the lab to life-changing technology is high, especially for small businesses. The STTR program helps bridge this gap by providing funding and guidance to small businesses and their research institution partners. After successfully completing Phase I, where they prove their concepts and finalize negotiations, NASA awards Phase II grants worth up to $850,000 to selected small businesses. These funds enable the development, demonstration, and delivery of innovative technologies over the next 24 months.

Each small business collaborates with a research institution, such as a university or Federally Funded Research and Development Center, on their work. This requirement of the STTR program and a key differentiator from its sister program, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), fosters a unique partnership between small businesses and research institutions.

Jenn Gustetic, director of Early Stage Innovation and Partnerships under the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the NASA Headquarters in Washington, emphasizes the importance of these partnerships: “The STTR program exists to unlock the power and innovative thinking enabled by partnership between small businesses and research institutions. NASA is committed to creating equitable opportunities and removing barriers for underrepresented audiences. In this batch of awards, one-third of the partnering research institutions are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).”

One of the Phase II award recipients is SSS Optical Technologies, LLC, a small business based in Huntsville, Alabama, partnering with Oakwood University, a Historically Black Colleges and University also based in Huntsville. Together, they will develop an innovative protective coating that absorbs damaging UV radiation and converts it into energy to power solar cells. The team prepared for their journey by participating in M-STTR, an initiative that connects MSIs with NASA to maximize the potential for long-term collaborations and enhance future funding opportunities. Building off their early success, they won an STTR Phase I award, during which they demonstrated a 5% gain in efficiency while reducing radiation damage by 400%. In the Phase II period, they will focus on optimizing coating factors (composition, structure, and application method) for better efficiency and operational lifetime. Their technology could find use in NASA’s Advanced Solar Sailing Technologies arena or in solar panels used in the commercial market.

Jason L. Kessler, program executive for NASA’s SBIR/STTR program, explains the significance of the program: “Our program is in a unique position to support small businesses and their research institution partners to de-risk their technologies with funding and guidance. We want these awards to give each team the backing needed to showcase the impact the technologies can have inside and outside NASA’s walls.”

Another Phase II award recipient is Air Company Holdings, based in Brooklyn, New York. The company is partnering with New York University to create a carbon dioxide hydrogenation technology that NASA can use to produce sustainable rocket fuel. In the Phase II period, they will expand on the process model created in Phase I and optimize their fuel production and downstream processing, ensuring the produced fuel meets international standards. This sustainable fuel could be used as rocket fuel or to address greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation industry or on Mars to produce a stable and storable fuel in-situ, using only the Martian atmosphere, water, and solar photovoltaic electricity.

The NASA SBIR/STTR program is part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. To learn more about the NASA SBIR/STTR program, visit https://sbir.nasa.gov.

In conclusion, NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program plays a crucial role in supporting small businesses and their research institution partners in the development of innovative technologies. By providing funding and guidance, the STTR program helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization, bringing groundbreaking technologies one step closer to infusion into NASA missions or the commercial marketplace. The partnerships between small businesses and research institutions are a key differentiator of the STTR program, fostering a unique environment for innovation and collaboration.