**Industry-Led Partnerships Element Program**

**Innovative Partnerships Program**

**Examples of**

**Innovation Challenge Areas**

**for**

**Innovation Partnership Projects**

###### Innovation Challenge Area: Advanced Materials and Structures

The applications of Advanced Materials and Structures are anticipated to
have a profound impact on NASA's future missions by offering significant
advantages in terms of affordability and reliability. Major technology
drivers include reducing system cost, mass, and launch volume; enabling
the construction of space and surface infrastructure from modular
elements; extending the performance and lifetime of systems operating in
extreme environments; and providing systems with integrated diagnostic
and adaptive capabilities. Advanced materials are critical to the lives
of human explorers as we work toward longer missions and survival even
on Mars.

**[Advanced Materials]{.underline}**

Reducing structural mass will have substantial impact in reducing the
launch costs for exploration systems. NASA's interests in advanced
materials align with many initiatives in industry. The transportation
industry requires more efficient vehicles by way of stronger and lighter
body structures, engines capable of running at higher temperatures, and
lightweight structures and braking systems. Radiation shielding
materials and concepts are important for computers and electronics even
on Earth, but are even more important for commercial or military
satellites. Protective clothing used by rescue personnel, military, or
workers in hazardous work environments may apply to NASA needs for
humans in space.

Technical interests include:

-   High performance, super lightweight composites and alloys;

-   Thermal protection system materials;

-   Space-durable materials;

-   Smart/multifunctional materials;

-   Flexible and self-adapting material systems;

-   Advanced fabrics to reduce mass, to increase mobility and to
    increase damage tolerance for spacesuits, including integrated heat
    management and embedded sensor technology; and,

-   Nano-modified \"breakthrough\" materials.

**[Structures and Habitats]{.underline}**

Exploration of space will require the development of innovative
structures and assembly techniques that support the development of
modular space systems. These advances can be enabled by advanced
manufacturing techniques being developed in industry, including
fabrication of composites and high-temperature alloys, high-speed
machining, friction stir welding, and other emerging efficient, and
mass-production techniques.

Structural requirements for the near future include inflatable,
erectable, deployable or easily connected modules to create large space
structures, utilizing membranes, composites, or other material concepts.
Modular units can provide reconfigurable structures, such as
configurations using cables and linkages, compliant structures or
mechanisms that adapt to varying surfaces, or multi-purpose integrated
structures, such as load-bearing modular power distribution, thermal
management, or radiation protection systems.

Technical interests include:

-   Materials and components for space structures and habitats with
    consideration of radiation shielding, impact shielding, thermal
    management, flammability minimization, ease of repair or
    self-repair, and real-time component or system health monitoring;

-   Assembly technologies for advanced joining of materials and material
    repair, both on Earth and in space; and,

-   Light weight cryogenic tank design, manufacture, and testing.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

###### Innovation Challenge Area: Energy Conversion, Storage and Management

Power requirements for space exploration systems parallel the demands of
many commercial applications including consumer electronics (\< 100 W),
home generators (\< 5,000 W), and industrial back-up power systems (\<
100,000 W). Innovative technologies are necessary for spacecraft,
spacesuits, and other systems to provide power to astronauts (up to 100
W), mobile platforms (up to 2,000 W), and large stationary applications
(up to 100,000 W). Technical interests include those listed as follows.

**[Energy Conversion: Photovoltaics , Thermoelectrics, or Hybrid
Components]{.underline}**

-   Solar cell/devices including concentrators, multijunction cells,
    thin film cells, GaAs/Si heterostructures, and other cell
    technologies.

-   Solar blankets providing low-cost, lightweight, or high voltage/high
    emittance.

-   Lightweight solar array designs capable of automated and restowable
    deployment and operating in space environments.

-   Solar cell/array testing and measurement methods.

-   High efficiency thermoelectric materials and/or systems for power
    generation at elevated temperatures (\> 600 K).

-   Lightweight and efficient heat exchangers/radiators for excess heat
    rejection.

**[Energy Storage: Batteries, Fuel Cells, and Hybrid
Components]{.underline}**

-   Highly safe, rechargeable batteries with specific energy in excess
    of 150 Wh/Kg in 10 Ah or larger cells that can achieve long life at
    moderate depth-of-discharge.

-   Technologies for rechargeable batteries including high capacity
    electrodes & low temperature electrolytes to deliver \>75% of the
    battery's capacity at --40°C.

-   Primary batteries (10 Ah or larger cell size) with specific energy
    \> 400 Wh/Kg.

-   Rechargeable and primary batteries with high power density \> 400
    W/kg that are capable of achieving over 100 Wh/kg for hybrid power
    applications.

-   Technologies for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell
    systems including: electrodes and electrolytes for operation at
    \>65% efficiency and \> 400 mW/cm^2^ in pure H~2~ and O~2~; passive
    thermal & water management methods; high temperature polymer
    membranes; lightweight FC systems operating \> 5,000 hours
    unattended; regenerative FC systems and methods for closed-loop
    operation for \>1,000 cycles; and FC systems that operate in
    variable gravity (0 G to 8 G).

**[Energy Storage: Cryogenic Storage]{.underline}**

-   Reliable, lightweight instrumentation for accurate remote
    monitoring, mass gauging, leak detection, & health management of
    cryogenic storage systems.

-   Reliable/durable variable density cryogenic insulation & lightweight
    storage tanks.

-   High capacity gas storage methods such as metal hydrides.

**[Energy Management: Power Management and Distribution]{.underline}**

-   Thermal control and packaging for high heat flux power electronics.

-   Modular solid state switchgear and power converters that can be
    operated in parallel and series combinations.

-   High efficiency, compact power source regulators (solar arrays, fuel
    cells).

-   Compact, modular battery charge/discharge regulators for
    rechargeable batteries.

-   High power density converters or switches with integrated
    communications.

-   Embedded health measurement and management for power electronics.

-   Hidden fault detection and mitigation for arcing, leakage, and/or
    corona faults.

-   Autonomous fault detection and reconfiguration of complex power
    distribution systems.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

###### Innovation Challenge Area: Autonomy and Robotics

Robotic and intelligent systems technologies will be an essential part
of the Vision for Space Exploration. Advances in the commercial sector
have already made development of highly functional, intelligent, mobile
robotics products and systems possible.

**[Intelligent Control Systems]{.underline}**

Intelligent control system technologies involve the use of goal-oriented
autonomous operations, means for sensing and understanding the
environment, and making intelligent choices with regard to resources,
operations, health and safety, logistics, configuration, and mobility.
Control and autonomy software and systems, adopting traditional
algorithmic approaches or recent bio-inspired methodologies such as
neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and artificial life, should
improve capabilities in:

-   *Teleoperated to autonomous systems* -- vehicle control (e.g.
    rendezvous and docking); process control (automating routine
    functions and resource management; monitoring and fault recovery;
    management of processes and flows; planning and scheduling); and
    human-centered control in remote operations;

-   *Distributed control of autonomous agents or multi-agent robotic or
    human-robotic systems* -- resource self-scheduling systems;
    distributed decision-support systems for advanced life support or
    vehicle emergencies; multi-robotic construction or drilling teams,
    or related multi-agent applications;

-   *Computer vision for intelligent, mobile systems --* visual learning
    and recognition; and world mapping, simultaneous locomotion and
    mapping (SLAM) including projects that lead to software innovations
    or integration into diverse hardware/software systems;

-   *Sensors to enable robotic vision* -- proximity and tactile sensors;
    absolute-position sensing; and lidar technologies for navigation;
    and,

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-   *Robotic vision systems* -- intricate, integrated sensing and
    imaging technologies enabling rudimentary capabilities, e.g.
    movement and manipulation of robotic arms, or complex actions.

**[Integrated Software/Hardware Architectures]{.underline}**

Innovative hardware and software architectures should extend the
possibilities for autonomy, interactivity, and functionality. Technical
interests include improving system robustness, interoperability among
different systems, sensing and sensor webs, and interactivity with human
users as described:

-   *Software architectures for facilitating control and autonomy from
    high level decision making, to low level mobility and effector
    control* -- real time operating systems, adding "plug and play"
    software and interoperability, the ability of different systems to
    communicate and work cooperatively;

-   *Hardware architectures* -- mechanical and electronic robustness;
    extreme environment operation; hardware with humanoid behaviors;
    micro-bots for sensing and inspection; large structures for
    self-assembly and habitation; and modular and reconfigurable
    systems;

-   *Autonomous environmental sensing* -- systems for chemical and
    elemental analysis, inspection methods and algorithms; particle and
    field detectors; and verification sensors for task confirmation;

-   *Radiation-hard, extreme temperature tolerant, and flexible
    electronic components* -- mixed-signal application specific
    integrated circuits (ASICs); read out integrated circuits (ROICs);
    and flexible electronics for robotic "skin";

-   *Sensor web* -- algorithms for path planning; software for
    multi-sensor data fusion (i.e., linking different types of sensor
    data and drawing a conclusion from the heterogeneous data); and
    planning and scheduling software; and,

-   *Interactivity with human users* -- cognition that allows safe
    functioning in the vicinity of humans; ability to understand human
    commands; and ability to understand the "perspective" of the human
    user and the basic assumptions made during discourse.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

###### Innovation Challenge Area: Systems Health Management

######  

Systems Health Management Technology enables and supports the Vision for
Space Exploration vision by improving safety, reducing costs, and
establishing automated and autonomous operation of exploration systems.
Solutions are sought at systems-of-systems, sub-system, and component
level to address technical interests as detailed below.

**[Architectures and Communications Platforms]{.underline}**

System and sub-system architectures must support efficient management of
data, information and knowledge so that these are available at the right
time, in proper context, and based on standard architecture definitions.
Of particular interest are advanced architecture considerations such as
distributed and high data rate sensor/data architectures, fault tolerant
systems, modularity, standard interface and communication protocols
within and between systems and components, support for wireless
communication, and self-testing and verification. Software should enable
recoverable, reconfigurable, and upgradable systems in the event of
failure or anomalies.

**[Health State Determination and Prediction]{.underline}**

Vehicle and system health state determination with higher confidence and
lower latency is necessary to ensure mission critical safety, improve
mission planning, and reduce maintenance and testing costs for automated
and autonomous systems. NASA seeks monitoring, diagnostics, and
prognostics technologies that can be applied to - propulsion, flight
control, structural, electrical power, thermal management, maintenance,
and operation systems. Technical interests include monitoring,
diagnostic, and prognostic algorithms and tools that will provide
increased certainty and reliability, unknown failure detection, root
cause determination, degradation and failure prediction, support for
failure impact analysis and functional restoration, information on
useful life remaining, and self/remote diagnostics with automated
startup sequencing, monitoring, and reconfiguration.

**[Advanced Sensors and Computing]{.underline}**

Advanced sensors and computing are necessary to provide health state
monitoring with high coverage and confidence, and low latency. NASA
seeks smart and distributed sensor systems with self-management
capabilities, embedded knowledge and learning, and advanced
communication for automated and autonomous system operation. Technical
interests include advanced sensors and sensor webs, sensor web design
and optimization tools, sensor integration and data fusion; and
robust/secure networks, and space qualified processors, storage and
controllers for data, information and knowledge transport and
integration.

**[Optimization and Verification Tools]{.underline}**

NASA seeks advanced algorithms, models, and other tools to aid in the
design, optimization, and validation of health management systems early
in the concept-of-operation and design phase for improved functionality
and cost. Technical interests include methods for verification and
validation of algorithms, models, design and performance prediction.
Also sought are processes, tools and approaches to capture and maintain
tacit human and health management system knowledge for repair,
maintenance, operations, and decision making.