National Aeronautics and Space Administration

2017 Annual Report

Flight Opportunities

SPACE TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE
Front cover (main): The additive 

manufactured injector from NASA’s 

Marshall Space Flight Center is shown 

here being successfully hot-fire tested 

by Vector Space Systems using liquid 

oxygen/propylene propellant. 

Credit: Vector Space Systems 

Front cover (insets): Top two images, 

credit: World View Enterprises. Bottom 

image, credit: NASA

Back cover: Interior of the G-FORCE 

ONE parabolic aircraft. Credit: Zero 

Gravity Corporation

Contents
1

Executive Summary .......................... 2

Flight Opportunities Impacts .............. 5

Flight Provider Profiles ...................... 31

Program Highlights ........................... 43

Active Technologies Index..................... 52
2

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program strives to mature enabling technologies of interest 

to the agency while simultaneously fostering the development and use of commercial 

services and capabilities in the U.S. spaceflight industry. 

Executive Summary

Flight Opportunities’ commitment to supporting 

technology developers by providing access 

to relevant space-like environments is helping 

to advance innovations that will enable future 

scientific discovery and exploration. In addition, 

Flight Opportunities continues to nurture the 

commercial space market through its early 

adoption of commercial flight services, helping 

flight providers advance their goals and secure 

new customers in the broader market. 

In FY2017, the program made significant progress 

in the following key strategic areas:

Supporting Technology Development 

and Demonstration

Flight demonstrations bridge the critical gap 

between ground-based testing and operational 

use in the mission environment. FY2017 saw the 

demonstration of 16 technologies across eight 

flight campaigns, supporting both NASA and nonNASA researchers. These enabling technologies 

represent significant potential for future space 

missions. In addition, the program managed the 

selection of NASA material samples to be flown as 

part of the Materials International Space Station 

Experiment (MISSE) program. Upcoming missions 

will include six NASA samples for MISSE-9, four for 

MISSE-10, and five for MISSE-11. 

Expanding Commercial Small 

Launch Capabilities

Through NASA’s Announcement of Collaborative 

Opportunity (ACO) and Tipping Point activities, 

Flight Opportunities was able to strategically 

stimulate the commercial space industry through 

public-private partnerships to deliver commercially 

led technologies and capabilities for future 

missions. FY2017 saw significant progress through 

the signing of six cost-contribution contracts and 

three Space Act Agreements (SAAs) to advance 

small launch vehicle capabilities. These firm, fixedprice contracts (valued at $11.7 million) and SAAs 

are awarded to commercial flight service providers, 

vendors, and suppliers to deliver new capabilities 

to the marketplace. In September 2017, three 

public-private partnerships valued at $3.5 million in 

NASA contributions were made through the ACO 

2017 solicitation, with SAAs underway. 

A view of the Earth from World View’s Stratollite high-altitude 

balloon system. Credit: World View Enterprises
3

Strengthening Relationships

Ongoing relationships between Flight Opportunities 

and both researchers and flight providers 

continued to grow in FY2017. Outreach efforts, 

including a monthly newsletter and regular online 

news features, reach this growing and engaged 

community on a consistent basis. Also, Flight 

Opportunities’ regular presence at industry events 

has proved fruitful in helping interested researchers 

get involved. In addition, flight providers have seen 

business growth as a result of their involvement 

with the program, in terms of expanding their 

capabilities and growing their customer base. 

Flight Opportunities also continues to work with 

other NASA programs and government agencies 

to help advance critical technologies and achieve 

mission goals.

Aligning Efforts with STMD 

Strategic Objectives

In FY2017, the activities of the Flight Opportunities 

program were closely aligned with the objectives 

of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate 

(STMD). Through its partnerships with the 

commercial suborbital and small satellite orbital 

launch industries, Flight Opportunities is able to: 

 Demonstrate high-priority technologies related 

to exploration and other key mission directorate 

goals in a suborbital environment

 Foster the availability of commercial suborbital 

flight services by serving as an early customer 

for industry providers

 Accelerate the commercial availability of 

dedicated suborbital and small satellite orbital 

launch capabilities

Looking Ahead

As Flight Opportunities moves forward, flight 

demonstrations are planned for testing a range of 

promising technologies with an increasing focus 

on supporting NASA’s exploration campaign. In 

addition, progress on ACO and Tipping Point 

activities will continue, accelerating to market the 

development and demonstration of technologies 

that help lower costs and enable reliable access 

to space. We look forward to continuing along 

our path of maturing technologies that advance 

NASA priorities with a particular focus on future 

exploration missions. 

Robert Yang

Program Executive

NASA Headquarters

Ronald Young

Program Manager

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center

3

Researchers test NASA’s 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 

Biosleeve Gesture Control 

Interface for Telerobotics 

on a FY2017 flight 

demonstration. 

Credit: NASA
4

Near Space Corporation prepares for a balloon 

demonstration in Tillamook, Oregon, using its HighAltitude Shuttle System (HASS). Credit: NASA 
5

Flight 

Opportunities 

Impacts
6

Flight Demonstrations 

Flights for testing and demonstrating new enabling technologies have been—and 

continue to be—a cornerstone of the Flight Opportunities program. Suborbital flight 

demonstrations play a critical role in maturing promising new cross-cutting technologies. 

Flight demonstrations in FY2017 provided researchers from academia, commercial companies, NASA, 

and other government organizations access to relevant space-like environments in order to:

 Raise the technology readiness level (TRL) 

of their innovations, an important metric 

in demonstrating the advancement of a 

technology towards final infusion into a 

space application

 Obtain critical experimental data not otherwise 

attainable in ground-based experiments 

Balloon Flight Demonstrates ADS-B Technology for 

U.S. NextGen Air Transportation System 

Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast 

(ADS-B) is one of several transformative 

technologies included in the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) Next Generation (NextGen) 

campaign to modernize the U.S. air transportation 

system. ADS-B uses GPS satellites to determine 

a space vehicle’s location, ground speed, and 

other data. ADS-B Out broadcasts an aircraft’s 

position, altitude, and velocity to a network of 

ground stations that relays the information to air 

traffic control displays and nearby aircraft that are 

equipped to receive the data. Optional ADS-B In 

sends traffic information directly to the cockpit of 

properly equipped aircraft.

On May 19, 2017, Near Space Corporation flew its 

Small Balloon System to loft a Gemini-SV1,090 MHz ADS-B transponder prototype (T0159) 

to test whether messages sent by the payload 

at float altitude could be received with mobile 

and dedicated receivers on the ground. The 

successful demonstration raised the transponder 

to TRL 7 (system prototyping demonstration in an 

operational environment)—an important milestone 

in the development of this critical technology for 

the future of air transportation. 

Small Balloon System 

demonstration flight of 

an ADS-B transponder 

prototype for the Federal 

Aviation Administration. 

Credit: Near Space 

Corporation
Flight Opportunities Impacts

7

MIT Advances Microrobot Technology Through 

Iterative Parabolic Flights

The nature of flight testing through NASA’s Flight 

Opportunities program allows many researchers 

to improve the performance of their technologies 

from one flight to the next. For researchers 

in the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 

having two rounds of flight tests for their tiny 

MOJO-Micro robot (T0163) proved to be an 

iterative success. As the researchers had hoped, 

the second set of parabolic flights in FY2017 

allowed them to validate fixes they had worked on 

after a challenging first round of tests. 

Designed to traverse and inspect a threedimensional lattice structure, CBA’s robotic 

system aims to assist and enable automated, 

in-space assembly of large space structures 

for scientific missions, exploration platforms, 

and even deep space habitats. 

Weighing in at just 50 grams, the three-inch tall 

MOJO-Micro robot is able to traverse through the 

openings of a custom-designed lattice structure to 

monitor structural health. Aimed at assessing the 

impact of microgravity on the robot’s performance, 

the iterative flight tests on Zero Gravity 

Corporation’s (ZERO-G’s) G-FORCE ONE enabled 

the researchers to make adjustments between 

flights, including preparing a new robotic interface. 

The researchers were able to make in-flight 

adjustments as well, improving the gripping 

action of the robot to boost its performance and 

strengthen its alignment to the lattice structure. 

Now, with a wealth of both quantitative and 

qualitative data from the parabolic flight tests 

in hand, the research team is looking ahead to 

investigations involving multiple MOJO-Micros 

working together as well as engineering different 

robots for different tasks in space, such as building 

extraterrestrial habitats and other structures. 

The MOJO-Micro robot is designed to traverse and inspect a 3D 

lattice structure. Credit: MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms 

Everything that we struggled with in the first round of parabolic test flights we 

were able to figure out and get great success with on the second round. 

Benjamin Jenett, lead researcher for MOJO-Micro, NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, MIT

“

”
8

University and Commercial Research Teams Validate 

Payloads on Parabolic Flights

Several payloads from a range of research teams were matured during two Zero Gravity Corporation 

(ZERO-G) parabolic flight campaigns, completed in November 2016 and March 2017. Funded by NASA’s 

Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion (SpaceTech REDDI) awards, the 

research teams were able to procure flight services from a provider of their choice (in this case, ZERO-G) 

and negotiate the ideal number of flights. 

On ZERO-G’s G-FORCE ONE parabolic aircraft, the research teams experienced approximately 30 

parabolas per flight, with periods of microgravity during each parabola. In some cases, the research teams 

and their payloads flew during both campaigns, enabling them to leverage data and lessons learned from 

the initial flights to further advance their research in the second campaign. 

Measuring Propellant Levels in Low Gravity 

T0147 and T0160 — Carthage College

The Modal Propellant Gauging project is a noninvasive, real-time, cost-effective method of 

measuring liquid propellant volume by analyzing 

sound waves produced by vibrations applied to 

propellant tanks. The flight tests verified a vast 

improvement in the margin of error over current 

methods of gauging spacecraft propellant in low 

gravity. This can benefit any space application 

utilizing a propellant tank and also helps to 

address a challenge associated with NASA’s 

goal of sustained human presence in space.

Water Capture Device 

T0167 — Orbital Technologies Corporation, 

now Sierra Nevada Corporation

The Water Capture Device provides an efficient 

means of capturing, transporting, and collecting 

sparse airborne liquid droplets. It can be used for 

a variety of human spaceflight applications, such 

as humidity removal, integrated temperature and 

humidity control, condensate and wastewater 

recycling, food production, and hybrid life support. 

The parabolic flights validated the device’s 

functionality in microgravity.

Members of the research team for the Microgravity Transfer Line 

Chilldown payload pose with their experiment in the cabin of 

G-FORCE ONE. Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation

A Revolutionary Approach for Efficient 

Microgravity Transfer Line Chilldown

T0172 — University of Florida

This special coating for the inside of a propellant 

transfer pipe promises to enable faster cooling 

and minimize cryogen loss—a key capability for 

long-duration space travel requiring the use of 

liquid-oxygen and -hydrogen cryogens as rocket 

propellant. The parabolic flight verified the integrity 

and viability of the system in extreme temperature 

changes and microgravity.

Michelle Peters, 

director of research 

and education, Zero 

Gravity Corporation

What absolutely 

amazes me is seeing 

that ‘Aha!’ moment 

that happens on 

almost every flight. 

And often it’s with 

the students involved. 

Seeing them discover 

the unexpected 

or experience 

microgravity and 

suddenly they can 

envision the future 

of their research—

doors open that they 

didn’t even realize 

were there before.

“

”
9Flight Opportunities Impacts

Advancing Diaphragm Modeling Technology 

for Propellant Management 

T0150 — Purdue University

Creating Reliable Models for the Effects of 

Gravity on Flow Boiling Heat Transfer 

T0170 — University of Maryland, College Park

Researchers developed a heat transfer database 

and models for heat removal from two-phase 

thermal systems—an important component for 

future space missions that will require lighter, 

smaller, more powerful spacecraft. The parabolic 

flights enabled the team to collect data to 

determine how wall heat flux, inlet subcooling, 

and flow rate are affected by varied gravity 

environments in preparation for a possible 

International Space Station (ISS) flight.

Orbital Medicine’s payload is 

shown here aboard G-FORCE 

ONE. Credit: Zero Gravity 

Corporation

Researchers work with their propellant 

management payload during a period of 

microgravity on G-FORCE ONE. Credit: 

Zero Gravity Corporation 

High-acceleration 

spaceflight 

missions require 

use of diaphragms 

to control 

propellants. The 

interaction of 

the liquid and 

diaphragm (a 

coupled liquid and 

deformable solid) 

in these situations 

has implications for 

mission success 

and safety, but 

it is extremely 

difficult to model. 

Researchers are working to streamline the design 

process to make the computations simpler, 

leading to more affordable diaphragm propellant 

management systems. The parabolic flights 

enabled testing of the system’s dynamic responses 

to create validated criteria for design use.

Evolved Medical Microgravity Suction Device 

T0162 — Orbital Medicine, Inc.

Suction is an important need for medical 

procedures and treating traumatic 

injuries, yet it is difficult to achieve 

in the microgravity environment. A 

thoracic drainage device with a twophase separator that functions in 

microgravity will allow for treatment 

of medical emergencies during 

long-duration spaceflight. The 

parabolic flights enabled testing of the 

experimental apparatus in microgravity 

to confirm the evolved design.

The University of Maryland team works with their experiment 

during a parabolic flight. Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation
10

COBALT Demonstrations Validate 

Precision Landing Results 

Many regions in our solar system beckon for 

exploration, but they are considered unreachable 

due to technology gaps in current landing systems. 

That could change with the Cooperative Blending 

of Autonomous Landing Technologies (COBALT) 

project, conducted by NASA’s Space Technology 

Mission Directorate and Human Exploration and 

Operations Mission Directorate. The technologies 

within COBALT could provide the guidance, 

navigation, and control capabilities to enable 

precision landing for future exploration missions.

The technologies promise to reduce the 

risk associated with developing future 

landing systems and enable autonomous 

precision landing for robotic landers to 

touch down on planetary surfaces. 

The COBALT project paired new landing sensor 

technologies that yielded the highest precision 

navigation solution ever tested for NASA space 

landing applications. The technologies included 

a navigation Doppler lidar, which provides 

ultra-precise velocity and line-of-sight range 

measurements, and the Lander Vision System 

(LVS), which provides terrain-relative navigation.

The FY2017 flight campaigns were aboard Masten 

Space Systems’ Xodiac, a rocket-powered vertical 

takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) platform. The 

technologies were flight tested to collect sensor 

performance data and to check their integration 

and communication with the landing vehicle. 

A researcher from Masten 

prepares the Xodiac vehicle 

and the navigation Doppler 

lidar (the three black 

cylinders) for the COBALT 

demonstration. Credit: 

Masten Space Systems

These COBALT 

“

technologies give Moon 

and Mars spacecraft 

the ability to land 

much more precisely, 

improving access to 

interesting sites in 

complex terrain and to 

any exploration assets 

previously deployed to 

the surface. Landings 

will also be more 

controlled and gentle, 

potentially allowing 

smaller landing 

legs and propellant 

reserves, and resulting 

in lower mission risk, 

mass, and cost.

LaNetra Tateis, 

”

program executive, 

NASA’s Game Changing 

Development Program
11Flight Opportunities Impacts

The data will be used for subsequent modifications 

prior to follow-on flight tests.

Moving forward, researchers expect the knowledge 

gained from these flight tests to be incorporated 

into the development of deployment systems 

for future NASA missions to land on the Moon 

and Mars. 

Masten’s Xodiac lifts off the launchpad for the COBALT 

demonstration. Credit: Masten Space Systems

Transitioning to SPLICE

In FY2017, the COBALT project 

transitioned to NASA’s Safe and 

Precise Landing Integrated 

Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE)

project. SPLICE supports 

technology maturation in line with 

NASA’s technology roadmap for 

entry, descent, and landing. The 

project will enable rapid technology 

readiness level (TRL) advancement 

of precision landing and hazard 

avoidance systems. 

Specifically, the navigation 

Doppler lidar technology is on 

track to achieve TRL 6 (system/

subsystem model or prototyping 

demonstration in a relevant endto-end environment) in FY2019 as 

part of SPLICE. The technology 

will ultimately provide NASA with 

a next-generation velocimeter for 

controlled soft landing. 

In addition, the Lander Vision 

System is slated to play a 

prominent role in NASA’s 

Mars 2020 mission.
12

JPL Researchers Validate Two Space Technologies 

on Parabolic Flights

A series of parabolic flights with Zero Gravity 

Corporation (ZERO-G) in FY2017 enabled 

researchers to test and validate the performance 

of two promising technologies from NASA’s Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The flight tests 

helped ensure flight readiness of JPL’s innovations 

for future missions and raise their technology 

readiness level (TRL).

Comet Sample 

Verification System 

T0164

The Comet Sample Verification 

System is a tool that enables 

researchers to verify the quantity 

and volume of a sample from a 

comet surface before bringing 

it back to Earth for analysis—a 

capability of interest to scientists 

for many reasons. Not only would 

comet sample analysis help fill in 

gaps in the scientific community’s 

understanding of how our solar 

system formed, but collecting comet 

surface samples is also a high 

priority identified by the National 

Research Council’s 2013–2022 Decadal Survey.

JPL’s system uses fiberscope imaging to measure 

a sample before it returns to Earth. A bundle 

of nine fiberscopes observes a comet sample 

soon after acquisition. If the sample quantity is 

insufficient, reacquisition is attempted until a large 

enough sample is obtained.

Testing the performance of the system’s 

fiberscope sample imager on ZERO-G’s 

parabolic flights validated TRL 6 (system/

subsystem model or prototyping demonstration 

in a relevant end-to-end environment) and 

helped ensure that the technology is capable 

of supporting the objectives of a potential 

Comet Surface Sample Return mission. Such 

a mission would seek to acquire and return to 

Earth for laboratory analysis a macroscopic 

(≥500 cm3

) comet nucleus surface sample. 

Biosleeve Gesture Control Interface 

T0161 and T0185

The Biosleeve Gesture Control Interface for 

Telerobotics is a gesture-recognition system that 

translates arm, hand, and finger movements into 

computer commands that can be used to remotely 

control systems, such as a robotic arm or rover. 

It has the potential to be embedded in clothing 

worn by astronauts working on the International 

Space Station (ISS) and for other missions.

The parabolic flights helped JPL’s researchers 

understand the gesture-recognition performance 

of the Biosleeve in a microgravity environment. 

They collected operational data that will influence 

the future design, development, and test program 

as the technology advances toward other flight 

testing, including a possible ISS test mission.

Researchers evaluate the performance of their Biosleeve 

prototype on a parabolic flight with ZERO-G. Credit: NASA

The research team for the Comet Sample 

Verification System poses with their payload in 

the cabin of ZERO-G’s parabolic aircraft. 

Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation
13Flight Opportunities Impacts

Monitoring Technology 

Could Allow Multiple 

Systems to Be 

Flown Together 

An FY2017 flight on Masten Space Systems’ 

Xodiac platform tested an environmental 

monitoring experiment that may allow for 

multiple technologies on the same vehicle 

while checking for possible interference from 

electrical and magnetic sources. The November 

2016 flight carried an electromagnetic field 

measurement experiment dubbed JANUS 

(T0015)—after the Roman god of transitions 

and new beginnings—from the Johns Hopkins 

University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). 

This was the first flight for the JANUS 

system, which will ultimately facilitate routine 

integration and flight testing of multiple future 

experiments and technology demonstrations. 

For this flight, Masten’s Xodiac carried the 

measurement experiment, reaching an 

altitude of approximately 1,476 feet.

By allowing multiple experiments to be flown 

together, JANUS may ultimately save time and 

lower the costs of such flight demonstrations. 

Researchers prepare 

the JANUS experiment 

for a demonstration 

on Masten’s Xodiac 

platform at the Mojave 

Air & Space Port. 

Credit: NASA

This initial flight is JHU APL’s first step into “

a new era of exploiting commercial suborbital 

low-cost access to space for scientific research 

and technology development. NASA’s Flight 

Opportunities program offers a critical 

pathway toward achieving these goals.

Dr. H. Todd Smith, senior scientist and ”

JANUS principal investigator, JHU APL
14

World View Successfully Demonstrates Advanced 

Altitude Control Technology 

Long-duration stratospheric research missions 

could allow scientists to collect vast amounts 

of data continuously for their payloads. Such 

missions could benefit NASA by maturing future 

space technology as well as allowing for Earth 

observations, such as storm monitoring and 

forest fire tracking.

Previously, technological challenges have limited 

the duration of balloon flights in the stratosphere 

due to the lack of trajectory control necessary 

for longer flights. Now, a system developed by 

World View Enterprises promises the capability 

to perform large altitude changes to achieve 

meaningful trajectory control of balloon flights in 

the stratosphere.

World View’s novel altitude control technology 

(T0169) was demonstrated in flight tests in FY2017, 

validating the system’s capability and putting World 

View one step closer to shifting the status quo of 

lack of altitude control.

World View has been diligent in its development of 

the altitude control technology, which is just one 

component in a complex network of advances 

making up the company’s Stratollite system. The 

system acts as a satellite for the stratosphere 

but provides more coverage—the instrument can 

sustain observation of a specific point within 

about 100 miles of a target. 

During the FY2017 demonstrations on the 

Stratollite, all proposed success criteria were 

met, including demonstrating altitude changes, 

maintaining altitude levels during periods of both 

high and low solar elevation, and showing that the 

system is able to perform station keeping over a 

24-hour flight. 

In addition to achieving its primary objectives, the 

vehicle also performed a large altitude excursion 

of 25,000 feet, limited only by the commercial 

airspace ceiling. The flight test raised the 

technology readiness level (TRL) of the Stratollite 

system to TRL 9 (actual system “mission proven” 

through successful mission operations). 

World View personnel prepare their advanced altitude control 

technology for a flight test on the Stratollite high-altitude 

balloon system. Credit: World View Enterprises

The end goal is to be 

“

able to fly these for 

six, nine, even 12 

months at a time so 

researchers can gather 

months of data and 

have a very high 

level of confidence 

that their system 

is going to work.

Iain Beveridge, 

principal investigator, 

”

World View Enterprises
15Flight Opportunities Impacts

By making meaningful shifts between altitudes 

as needed within a given trajectory, World View’s 

system may be able to support much longer 

balloon missions than previously possible, with 

significant implications for scientific payload 

testing. With an operational cost of less than one 

percent that of sending payloads to space, longduration balloon flights have the potential to save 

significant time and cost, and lower complexity. 

The value beyond payload testing is also clear: 

Long-duration altitude control can be used for 

weather monitoring, forest fire tracking, disaster 

relief efforts, maritime surveillance, and possibly 

homeland security missions.

World View is continuing development of this 

technology, with a 2018 manifest that includes an 

increasing number of payload providers interested 

in this platform capability.

The World View 

Stratollite is shown 

here in its stand-up 

configuration prior to 

launch. Credit: World 

View Enterprises

Rather than flying multiple flights, World 

“

View’s technology may enable researchers 

to achieve their goals with a single longduration flight. This capability will also enable 

experiments requiring long-term exposure, 

which are currently very difficult to achieve.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program

Paul De León, campaign manager, 

”
16

Transitions to Orbital Demonstrations

Researchers aim to advance many technologies matured through Flight Opportunities 

demonstrations for further development and use in low-Earth orbit (LEO)—an operational 

environment allowing further maturation along the technology readiness level (TRL) path 

beyond the threshold of suborbital space. 

Platforms in LEO include the International Space Station (ISS) and automated free-flying CubeSats. 

Successful demonstrations on these platforms enable technologies to advance to TRL 7 and higher, moving 

them closer to inclusion in future NASA missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. 

In FY2017, several technologies previously demonstrated through Flight Opportunities made significant 

progress along the LEO demonstration path. The following is a sampling.

Radiation Tolerant Computer System Completes a Year of ISS Testing 

without faults, achieving TRL 7. Although 

further analysis is needed, the demonstration 

provided the team with critical information 

about additional instrumentation needs. 

Next for the technology is a demonstration on a 

stand-alone 3U CubeSat called RadSat-g, which 

is slated to be deployed into LEO from the ISS in 

summer 2018.

Following suborbital demonstrations in 2014 

and 2016, Montana State University’s Radiation 

Tolerant Computing System (RadSat) (T0088) was 

delivered to the ISS in December 2016 for one 

year of testing. 

Funded by NASA’s Established Program to 

Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the 

ISS demonstration evaluated the novel computer 

architecture’s resistance 

to the harmful effects 

of space radiation. The 

experiment was powered 

down in December 

2017 and is scheduled 

to return to Earth in 

2018 to be examined 

for radiation damage. 

Preliminary results show 

that the experiment 

ran for long durations 

(months at a time) 

Montana State University’s RadSat 

experiment is installed on the ISS. 

Credit: Montana State University

The opportunity to 

“

demonstrate our 

computer system 

on a suborbital 

vehicle through the 

Flight Opportunities 

program was 

instrumental in 

maturing our 

technology to 

TRL 6. The ISS was 

the perfect platform 

for the next stage of 

our development.

Brock LaMeres, 

principal investigator, 

”

Montana State 

University
17Flight Opportunities Impacts

Gecko-Like Adhesives Show Successful Stickiness on the ISS 

In looking for adhesives for space-based missions, 

innovators from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

(JPL) zeroed in on the bottom of geckos’ feet, 

which have tiny hairs that enable them to cling 

to surfaces with ease. These hairs formed the 

basis for the Gecko Grippers (T0135), featuring 

a synthetic hair-like material with sticking power 

unaffected by temperature, pressure, and radiation.

Following successful suborbital demonstrations 

in 2014 and 2015 aboard NASA’s C-9B aircraft, 

the Gecko Grippers were tested on the ISS in 

2016 and 2017 to validate their performance in 

a long-duration microgravity environment and 

demonstrate their readiness for future 

space-based missions. 

Test results show that a Gecko Gripper with 

two 5x5-cm pads supported a maximum of 

39 N of force and showed no degradation of 

capability after remaining in operation for two 

weeks. A smaller model with two 2.5x2.5-cm 

pads supported a maximum of 19 N of force and 

showed similarly consistent performance.

Next steps include ongoing efforts by Stanford 

University to integrate the technology on a freefloating robot called Astrobee for another interior 

ISS test as well as performing exterior ISS testing.

This artist’s concept 

image shows how an 

inspection robot could 

stick to the outside of 

the ISS using a geckoinspired gripping system. 

Credit: NASA
18

Freeze Casting Ceramic and Metallic Foams on a CubeSat and the ISS 

Freeze casting in microgravity is a novel 

materials-processing technique with the 

potential to provide scalable, affordable inspace manufacturing of materials and structures. 

Numerous advantages for space exploration 

include reduced launch costs and enabling 

transport of raw materials to build structures 

that would otherwise be too large to launch. 

Parabolic demonstrations of Northwestern 

University’s microgravity freeze-casting 

experiments (T0100 and T0149) in 2013, 2014, and 

2016 showed promising results for the manufacture 

of titanium-oxide (ceramic) and titanium (metal) 

foams and resulted in the team receiving additional 

NASA funding to move the research into LEO. 

Demonstrations are planned on both a CubeSat 

and the ISS.

In collaboration with the University of Illinois at 

Urbana-Champaign, the team designed a sixmonth CubeSat mission (dubbed SpaceICE). While 

parabolic flight limited freezing times to within 

10 seconds, the CubeSat platform will allow testing 

a range of freezing velocities. SpaceICE was 

selected and manifested for launch through NASA’s 

CubeSat Launch Initiative.

The experiment was also selected by NASA’s 

Physical Sciences Research Program as part of 

NASA’s Materials Lab Open Science Campaign, 

which will support a demonstration on the ISS in 

2022. For this sample return mission, samples 

will be solidified in microgravity and returned to 

Northwestern for microstructural investigations. 

With this experiment, the team hopes to learn more 

about the effect of gravity during solidification by 

comparing microstructures of samples solidified on 

the ISS to those solidified under normal terrestrial 

conditions such as a ground-based lab.

Researchers from Northwestern University and Los Alamos 

National Laboratory work with the freeze-casting process during 

a parabolic flight. Credit: NASA

What we’ve learned 

“

through the Flight 

Opportunities 

program testing has 

put us in a position 

to better design our 

experiment for the 

CubeSat. In the two 

years we spent with 

the program, we were 

able to continue to 

improve our process 

and understanding—

and that puts us 

in a much better 

position to actually 

succeed with the 

CubeSat testing.

David Dunand, 

”

James N. and Margie 

Krebs Professor of 

Materials Science 

and Engineering, 

Northwestern 

University
19Flight Opportunities Impacts

Payload Isolation Technology Performs Successfully in ISS Demonstration

Controlled Dynamics Inc.’s (CDI’s) highperformance facility for microgravity research 

and submicroradian stabilization—the Vibration 

Isolation Platform (T0077)—was originally designed 

to be integrated into suborbital reusable launch 

vehicles (sRLVs). The aim of the technology was 

to provide quiescent environments for research 

payloads on the order of 1 micro-g rms or better 

over a broadband frequency range during the coast 

phase of an sRLV flight. The result was a reduction 

in the ambient flight environment by over two 

orders of magnitude during operation. 

Suborbital flight demonstrations completed 

through the Flight Opportunities program 

provided data that backed up CDI’s research 

studies showing that this non-contact isolation 

approach was capable of achieving the best 

possible payload isolation during flight—helping to 

improve payload performance and stability during 

demonstrations. The success of CDI’s suborbital 

flight research qualified the technology to be 

demonstrated aboard the ISS. 

Through a 2015 grant awarded by the Center for 

the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), 

the payload (now known as the Programmable 

Isolation Mount) was delivered to the ISS in the 

Cygnus OA-5 vehicle in October 2016. After 

several months in storage, it was installed in 

April 2017 and operated for 130 days until it was 

uninstalled in August 2017. The flight experiment 

successfully tuned and characterized on-orbit 

operation and configuration of the isolation 

technology, using an interface for command and 

control from a remote ground workstation. Final 

performance characterizations are pending as the 

payload and final flight data logs are in transit back 

to CDI for analysis. 

CDI is also building on this 

foundation of suborbital and 

orbital demonstration with 

a NASA Phase I/II Small 

Business Innovation Research 

(SBIR) contract with NASA’s 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

(JPL) to develop the platform 

for deep space optical 

communication links. These 

provide higher data transfer 

rates with lower mass, power, 

and volume than conventional 

radio-frequency links. Current 

tests and analyses have 

advanced the technology 

to TRL 4, and SBIR Phase II 

work is ongoing to continue 

development and prototype 

testing in a simulated lowgravity environment.

The Vibration Isolation 

Platform is shown here, ready 

for suborbital demonstration. 

Credit: Controlled Dynamics, Inc.
20

Materials International 

Space Station Experiment 

NASA’s Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) enables researchers to test 

long-term exposure of materials—such as composites and polymeric specimens—to the 

harsh space environment. 

Hosted on the International Space Station (ISS), 

the MISSE flight facility allows researchers to 

assess how long-term exposure to the extreme 

environment of space affects the performance 

of their materials. This information can be 

applied to the design of future exploration 

vehicles, systems, and components needed 

for long-duration space missions. 

Flown 220 miles above Earth and fixed to the 

exterior of the ISS, MISSE hosts innovative 

experiments for long durations, subjecting them 

to extreme levels of solar and charged-particle 

radiation, atomic oxygen, 

temperature extremes, 

micrometeoroids, orbital 

debris, and contamination. 

Subjecting materials to 

these conditions gives 

researchers unprecedented 

insight into developing 

durable materials for 

spacecraft, flight hardware, 

and even astronaut clothing. 

Because such research 

is difficult to simulate 

effectively in ground-based 

laboratories, the MISSE 

program provides NASA 

and its partners with crucial 

insight into the challenges of protecting astronaut 

health, establishing a sustained human presence in 

space, and designing more resilient spacecraft for 

long-duration space missions. 

Since its inception in 2001, MISSE has facilitated 

the testing of more than 4,000 material samples. 

These have included composites, lubricants, 

paints, fabrics, container seals, and solar cells. 

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program currently 

manages the selection of NASA-led research 

payloads for the MISSE program. 

Kim de Groh (left) of NASA’s Glenn Research Center and 

Sheila Thibeault of NASA’s Langley Research Center 

pose with their material samples, slated to be tested on a 

MISSE mission in 2018. Credit: NASA
21Flight Opportunities Impacts

MISSE-9 Set to Debut New Flight Facility

In FY2017, the MISSE program adopted a new 

flight facility to expose material samples to the 

space environment. The MISSE flight facility was 

co-funded by the International Space Station 

Program Office and Alpha Space Test & Research 

Alliance, which also built and integrated the 

hardware and manages payload integration and 

testing. Forty percent of the space is allocated for 

material samples from NASA researchers, while the 

remaining 60 percent is offered to commercial and 

non-NASA organizations to test their specimens. 

The new flight facility will debut during the 

MISSE-9 mission. It will be mounted on the ISS, 

and samples will remain in the facility for at least 

one year before returning to Earth for analysis. 

A Hardware Evolution

MISSE has been a successful part of ISS research 

since 2001, when its original hardware became 

the first payload installed on the outside of the 

space station. The original suitcase-style design 

opened to form a platform that was used to expose 

samples to the space environment.

The newly designed flight facility features a box 

configuration, enabling exposure of all four sides: 

ram, wake, zenith, and nadir orientations. 

Facilitating Significant Data Acquisition

Material specimens on the MISSE-9 mission are 

pursuing a range of research goals, including: 

Improving Model Predictions for 

Material Performance

Researchers from NASA’s Glenn Research Center 

will continue adding to flight data from their 

previous MISSE missions to predict the erosion of 

new polymers, composites, and coatings in space. 

The data should also help improve predictions of 

component lifetimes in space.

Evaluating Space-Based 3D Printed Materials

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center researchers 

will study several additively manufactured (3D 

printed) materials in an effort to advance spacebased manufacturing. The ISS has housed a 

3D printer since 2014, and during MISSE-9 

researchers will investigate its capabilities for 

supporting longer missions by evaluating how 3D 

printed materials hold up in space. 

Supporting STEM Educational Outreach

MISSE-9 continues NASA’s tradition of fostering 

education in science, technology, engineering, 

and math (STEM) with an experiment from the 

University of Delaware. Faculty and students are 

working to improve astronaut spacesuits with 

textiles intercalated with shear-thickening fluid, 

aiding resistance to damage from orbital debris. 

The new MISSE flight facility hardware was designed and 

implemented by Alpha Space Test & Research Alliance. The 

four-sided structure offers more space for material samples 

from NASA researchers and commercial organizations. 

Credit: Alpha Space Test & Research Alliance
22

MISSE-10 and MISSE-11 Selections Announced

In FY2017, Flight Opportunities announced the selection of NASA material specimens that will fly on the 

MISSE-10 and MISSE-11 missions. These projects will add to the substantial body of data gathered about 

material durability already acquired through the MISSE program. 

From materials that will aid future human exploration of Mars to those under consideration for NASA’s 

Orion mission, these specimens are of significant interest to NASA as it ushers in a new era of 

deep-space exploration. 

MISSE-10 

 Polymers and Composites Experiment 

NASA’s Glenn Research Center

This experiment aims to determine the lowEarth orbit (LEO) atomic oxygen erosion 

yield, level of LEO contamination, and other 

measurements. The findings will be compared 

with data from similar samples flown on 

previous MISSE missions, the Long-Duration 

Exposure Facility flown in the 1980s, and 

the Hubble Space Telescope’s TeflonTM 

insulation. The experiment aims to advance the 

technology readiness level (TRL) of polymers, 

composites, and inorganic pigment-filled 

spacecraft materials and sensor materials.

 High-Efficiency, Low-Mass 

Solar Cell Systems 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Researchers will test flexible Lightweight 

Integrated Solar Array and Transceiver (LISA-T) 

solar cell assemblies. These thin-film, lowmass, low-volume solar arrays aim to address 

power generation limitations for small satellites. 

 Radiation Protection Technologies 

Demonstration 

NASA’s Langley Research Center

This three-technology experiment aims to 

(1) demonstrate high-hydrogen radiation 

shielding materials, (2) validate the performance 

of radiation-sensitive field effect transistor 

(RADFET) dosimeters, and (3) test an 

experimental methodology that could be used 

in future MISSE-based or CubeSat experiments 

for demonstrating such technologies.

 Innovative Coatings Experiment 

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

This experiment will evaluate the optical 

stability and performance of three types 

of next-generation coatings—thermal 

control, molecular absorber, and low surface 

energy—designed to improve thermal design, 

environmental compatibility, and contamination 

control for future NASA missions. 

 Teflon is a trademark of The Chemours Company.

“

”

On the ground, we can test for one condition and then another and so forth, but we 

can’t test for these things all at the same time in the way they exist in space. That’s why 

we really need to test these material specimens in the actual space environment.

Dr. Sheila Thibeault, engineer and co-pioneer of the MISSE program, NASA’s Langley Research Center
MISSE-11 

 3D-MAT On-Orbit Exposure 

NASA’s Ames Research Center

This experiment aims to assess the effects 

of LEO exposure on a new structural ablative 

composite heat shield material developed by 

NASA specifically to meet the requirements of 

the Orion mission.

 Electrodynamic Dust Shield Experiment 

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

This active dust mitigation technology 

uses dynamic electric fields to remove 

dust from surfaces. The experiment 

will test its performance under longduration space exposure.

 Space Qualification Studies of Quad 

Photodiode, Focal Plane Array, and 

Solar Paint 

NASA’s Langley Research Center

This experiment will evaluate the impact of 

the space environment on the performance of 

various technologies for imaging, sensing, and 

power generation.

 Risk Reduction for Mars Ice Home Materials 

NASA’s Langley Research Center

This experiment will help researchers 

evaluate a candidate material for a Martian 

habitat, including its strength, flexibility, 

mass erosion yield, and transparency 

to light in the visible range.

 Materials Experiment for 

Long-Duration Exploration 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Determination of atomic oxygen erosion yield 

and optical property changes due to the LEO 

environment is the aim of this experiment, 

which will evaluate a variety of materials 

proposed for use in NASA missions and other 

space applications.

This artist’s concept shows what the Mars Ice Home habitat might 

look like on the surface of the Red Planet. Candidate materials for 

the structure will be tested on MISSE-11. Credit: NASA
24

Small Launch Vehicle 

Technology Development 

Through public-private partnerships, Flight Opportunities supported the development of 

affordable U.S. commercial capabilities for dedicated small satellite launches. 

NASA’s interest is focused on accelerating the development of commercial capabilities that improve 

efficiency and reduce the time and cost of human exploration and robotic missions. By providing access to 

NASA expertise and facilities, the agency is enabling development of new capabilities for the small launch 

vehicle industry, while helping to achieve the goals of current and future NASA missions. 

Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO) partnerships and Tipping Point cost-contribution 

contracts are two primary mechanisms through which NASA provided resources to aid industry partners in 

maturing key dedicated small satellite launch technologies. ACO partnerships involve a non-reimbursable 

Space Act Agreement (SAA) between NASA and the industry partner. These agreements enable NASA 

centers to provide technical expertise and test facilities, as well as hardware and software, to commercial 

companies for the purpose of accelerating the development of promising technologies. The Tipping Point 

program facilitates U.S. industry–led space technology demonstration projects executed through costcontribution firm, fixed-price contracts.

ACO Partnership Highlights

In November 2015, the first five public-private 

partnerships with U.S. companies, valued at 

$5.6 million of NASA contribution, were selected 

through the ACO 2015 solicitation. In September 

2017, three additional partnerships were selected 

as part of ACO 2017. Flight Opportunities is 

responsible for the project management of 

these ACO partnerships.

Significant project advancements were made 

in FY2017.

This is a significant 

“

accomplishment for 

Vector and for NASA’s 

initiatives to advance 

enabling technologies 

for suborbital and 

orbital small launch 

vehicles. NASA’s 

role in helping the 

industry develop 

small satellite launch 

capabilities through 

the ACO awards 

enables companies 

such as Vector to 

offer this capability 

to the commercial 

marketplace sooner.

Ron Young, 

”

program manager, 

Flight Opportunities

A rocket ascends from the 

launch pad for an engine 

test. Credit: Vector Space 

Systems
25Flight Opportunities Impacts

Vector Space Systems: Using 3D Printing to 

Cut Development Time and Costs

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is 

making it increasingly possible to manufacture 

complex parts critical to rocket launches in 

less time and at a lower cost. In turn, these 

savings may result in lower costs for researchers 

looking to test their payloads on the next 

generation of small orbital launch vehicles. 

Through its partnership with NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center, Vector Space Systems is 

advancing its goals of delivering increased access 

for research organizations looking to launch 

microsatellites more affordably and at a higher 

frequency than previously possible. The partnership 

is enabling Vector to leverage Marshall’s 

capabilities in additive manufacturing to fabricate 

and flight test an integrated injector for a 5,000 

lbf-thrust liquid oxygen/propylene rocket engine. 

From December 2016 to August 2017, Vector 

successfully completed three important milestones: 

A ground hot-fire test of Marshall’s injector; launch 

of its first vehicle for a low-altitude test flight using 

Marshall’s injector; and a vehicle flight test of a 

second injector produced by Marshall. 

A 3D-printed injector from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center 

is hot-fire tested by Vector using liquid oxygen/propylene 

propellant. Credit: Vector Space Systems 

Generation Orbit: Advancing Reusability for 

Air-Based Launches

Generation Orbit’s (GO) partnership with NASA’s 

Armstrong Flight Research Center involves 

a flight test campaign for the company’s 

GOLauncher 1 Inert Test Article (GO1-ITA), a 

mass properties and aerodynamics simulator. 

Researchers plan to launch GOLauncher 1—a 

single-stage liquid rocket—from a Gulfstream 

III, which is capable of delivering payloads of 

up to 1,000 pounds on high-altitude suborbital 

and suppressed hypersonic trajectories. 

This public-private partnership represents a major 

step forward in the ability to launch rockets from 

an aircraft to achieve reusability in small orbital 

launch services. In addition, the air-launched 

rockets are much smaller and less expensive 

than ground-launched rockets, lowering the 

size, cost, and weight of every launch. 

In FY2017 the company delivered the GO1-ITA 

to Armstrong, where it underwent ground and 

telemetry testing and preparation for integration 

with the Gulfstream aircraft. In December 2017, 

Armstrong successfully completed a series of flight 

tests simulating abort release of the ITA. The flights 

validated GO’s simulation models and exercised 

its concept of operations. The flights also validated 

Armstrong’s engineering analysis of computational 

fluid dynamics and aircraft flutter and control.

NASA’s C-20A undergoes a flight test with Generation Orbit’s 

hypersonic pod attached. Credit: NASA
26

Virgin Orbit: Increasing Payload Carrying 

Capacity for Air Launches

Virgin Orbit collaborated with NASA’s Ames 

Research Center to mature critical areas of 

development for the air-launched LauncherOne 

vehicle. Virgin Orbit leveraged the center’s 

specific expertise in aerothermodynamics, 

aircraft simulation, and enabling technologies 

for small satellite launch vehicles. 

LauncherOne is designed to deliver 

approximately 300–500 kg of payload to lowEarth orbit. After its release from a modified 

Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, LauncherOne uses 

an expendable two-stage liquid-propulsion 

rocket to launch the vehicle to a high altitude, 

where it releases its payloads into orbit. 

In FY2017, Ames successfully completed all 

three tasks that were part of the SAA, including 

aerothermodynamics analysis of integrated 

carrier aircraft and launch vehicle, carrier 

aircraft simulation, and conceptual design 

of a payload adaptor for small satellites. 

LauncherOne is shown being carried by Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl 

carrier aircraft. Credit: Virgin Orbit

Dynetics: Developing and Testing a New 

Peroxide/Kerosene Engine

Dynetics partnered with NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center to design and fabricate 

a 1,000 lbf-thrust peroxide/kerosene upperstage engine. By combining their capabilities, 

the ACO partners are expected to get over 

a technology development hurdle.

Testing is being conducted at Marshall to 

verify engine performance parameters. In 

FY2017, Marshall and Dynetics completed 

an initial test series. A second round of 

testing is to be completed in FY2018, 

with the test stand being upgraded to 

accommodate new engine thrust levels.

As a result of initial engine testing, Dynetics was 

able to secure an engine development contract, 

enabling the small company to take a significant 

step toward becoming an engine supplier.

Dynetics performs an engine hot-fire test at NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center using peroxide/kerosene propellant. 

Credit: NASA

With these new 

“

partnerships, we are 

not only enabling our 

industry partners, 

but we’re proving that 

they’re instrumental 

in maturing critical 

space technologies 

aligned with NASA’s 

strategic goals. These 

partnerships support 

the innovation 

economy, create U.S. 

jobs, and provide 

critical capabilities 

for future exploration 

and science missions.

Steve Jurczyk, 

”

associate 

administrator, NASA
27Flight Opportunities Impacts

UP Aerospace: Advancing from Suborbital to 

Orbital Capabilities

Through its ACO partnership with NASA’s Marshall 

Space Flight Center, UP Aerospace is leveraging 

the center’s capabilities to accelerate the design 

and lower the costs of high-efficiency, upper-stage 

solid rocket motors (SRMs) for Spyder, its orbital 

small launch vehicle currently under development.

The partnership is enabling UP Aerospace to 

move from providing only suborbital capabilities 

to venturing into the orbital market. The 

technology development work on the SRMs 

during FY2017 prepared the company to 

leverage its Tipping Point award, which will 

demonstrate other key elements of Spyder. In 

2016, UP Aerospace’s propellant manufacturer 

suffered an accident in its manufacturing facility. 

As a result, the progress of this ACO task 

has been delayed. UP Aerospace has since 

developed a new propellant manufacturing 

facility at its Spaceport America, New Mexico, 

site and will resume work on this ACO effort.

Researchers conduct a rocket motor qualification test at the 

Space Propulsion Center, Spaceport America, New Mexico.

Credit: UP Aerospace

ACO 2017 Partnerships

ACO 2017 partnerships were awarded in 

September 2017, with project execution 

initiating in FY2018. Three companies were 

selected for ACO Topic 1: Small Launch 

Vehicle Technology Development: 

 LauncherOne Small Launch Vehicle 

Propulsion Advancement 

Virgin Orbit partnering with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight 

Center and NASA’s Glenn Research Center

A continuation of its ACO 2015 work, the 

scope of the partnership focuses on additive 

manufacturing of liquid rocket ending thrust 

chambers and nozzles, integrating materials 

expertise from Marshall and Glenn with Virgin 

Orbit equipment and engineering. The outcome 

of this work could potentially be deployed on 

existing Virgin Orbit manufacturing machines 

and be quickly commercialized.

 Propulsion System and Second-Stage 

Structural Loads Interaction Test Platform 

Relativity Space partnering with NASA’s Stennis 

Space Center 

The partnership aims to further the 

development of innovative orbital launch 

vehicle additive manufacturing technologies. 

The partners will investigate a 3D printed 

pressure-fed propulsion system and secondstage structural vibration and acoustic load 

interactions in hot-fire testing at Stennis’ test 

stand E3-C2.

 Spyder Technology Guidance 

Navigation and Control Affordable 

Vehicle Avionics (AVA) Development

UP Aerospace partnering with NASA’s Ames 

Research Center 

UP Aerospace is leveraging this partnership 

to pursue risk reduction activities. Ames will 

provide launch vehicle simulation, guidance, 

navigation, and control software and AVA 

hardware for both ground testing and 

suborbital flight.
28

Tipping Point Project Highlights

Through its annual “Utilizing Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Tipping Point Technologies” solicitation, 

NASA seeks U.S. industry–led proposals for space technology demonstration projects executed through 

firm, fixed-price contracts with milestone payments. A space technology is at a “tipping point” if an 

investment in a ground or flight demonstration will result in a significant advancement of the technology’s 

maturation and a significant improvement in the company’s ability to successfully bring the technology 

to market. 

Six companies were selected for Tipping Point contracts in June 2017 with project activities commencing 

in late FY2017.

HRL Laboratories, LLC

HRL Laboratories will develop additive 

manufactured high-temperature ceramic materials 

applicable to rocket engine components. Working 

with its subcontractor Vector Space Systems, HRL 

will then mature these materials via a hot-fire test 

of a high-performance liquid oxygen/propylene 

rocket engine. 

In 2017, HRL made progress on both material 

and manufacturing process development. The 

company has acquired a large ceramic parts 

printing machine to enable the manufacturing 

of 1,000 lbf-thrust size chamber and nozzle. In 

addition, HRL has manufactured a subscale thrust 

chamber, which successfully underwent hot-fire 

testing by Vector.

Masten Space Systems, Inc.

Masten Space Systems is developing a 

25,000 lbf-thrust liquid oxygen/methane Mars 

lander engine, which incorporates advanced 

additive manufacturing techniques. When 

successfully demonstrated, these techniques will 

reduce both the costs of building the hardware and 

the technology development cycle time. 

In FY2017, Masten conducted its 25,000 lbf-thrust 

liquid oxygen/methane engine hot-fire test for 

its second-generation engine design, achieving 

one of its development milestones. Masten has 

four generations of engine design development 

evolution planned as part of this Tipping Point 

effort. The company aims to position itself as an 

independent propulsion (engine) system supplier 

Masten conducts a 

hot-fire test of its liquid 

oxygen/methane Mars 

lander engine. Credit: 

Masten Space Systems
29Flight Opportunities Impacts

to vehicle manufacturers. Once this technology 

is matured, the industry will benefit from the 

availability of these commercial-off-the-shelf 

components, which can help accelerate the 

development of other promising technologies.

Northrup Grumman 

Northrup Grumman is incorporating carbon 

nanotube (CNT)-infused composite structures to 

evaluate their impact on launch vehicle structural 

damping during flight. Improvements to structural 

damping could be revolutionary for launch 

vehicle design. This activity will include building 

subsystem-level prototypes and executing flightlike testing. Later, the company will build full-scale 

flight structures and complete end-to-end testing 

with either ground and/or flight tests.

In FY2017, Northrup Grumman built over 30 

CNT test coupons and evaluated the damping 

performance in vacuum conditions. They have 

also tested interlaminar tension coupons and 

completed the preliminary dynamic environment 

models correlated to test data.

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc.

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems will produce 

a commercial micro-avionics platform and 

create a real-time system for launch scenario 

simulation. Activities will include three test flights 

to demonstrate the micro-avionics platform. The 

company’s proposed Micro-Avionics Multi-Purpose 

Platform will provide a low-cost common avionics 

architecture supporting microsatellites, launch 

vehicles, and upper-stage carrier platforms. 

In FY2017, Tyvak worked with potential launch 

vehicle providers and NASA to complete 

development of project requirements and a 

systems requirements review.

UP Aerospace, Inc.

Aligned with its ACO work, UP Aerospace will 

demonstrate seven different technologies to 

reduce development risk of its in-development 

low-cost orbital small launch vehicle, Spyder. 

These technologies include a guidance, 

navigation, and control system; nose-fairing 

separation system; and lightweight staging 

system for Spyder. Activities will include 

ground testing and a suborbital flight test.

In FY2017, UP Aerospace completed its solid 

rocket motor manufacturing facility, which will 

support all Spyder motor propellant casting and 

hot-fire testing. The company also completed 

its detailed development schedule for each 

of the seven Tipping Point technologies. 

Ventions, LLC

Ventions is working to provide a liquid-bipropellant 

(LOX/RP-1), electric-pump fed, two-stage launch 

vehicle for low-cost and on-demand ground 

launch of small payloads. The vehicle is initially 

targeted for payloads in the 20- to 40-kg size 

class (and ultimately up to 100 kg), launching 

them to 250–750km in altitude, thereby reaching 

low-Earth orbit (LEO). The proposed launch 

vehicle uses components matured over more than 

10 years under projects funded by the Defense 

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and 

NASA. Ventions plans to complete development 

and initial flight testing of its launch vehicle for 

dedicated launch of small payloads before the 

end of the 18-month Tipping Point contract.

In FY2017, Ventions completed the initial 

program kickoff review with NASA. The company 

initiated the construction and assembly of its 

Transporter, Erector, Launch platform; propellant 

skids; and Launch Operations Control Center. 
30 ORBITEC Water Capture Device (WCD) Parabolic 

Flight Test. Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation
31

Flight 

Provider

Profiles
32

A view of Zero 

Gravity Corporation’s 

G-FORCE ONE 

parabolic aircraft 

during a research 

flight. Credit: NASA

Flight Providers Overview

Flight Opportunities flight providers offer researchers a wide variety of capabilities for flight 

testing their payloads. Suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs), parabolic aircraft, and 

high-altitude balloons all provide access to relevant space-like environments, helping to 

advance technologies for future missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, 

Mars, and beyond.

Flight providers execute flight services through the 

program via two mechanisms.

Flight Services for Researchers from Industry, 

Academia, and Research Institutes

Non–U.S. government researchers may submit 

proposals in response to the Space Technology 

Research, Development, Demonstration, and 

Infusion (REDDI) NASA Research Announcement 

Appendix F. REDDI grants provide funding for 

flights; researchers whose payload proposals are 

selected choose their own suitable commercial 

flight provider. Cost estimates for the requested 

flight services and the associated flight provider(s) 

are included in proposal submissions. 

Flight Services for U.S. Government Research

Flight Opportunities periodically solicits flight 

services from industry based on a set of required 

flight profile capabilities. Eligible flight providers 

are awarded Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity 

(IDIQ) contracts with NASA. Task orders for these 

services are issued based on the research goals 

and payload requirements of selected NASA and 

other U.S. government researchers. 

The flight providers showcased on the following pages directly impact the advancement of promising space 

technologies. In many cases, their collaboration with the Flight Opportunities program has also helped to 

advance their own businesses and market penetration, enabling them to provide flight services to other 

customers as well. 
33Flight Provider Profiles

“

Through the Flight Opportunities program, World View has been able to connect and work with many 

new and key customers to grow our high-altitude flight services business significantly. Through a REDDI 

grant, Flight Opportunities has also provided critical support for early-stage development of World View’s 

breakthrough navigable stratospheric vehicle, the Stratollite. The program’s continued support of commercial 

space development efforts is helping to usher in a new age of commercial exploration in the stratosphere 

and beyond.

Jane Poynter, chief executive officer, World View Enterprises

NSC has benefited 

greatly from being 

associated with NASA’s 

Flight Opportunities 

program. We have been 

providing similar flight 

test services to payload 

providers for more 

than 20 years, but the 

standardized structure 

of Flight Opportunities 

helps streamline the 

procurement process 

and facilitates the 

establishment of mission 

requirements and the 

services needed to 

meet them.

Tim Lachenmeier, president/

chief executive officer, 

Near Space Corporation

Flight Opportunities has been instrumental in helping Masten grow 

its business. Having a contract with NASA Flight Opportunities was 

essential in helping the company secure funding from investors. 

In addition, the technology development work Masten did to support 

Flight Opportunities payloads helped the company expand its capabilities, 

which in turn has allowed Masten to bid on and win additional 

government contracts.

Sean Mahoney, chief executive officer, Masten Space Systems

The technologies funded by Flight Opportunities are helping us to 

expand our commercial offerings. As a result of the work being done with 

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, we will soon offer a 

new interface option with direct space exposure, which is of interest 

to a variety of other customers.... The market development that 

is happening because of Flight Opportunities is resulting in business 

growth for our company.

Erika Wagner, business development manager, Blue Origin

”
34

Masten Space Systems

www.masten.aero

Headquarters: Mojave, California

Launch Facility: Mojave, California

Flight Platform Type: Vertical takeoff and vertical 

landing (VTVL)

Focus/Specialization: Flight testing of technologies 

that focus on precision 

entry, descent, and 

landing methods

Available Flight Platform

 Xodiac

 Primarily used for terrestrial 

demonstrations

 Ideal for testing lunar and Martian 

landing technologies

FY2017 Flights

Masten completed two flight campaigns for Flight 

Opportunities in FY2017, both on its Xodiac VTVL 

platform. Among the payloads demonstrated were 

the Navigation Doppler Lidar Sensor Demonstration 

for Precision Landing on Solar System Bodies from 

NASA’s Langley Research Center (part of COBALT, 

read more on page 10), the Fuel Optimal and Accurate 

Landing System (FOALS) from NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory, and Johns Hopkins University’s 

Electromagnetic Field Measurements Experiment. 

(Read more about this work on page 13.) The Xodiac VTVL platform. Credit: Masten Space Systems
35Flight Provider Profiles

World View Enterprises

www.worldview.space

Headquarters: Tucson, Arizona

Launch Facility: Tucson, Arizona, as well as 

mobilization capabilities for 

remote launches

Flight Platform Type: High-altitude balloons

Focus/Specialization: Payload testing for 

technologies requiring 

long-duration 

stratospheric access

Available Flight Platforms

 Stratollite

 Provides navigable and station-keeping 

high-altitude balloon flights for payload 

missions over customer-specific areas of 

interest for long durations (days, weeks, etc.)

 Reaches altitudes up to 29 km

 Accommodates a standard payload mass 

range of 0–50 kg (capable of heavier mass 

with customization) 

 Z-Class 

 Provides balloon flights at a fixed altitude 

for short durations (5 minutes to 12 hours) 

 Reaches altitudes up to 46 km

 Accommodates a payload mass range 

of 0–10,000 kg

FY2017 Flight

World View completed one flight campaign for Flight 

Opportunities in FY2017. The successful Stratollite 

flight was a milestone for testing the company’s novel 

balloon altitude control technology—a key factor in its 

ability to provide long-duration stratospheric missions 

for scientific payloads. (Read the full story on page 14.) The Stratollite high-altitude balloon system. 

Credit: World View Enterprises
36

Near Space Corporation

www.nsc.aero

Headquarters: Tillamook, Oregon

Launch Facilities: Tillamook, Oregon 

Madras, Oregon 

South Point, Hawaii 

Flight Platform Type: High-altitude balloons

Focus/Specialization: Extended-duration balloon 

flights in stratospheric 

conditions

Available Flight Platforms

 High-Altitude Shuttle System (HASS)

 Includes a special high-altitude remotely 

piloted shuttle for payload recovery, enabling 

rapid payload turnaround for reflight 

 Accommodates payloads up to 10 kg or 

5 kg per payload slot

 Reaches altitudes up to 28 km for flights 

up to 2 hours

 Nano Balloon System (NBS)

 Accommodates payloads with minimal 

integration requirements up to 40 kg or 3 kg 

per payload slot (10 slots available per flight)

 Reaches altitudes up to 30 km for flights 

up to 2 hours

 Small Balloon System (SBS)

 Includes a parachute payload 

recovery system

 Accommodates payloads up to 40 kg or 

20 kg per payload slot

 Reaches altitudes up to 30 km for flights 

up to 2 hours

FY2017 Flights

Near Space 

Corporation (NSC) 

completed two flights 

for Flight Opportunities 

in FY2017. One of 

these used NSC’s SBS 

qualified platform and 

the other used the 

HASS. The SBS flight 

successfully tested a 

prototype 1,090 MHz 

automatic dependent 

surveillance-broadcast 

(ADS-B) system for 

the Federal Aviation 

Administration (read 

more on page 6). The 

HASS flight was the 

second of a two-flight 

campaign begun in 

2016 to evaluate a 

low-cost suborbital 

reusable launch vehicle 

(sRLV) surrogate to 

evaluate the concept of 

operations associated 

with sRLV re-entry into 

the National Airspace System. Sub-payloads included 

an ADS-B/Mode-S transponder, an A/C band VHF 

radio, and a radar reflector. 

Non-standard services are available for these 

balloon systems as well, including longer durations 

(up to days or longer), higher altitudes (up to 40 

km), higher payload masses (up to thousands of 

kilograms), and custom payload configurations.

The High-Altitude Shuttle System carried 

by a high-altitude balloon. Credit: Near 

Space Corporation
37Flight Provider Profiles

Zero Gravity Corporation

www.gozerog.com

Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia

Launch Facility: Orlando, Florida 

Flight Platform Type: Parabolic aircraft

Focus/Specialization: Crewed parabolic flights 

for payload testing of 

academic and commercial 

technologies in reducedgravity conditions as well as 

consumer parabolic flights

FY2017 Flights

ZERO-G completed three flight campaigns for Flight 

Opportunities in FY2017. Seven notable academic 

and commercial payloads were demonstrated in the 

campaigns, including MIT’s MOJO-Micro robot; the 

Evolved Medical Microgravity Suction Device from 

Orbital Medicine, Inc.; and myriad other technologies 

with promise for contributing to long-term sustained 

human presence in space. (Read more about these 

technologies on pages 7–9.)

Available Flight Platform

 G-FORCE ONE

 Boeing 727-200F three-engine aircraft, 

modified for reduced-gravity environments

 Contains up to 34 seats for researchers 

and crew

 Includes an open research area 

approximately 67 feet long

 Offers 30 parabolas, with mix of Martian, 

lunar, and zero gravities

 Allows for 20–30 seconds of microgravity 

per parabola

 Provides flight durations of approximately 

2 hours

The G-FORCE ONE parabolic aircraft. 

Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation
38

Blue Origin

www.blueorigin.com

Headquarters: Kent, Washington

Launch Facility: West Texas 

Flight Platform Type: Vertical takeoff and vertical 

landing (VTVL)

Focus/Specialization: Testing for scientific 

payloads, including 

large sizes

Available Flight Platform

 New Shepard

 A fully reusable VTVL space vehicle

 Reaches an apogee of over 100 km, with 

approximately 3 minutes of high-quality 

microgravity exposure

 Provides payload lockers in two sizes, 

supporting experiments up to 22 kg

 Offers custom solutions for larger payloads

 Enables fast turnaround times from launch to 

recovery and potentially reflight 

Upcoming Flights

Blue Origin is slated to launch several Flight 

Opportunities program payloads in FY2018, including 

its first dedicated NASA payload manifest.

The New Shepard VTVL space 

vehicle. Credit: Blue Origin
39Flight Provider Profiles

UP Aerospace

www.upaerospace.com

Headquarters: Denver, Colorado

Launch Facility: Spaceport America, 

New Mexico 

Flight Platform Type: Suborbital reusable launch 

vehicles (sRLVs)

Focus/Specialization: Payload testing for 

microgravity research

Available Flight Platforms

 SpaceLoft XL

 Reaches an altitude of 115 km on average 

for commercial flights (160 km maximum 

altitude)

 Achieves typical flight durations of 13 

minutes, including 4 minutes of microgravity

 Accommodates payloads up to 36 kg

 Offers the option of payload ejection 

 Spyder (in development, read more on pages 

27 and 29)

 Expected to accommodate up to six 

1U-sized CubeSats (4x4x4 in. each)

 Projected to launch to an altitude of 200 km

Upcoming Flights

UP Aerospace is continuing its plans toward 

technology demonstration flights for the Flight 

Opportunities program in FY2018 and beyond. 

The SpaceLoft XL sRLV. 

Credit: NASA
40

Virgin Galactic

www.virgingalactic.com

Headquarters: Mojave, California

Launch Facility: Spaceport America, 

New Mexico 

Flight Platform Type: Air-launched suborbital 

space plane

Focus/Specialization: Scientific payload testing in 

microgravity environments 

as well as space tourism

Upcoming Flights

Virgin Galactic is slated to launch its first fully 

manifested payload flight for the Flight Opportunities 

program in FY2018. 

Available Flight Platform

 VSS Unity

 Mates to a carrier aircraft and takes off from 

a conventional runway, releasing from the 

carrier aircraft once appropriate altitude 

is reached

 Provides 3–4 minutes of microgravity 

per flight

 Enables quick recovery of payloads, with 

pre-flight and post-flight access within hours 

of a launch

 Offers payload capacity of 450+ kg 

The VSS Unity suborbital 

space plane. Credit: Virgin 

Galactic
41Flight Provider Profiles

Credit: World View Enterprises
42

42

NASA material samples selected for long-duration testing on the 

International Space Station as part of the Materials International 

Space Station Experiment (MISSE) program. Credit: NASA
43Program Highlights

Program

Highlights
44

Program Progress

In FY2017, Flight Opportunities completed eight suborbital flight campaigns and saw 

additions to the technology portfolio as well as progress for the MISSE program and small 

launch technology development. 

Specific achievements included: 

 Nine new technologies added to 

the Flight Opportunities portfolio for 

suborbital technology demonstration, 

bringing the total of new technologies 

to 186 since the program’s inception

 Completion of two REDDI solicitations and 

two NASA internal calls for technologies to 

be demonstrated in suborbital environments 

 Nine materials selections for two MISSE 

missions (MISSE-10 and MISSE-11)

 Significant progress on small launch 

capability development, including three 

Announcement of Commercial Opportunity 

and six Tipping Point projects selected

 Continued outreach and program 

awareness through conference presence, 

community networking, and publications

 Sustained collaboration across NASA 

organizations, including a notable alignment 

with the Space Technology Mission 

Directorate (STMD) strategic objectives

We have been and continue to be 

proud of the Flight O

“

pportunities 

team and extended community of 

flight providers, researchers, and 

partners whose efforts result in great 

breadth and depth of activities across 

the program—activities that we 

can quantify as having significant 

measurable impact year after year.

Ronald Young, pr

Flight Opportunities

”

ogram manager, 
45Program Highlights

Sustaining Significant Program Breadth and Impact 

With eight suborbital flight campaigns (made up of 14 separate flights) across a variety of platforms 

carrying a range of technology payloads, the Flight Opportunities program continued to demonstrate 

significant impact in FY2017. 

 8 Flight Campaigns in FY2017

Parabolic 3 Campaigns 3 Balloon 

Campaigns 2 

sRLV Campaigns

32 Payload-Flights*

24 3 5

4 Flight Providers 5 Vehicles Used 16*Technologies Flown 

* Some technologies flew more than once. Each time a technology flies in a particular configuration, 

it is considered a payload. Each time a payload flies, it is considered one payload-flight.
46

Technology Impact Areas

The eight flight campaigns in FY2017 helped 

to mature 16 technologies in a wide range of 

research areas.

Thermal 

Management 

Systems 

Avionics and 

Navigation

Entry, Descent, 

and Landing

Robotics

Propulsion

Information 

Technology 

Communications 

and Surveillance



Fluid 

Physics 

Space Power and 

Energy Storage 

Human Health, 

Life Support, and  Habitation Systems

In-Space  Manufacturing

Flight Date Flight Provider and Platform 

Nov 2, 2016 Masten Space Systems

Xodiac

Nov 15 – 

Nov 16, 2016

Zero Gravity Corporation 

G-FORCE ONE

Mar 21 –

Mar 24, 2017

Zero Gravity Corporation 

G-FORCE ONE

Mar 28 –

Mar 29, 2017

Zero Gravity Corporation 

G-FORCE ONE

Apr 6 and 

Apr 13, 2017

Masten Space Systems

Xodiac

May 19, 2017 Near Space Corporation 

Small Balloon System

Aug 27, 2017 World View Enterprises

Tycho-20

Sept 2, 2017 Near Space Corporation 

High Altitude Shuttle System
47Program Highlights

Payload Organization Principal Investigator

T0015 — Electromagnetic Field Measurements on 

Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV)

Johns Hopkins University 

Applied Physics Laboratory

H. Todd Smith

T0147 — Modal Propellant Gauging in Microgravity Carthage College Kevin Crosby

T0150 — Advancing Diaphragm Modeling Technology 

for Propellant Management

Purdue University Steven Collicott

T0162 — Evolved Medical Microgravity Suction Device Orbital Medicine, Inc. C. Marsh Cuttino

T0163 — MOJO-Micro: Multi-Orthogonal Jaunting Robot 

in Microgravity

Massachusetts Institute 

of Technology (MIT)

Neil Gershenfeld

T0167 — ORBITEC Water Capture Device Parabolic

Flight Test

Orbital Technologies Corp. 

(now Sierra Nevada Corp.)

David Hoerr

T0160 — Microgravity Propellant Gauging Using Modal 

Analysis: Phase II

Carthage College Kevin Crosby

T0163 — MOJO-Micro: Multi-Orthogonal Jaunting Robot 

in Microgravity

MIT Neil Gershenfeld

T0170 — Ground-Based Study of Gravity Effects on Flow 

Boiling Heat Transfer in Preparation for an 

ISS Flight Experiment

University of Maryland, 

College Park

Jungho Kim

T0172 — Development of a Revolutionary Approach for 

Efficient Microgravity Transfer Line Chilldown

University of Florida Jacob Chung

T0185 — Evaluation of the Biosleeve Gesture Control 

Interface for Telerobotics in Microgravity

NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory (JPL)

Christopher Assad

T0164 — Microgravity Testing of Comet Sample 

Verification System

JPL Risaku Toda

T0098 — Navigation Doppler Lidar Sensor Demonstration 

for Precision Landing on Solar System Bodies

NASA’s Langley 

Research Center

Farzin Amzajerdian

T0137 — Fuel Optimal and Accurate Landing System 

Test Flights

JPL Andrew Johnson

T0159 — 1,090 MHz Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) Demo

Federal Aviation 

Administration

Nick Demidovich

T0169 — A Novel Approach to Balloon Altitude Control 

for the Purpose of Stratospheric Balloon 

Trajectory Control

World View Enterprises Iain Beveridge

T0106 — Low-Cost Suborbital sRLV Surrogate to Test ADS-B GSSL Inc. Tim Lachenmeier
48

Supporting a Variety of Research Organizations 

Suborbital research payloads flown in FY2017 were led by principal investigators and research teams from 

a diverse array of organizations. 

Growing Our Geographic Impact 

The geographic reach of the Flight Opportunities suborbital technology demonstration efforts continues 

to expand, with involvement from flight providers and research organizations across nearly half of the U.S. 

since the program’s inception. In FY2017, additional launch locations expanded this impact even more.

4 1

11

9

10 5

40

2

3

1

5

1

2 7 8

3 4

19

4

5 13

Puerto Rico

2

2

16

4 States that currently or 

previously had technologies in 

the Flight Opportunities pool 

Number of payloads 

in each state

#

Active flight providers’ 

headquarters locations

Note: Four technologies were 

from international locations.

8 payload-flights from NASA 

17 payload-flights from universities

 6 payload-flights from commercial organizations

 1 payload-flight from other government agencies

1
49Program Highlights

Technology Solicitation Schedule 

In FY2017, Flight Opportunities added the established MISSE program calls 

to its schedule along with the Space Technology Research, Development, 

Demonstration, and Infusion (REDDI) solicitations and internal calls, 

as well as Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO) 

and Tipping Point activities. 

REDDI-2016 F1(B)

September 9, 2016

5 Selected FY17

NTRNL-APR-17

April 7, 2017

2 Selected

ACO17

February 2, 2017

3 Selected

NTRNL-OCT-16

October 3, 2016

2 Selected

REDDI-2017 F1(B)

September 22, 2017

6 Selected

FY16

Tipping Point 2016

August 10, 2016

6 Selected

MISSE-11

June 4, 2017

REDDI-2017 F1(A) 5 Selected

April 7, 2017

9 Selected

MISSE-10

December 20, 2016

4 Selected

Internal calls

External solicitations
50

Program Progress

With a diverse array of activities under its umbrella, Flight Opportunities tracks a variety 

of metrics each year to demonstrate the reach and impact of the program. These include 

the overall program budget, small launch capability development, suborbital technology 

demonstrations, flight campaigns, and selections for MISSE missions.

Budget

The Flight Opportunities budget has increased 

incrementally over the last three fiscal years—a 

reflection of the increased activities supported 

by the program, including suborbital flight 

demonstrations, MISSE selections, and small 

launch capability development collaborations. 

$10 M

FY2015

$11.2 M

FY2016

$15 M

FY2017

$15 M

FY2018

FY2015 FY2016 FY2017

Number of Partnerships Signed

ACO 5 3

Tipping Point 6

Small Launch Capability Development 

In recent years, Flight Opportunities has 

engaged in public-private partnerships 

with companies aiming to advance small 

launch capabilities. These partnerships are 

administered through NASA’s Announcement 

of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO) and 

Tipping Point mechanisms. (Read more about 

these partnerships on pages 24–29). 

“

”

The forward momentum and growth of the Flight Opportunities program can be seen in our metrics 

and successes as well as in the growth of our relationships with the suborbital launch community.

Robert Yang, program executive, Flight Opportunities
51Program Highlights

Campaigns by Provider

In FY2017, Flight Opportunities facilitated flights across a variety of platforms. 

FY2015 FY2016 FY2017

UP Aerospace 1 1

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility 1 1

Masten Space Systems 3 2

Near Space Corporation 2 2 2

World View Enterprises 1 1 1

Zero Gravity Corporation 2 3

NASA’s Reduced Gravity Office 5 2

TOTAL 13 9 8

sRLV

Balloon

Parabolic

Suborbital Technology Demonstration Portfolio

FY2015 FY2016 FY2017

Solicitations/Calls 1 4 3

Technologies Selected 7 21 9

Technologies Completed 29 10 24

Active Technologies at Year-End 61 52 58

A significant number of technologies 

completed their suborbital research 

objectives, readying them for the 

next phase of research. 

MISSE Selections

In late 2016, Flight Opportunities took on the role 

of administering proposal review and payload 

selection for the MISSE program, with the aim of 

ensuring that the process efficiently and effectively 

identifies the material specimens with the highest 

potential for these missions.

Number of Proposals Selected

Expected Launch Dates

MISSE-9

Spring 2018

6

MISSE-10

TBD

4

MISSE-11

TBD

5
52

Active Technologies Index

The following table shows all payloads that were matured in FY2017, have upcoming test flights planned, or were otherwise 

in an active status with the program as of the end of FY2017. Refer to the far right column for page numbers in which these 

payloads are mentioned.

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0001 Suborbital Flight Environment Monitor (SFEM) Steve Ord NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

Directed —

T0003 On-Orbit Propellant Storage Stability Sathya 

Gangadharan

Embry-Riddle 

Aeronautical University

AFO1 —

T0004 Printing the Space Future Jason Dunn Made In Space AFO1 —

T0015 Electromagnetic Field Measurements on 

Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV)

H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins 

University Applied 

Physics Laboratory

AFO1 —

T0020 Microgravity Multiphase Flow Experiment 

for Suborbital Testing (MFEST)

Kathryn M. Hurlbert NASA’s Johnson 

Space Center

AFO2 —

T0021 Application of Controlled Vibrations to 

Multiphase Systems

Ricard GonzalezCincaUniversity of Alabama–

Huntsville

AFO2 —

T0022 Environment Monitoring Suite on sRLV H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins 

University

AFO2 —

T0023 Measurement of the Atmospheric 

Background in the Mesosphere

Sean Casey Silicon Valley Space 

Center

AFO2 —

T0024 Radio Frequency Gauging of the 

Liquid Oxygen Tank on sRLV

Gregory A. Zimmerli NASA’s Glenn 

Research Center

AFO2 —

T0035 Near-Zero Gravity Cryogenic Line 

Chilldown Experiment in an sRLV

Jacob Chung University of Florida AFO3 8, 47

T0036 Collisions into Dust Experiment on a 

Commercial Suborbital Vehicle

Josh Colwell University of Central 

Florida

AFO3 —

T0045 Evaporative Heat Transfer Mechanisms Within a 

Heat Melt Compactor (EHeM HMC) Experiment

Eric Golliher NASA’s Glenn 

Research Center

AFO3 —

ORIGIN KEY

Directed: Flight Opportunities was directed to 

provide flight testing for the technology by a manager 

within the Flight Opportunities program and/or 

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

AFO1 through AFO8: The technology was 

selected from submissions to an Announcement 

of Flight Opportunity (AFO) solicitation. A total of 

eight AFO solicitations were offered.

REDDI-2014: These technologies were 

selected through the 2014 Research, 

Development, Demonstration, and 

Infusion (REDDI) solicitation.
53Active Technologies

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0052 Collection of Regolith Experiment (CORE) 

on a Commercial Suborbital Vehicle

Josh Colwell University of Central 

Florida

AFO3 —

T0053 Validating Telemetric Imaging Hardware 

for Crew-Assisted and Crew-Autonomous 

Biological Imaging in Suborbital Applications

Rob Ferl University of Florida AFO4 —

T0054 Stratospheric Parabolic Flight Technology Steven Collicott Purdue University AFO4 —

T0061 Flight Testing of a Universal Access Transceiver 

Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) Transmitter Prototype 

for Commercial Space Transportation 

Using Reusable Launch Vehicles

Richard Stansbury Embry-Riddle 

Aeronautical University

AFO5 —

T0064 Deployable Rigid Adjustable Guided Final 

Landing Approach Pinions (DRAG FLAPs)

Joey Oberholtzer Masten Space Systems AFO5 —

T0075 Exo-Atmospheric Aerobrake Marc Murbach NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

Directed —

T0076 Demonstration of Vertically Aligned Carbon 

Nanotubes for Earth Climate Remote Sensing

H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins 

University

NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

—

T0077 Facility for Microgravity Research and 

Submicroradian Stabilization Using sRLVs

Scott Green Controlled Dynamics NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

19

T0079 Autonomous Flight Manager for Humanin-the-Loop Immersive Simulation and 

Flight Test of Terrestrial Rockets

Rick Loffi Draper Laboratory NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

—

T0081 Demonstration of Variable Radiator Richard "Cable" 

Kurwitz

Texas A&M Engineering 

Experiment Station

NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

—

T0083 Design and Development of a Microsatellite Attitude 

Control System

Manoranjan Majji State University of 

New York–Buffalo

NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

—

T0085 Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) 

Solar Instrument Pointing Platform

Craig DeForest SwRI NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

—

NRA1 GCD Appx A: These technologies were selected by NASA’s 

Game Changing Division (GCD) under the first NASA Research 

Announcement (NRA1). Appendix A of the solicitation assigned 

specific technologies to the Flight Opportunities pool. 

NRA2 GCD Appx E: These technologies were selected by 

NASA’s Game Changing Division (GCD) under the second NASA 

Research Announcement (NRA2). Appendix E of the solicitation 

assigned specific technologies to the Flight Opportunities pool. 
54

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0088 A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-

Based, Radiation Tolerant, Reconfigurable 

Computer System with Real Time Fault 

Detection, Avoidance, and Repair

Brock LaMeres Montana State 

University

NRA1 GCD 

Appx A

16

T0095 Test of Satellite Communications Systems Onboard 

Suborbital Platforms to Provide Low-Cost Data 

Communications for Research Payloads, Payload 

Operators, and Space Vehicle Operators

M. Brian Barnett Satwest Consulting AFO6 —

T0097 Planetary Atmospheres Minor 

Species Sensor (PAMSS)

Robert Peale University of Central 

Florida

AFO6 —

T0098 Navigation Doppler Lidar Sensor Demonstration 

for Precision Landing on Solar System Bodies

Farzin Amzajerdian NASA’s Langley 

Research Center

AFO6 10, 34, 

37

T0106 Low-Cost sRLV Surrogate to Test ADS-B Tim Lachenmeier GSSL Inc. AFO6 36, 47

T0110 Wet Lab 2 Macarena Parra NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

Directed —

T0114 Technology Demonstration of Graphene Ion 

Membranes for Earth and Space Applications

H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins 

University

NRA2 GCD 

Appx E

—

T0115 Entry, Descent, and Landing Technology 

Development for the Maraia Earth-Return Capsule

Alan Strahan NASA’s Johnson 

Space Center

NRA2 GCD 

Appx E

—

T0126 Validating Microgravity Mobility Models for 

Hopping/Tumbling Robots

Issa Nesnas NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

AFO8 —

T0128 Zero-Gravity Green Propellant 

Management Technology

Steven Collicott Purdue University AFO8 —

T0129 Testing of a Microgravity Rock 

Coring Drill Using Microspines

Aaron Parness NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

AFO8 —

T0137 Fuel Optimal and Accurate Landing 

System (FOALS) Test Flights

Andrew Johnson NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

AFO8 34, 47

T0139 Adaptable Deployable Entry and 

Placement Technology (ADEPT)

Paul Wercinski NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

Directed —

T0142 Affordable Vehicle Avionics (AVA) Carl Kruger NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

Directed 27

T0143 Bi-Static Radio Frequency Imager Charles L. Finley Air Force Research 

Laboratory Space 

Vehicles Directorate

Directed —

T0144 Programmable Ultra Lightweight System 

Adaptable Radio (PULSAR)

Arthur Werkheiser NASA’s Marshall Space 

Flight Center

Directed —
55Active Technologies

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0145 Low-Gravity Flow Boiling on 

Modern Textured Surfaces

Steven Collicott Purdue University REDDI-2014 —

T0146 Droplet Pinning in Microgravity Amir Hirsa Rensselaer Polytechnic 

Institute

REDDI-2014 —

T0147 Modal Propellant Gauging in Microgravity Kevin Crosby Carthage College REDDI-2014 8, 47

T0149 Microgravity Fabrication of FreezeCast Titanium FoamsDavid Dunand Northwestern 

University

REDDI-2014 18

T0150 Advancing Diaphragm Modeling Technology 

for Propellant Management

Steven Collicott Purdue University REDDI-2014 9, 47

T0151 Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design 

to Land on Mars (PRANDTL-M)

Dave Berger NASA’s Armstrong 

Flight Research Center

Directed —

T0153 Mars Electric Reusable Flyer David D. North NASA’s Langley 

Research Center

Directed —

T0154 PRIME-4.0: Miniaturized and Reusable 

Asteroid Regolith Microgravity Experiment 

for Suborbital and Orbital Use

Josh Colwell University of Central 

Florida

REDDI-2015 —

T0155 Suborbital Evaluation of an Aqueous Immersion 

Surgical System for Reduced Gravity

George Pantalos University of Louisville REDDI-2015 —

T0156 Suborbital Particle Aggregation and 

Collision Experiment-2 (SPACE-2)

Julie Brisset University of Central 

Florida

REDDI-2015 —

T0157 Global Positioning System Fading Nick Demidovich Federal Aviation 

Administration

Directed —

T0158 Zero-Gravity Mass Measurement Device 

(ZGMMD) Parabolic Flight Test

John Wetzel Orbital Technologies 

Corp. (now Sierra 

Nevada))

REDDI-2015 —

T0159 1,090 MHz ADS-B Demo Nick Demidovich Federal Aviation 

Administration

Directed 6, 36, 

47

T0160 Microgravity Propellant Gauging 

Using Modal Analysis: Phase II

Kevin Crosby Carthage College REDDI-2016 8, 47

T0161 Evaluation of the Biosleeve Gesture Control 

Interface for Telerobotics in Microgravity

Christopher Assad NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

REDDI-2015 3, 12, 

47

T0162 Evolved Medical Microgravity Suction Device C. Marsh Cuttino Orbital Medicine REDDI-2015 9, 37, 

47

T0163 MOJO-Micro: Multi-Orthogonal 

Jaunting Robot in Microgravity

Neil Gershenfeld Massachusetts Institute 

of Technology

REDDI-2016 7, 37, 

47
56

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0164 Microgravity Testing of Comet Surface Sample 

Return (CSSR) Sample Verification System

Risaku Toda NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

REDDI-2016 12, 47

T0165 Autonomous Flight Terminator Lisa Valencia NASA’s Kennedy 

Space Center

Directed —

T0166 High-Altitude Electromagnetic Sounding 

of Earth and Planetary Interiors

Robert Grimm Southwest Research 

Institute

NTRNLJUL-16—

T0167 ORBITEC Water Capture Device 

(WCD) Parabolic Flight Test

David Hoerr Orbital Technologies 

Corp. (now Sierra 

Nevada)

REDDI-2016 8, 30, 

47

T0168 Suborbital Flight Experiment Monitor-2 (SFEM-2) Kathryn M. Hurlbert NASA’s Johnson 

Space Center

NTRNLJUL-16—

T0169 A Novel Approach to Balloon Altitude Control for the 

Purpose of Stratospheric Balloon Trajectory Control

Iain Beveridge World View Enterprises REDDI-2016 14, 13, 

35, 47

T0170-P Ground-Based Study of Gravity Effects on 

Flow Boiling Heat Transfer in Preparation for an 

International Space Station Flight Experiment

Jungho Kim University of Maryland, 

College Park

REDDI-2016 9, 47

T0171 Zero-Gravity Condensation Droplets 

and Flow in Phase-Change Loops

Steven Collicott Purdue University REDDI-2016 —

T0172 Development of a Revolutionary Approach for 

Efficient Microgravity Transfer Line Chilldown

Jacob Chung University of Florida REDDI-2016 8, 47

T0173 Flow Boiling in Microgap Coolers: Embedded 

Thermal Management for Space Applications

Franklin Robinson NASA’s Goddard 

Space 

Flight Center

NTRNLOCT-16—

T0174 Low-Cost, Lightweight, and Reusable 

Radiation Nose Payload

Meyya Meyyappan NASA’s Ames 

Research Center

NTRNLOCT-16—

T0175 Testing of a Novel Intra-Vehicular 

Activity (IVA) Space Suit

Ted Southern Final Frontier Design REDDI-2015 —

T0176 Automated Radiation Measurements for 

Aerospace Safety - High-Altitude (ARMAS-Hi)

W Kent Tobiska Space Environment 

Technologies 

(SpaceWX)

REDDI-2016 —

T0177 Rapid Calibration of Space Solar Cells 

in Suborbital Environments

Justin Lee The Aerospace 

Corporation

REDDI2016(B)—

T0178 Characterization of 3D Printing Processes 

Under Microgravity Conditions

Suzanne Smith University of Kentucky Directed —

T0179 Honeybee Robotics PlanetVac on Masten Lander Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics REDDI-2016 —
57Active Technologies

Tech # Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0180 A New Spin on Suborbital Microgravity 

Research: Developing a Centrifuge 

for Blue Origin's New Shepard

Mariel Rico Nanoracks REDDI-2016 —

T0181 Biochip Suborbital Lab (BCSOL): An Automated 

Microfluidic and Imaging Platform for LiveCell Investigations in Microgravity

Daniel O'Connell HNU Photonics REDDI2016(B)—

T0182 Strata-S1: Refining a Testbed to Evaluate the 

Behavior of Regolith Under Microgravity Conditions

Adrienne Dove University of Central 

Florida

REDDI2016(B)—

T0183 Protein-Drop Pinning in Microgravity Amir Hirsa Rensselaer Polytechnic 

Institute

REDDI2016(B)—

T0184 SPECTRE 2: Sample Pinning Experiment for Capture 

Technology in a Reduced-Gravity Environment

Laura Jones-Wilson NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

NTRNLAPR-17—

T0185 Evaluation of the BioSleeve Gesture Control 

Interface for Telerobotics in Microgravity

Christopher Assad NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

NTRNLAPR-173, 12, 

47

T0186 Guided Parafoil High Altitude Research II Garrett (Storm) 

Dunker

Airborne Systems 

North America

REDDI2016(B)—

The following technologies have transitioned out of the Flight Opportunities portfolio but are mentioned in this report. 

Tech# Title PI Organization Origin Page

T0077 Vibration Isolation Platform Scott Green Controlled Dynamics, 

Inc.

AF05 19

T0088 A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based, 

Radiation Tolerant, Reconfigurable Computer System 

with Real Time Fault Detection, Avoidance, and 

Repair (RadSat) 

Brock Lameres Montana State 

University

NRA-1 GCD 

Appx A

16

T0135 Gecko Grippers Aaron Parness NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

AF08 17

T0149 Microgravity Fabrication of Freeze-Cast Titanium 

Foams 

David Dunand Northwestern 

University 

AF08 18
Commercial Flight Opportunities for the

Testing and Maturation of new Space Technologies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Armstrong Flight Research Center | Edwards, California 93523 | www.nasa.gov/flightopportunities

www.nasa.gov

NASA/TM-2019-220157