Photo credit: 

Kevin O’Connell/ASRC

VOLUME 13 NUMBER 1 | FALL 2023

Kennedy Space Center

Technology Transfer News

D r . T r a c y G i b s o n a n d 

Dr. Mark Nurge

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
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NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

Hetal Miranda 

Manager of the KSC Technology Transfer (T2) Program

Hetal Miranda, the new manager of the KSC Technology Transfer (T2) Program, 

brings over 11 years of experience from both the private industry and her roles 

as a contractor and civil servant for NASA. Her passion for the space program 

inspired her to obtain a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University 

of Central Florida (UCF), with the hope of one day working for NASA. After 

completing her bachelor’s degree, she continued to further her education by 

completing an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from UCF. 

When asked about her education background and why she chose her fields 

of study, Hetal responded that she chose engineering because “[she has] 

always been fascinated not just by how things work, but also by the larger 

systems and interconnectivity that govern them.” Her proficiency in industrial 

engineering has allowed her to analyze complex systems and determine the 

best ways to improve efficiency, performance, and productivity, and these skills 

have been instrumental in her success at NASA. 

Hetal’s first experience at KSC was as an intern, where she worked on a variety 

of projects with the Technology Transfer Program office. After graduating, 

she worked as a NASA contractor contributing her expertise in mechanical 

systems design of ground support equipment for the Constellation program. 

When the program was coming to an end, she then returned to the Technology 

Transfer office, where she undertook various responsibilities including leading 

technology integration and partnership development initiatives. Before starting 

her current role as manager of the T2 Program, she spent some time working 

for a small space technology start-up, which allowed her to experience 

firsthand how a company can leverage NASA technology to create innovative 

solutions and products for the commercial space industry.

In her current role as the manager of the T2 Program, Hetal is responsible for 

ensuring that the innovations in space exploration developed at KSC are made 

available to the public. A key facet of this responsibility involves identifying and 

cultivating new partnerships and opportunities for collaboration that will expand 

the reach and impact of technology transfer initiatives. As manager, Hetal is an 

“advocate of the technology transfer team, supporting their efforts, and creating 

an environment where they can continue to innovate and succeed.” She is 

dedicated to fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within the team 

while also developing relationships both within NASA and externally to maximize 

the impact of the team’s technology transfer efforts. 

When asked about some of the projects she has worked on during her time 

with NASA, Hetal mentioned that one of the most rewarding projects she led 

was a pilot innovation accelerator initiative that established a framework for 

fostering a culture of innovation at KSC. The initiative provided a collaborative, 

supportive environment where innovators could flourish, and “was a testament 

to the value of investing in people and creating a culture of innovation that can 

drive progress and change.” 

Another project Hetal led in her time at NASA, was the management of an 

agency-level initiative for the Capabilities Integration Team in the Exploration 

Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD). The goal of this project 

was to release an agency-wide data call to assess the technical facility 

capabilities that would be needed over the next 5-10 years that would enable 

closure of the ESDMD Exploration Capability Gaps (HEOMD-405) and meet 

the architecture mission needs. Hetal enjoyed this project as it allowed 

her to collaborate with the technical community, utilizing her technical and 

communication skills, and “make a meaningful contribution to the future of 

NASA’s exploration and technology capabilities.” 

In her spare time, Hetal loves to spend quality time with her family, reading 

science fiction, listening to a variety of podcasts, and running. She is “proud to 

be a part of NASA, and excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s 

possible in space exploration.”

INSIDER INTERVIEWS
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NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

Capacitive Mass Gauging Technology

A NASA Early Career Initiative

Chris Biagi, of the Applied Physics Lab, has been with NASA for three 

years. Prior to joining NASA, he worked in both academia and industry, and 

gained experience in investigating new capacitance technologies. Dr. Biagi 

received a BS in physics (2003) and an MS in atmospheric sciences (2006) 

from the University of Arizona and continued on to earn an MS and a PhD in 

electrical and computer engineering from the University of Florida in 2008 

and 2011, respectively. 

Within the APL, Dr. Biagi is heading the development of a new technology 

called Capacitive Mass Gauging (CAPMAG). Currently, there is no easy 

way to determine the amount of liquid in a tank in space, since the 

microgravity environment allows the liquid to float in the container and 

accumulate on the container walls. This is problematic, as the propellants 

used for space exploration are in liquid form, so a safe, reliable way to 

measure the amount remaining in a container is needed.

CAPMAG is a capacitance technology that would allow for the 

determination of the amount of fluid in a tank. It is particularly suitable 

for cryogenic fluids, in part because 

the measurement does not deposit 

any energy into the fluid (i.e., the 

measurement does not cause 

the fluid to heat up). Additionally, 

CAPMAG doesn’t require any moving 

parts, making it easy to incorporate 

into space flight technologies. 

The development of CAPMAG is 

funded by the Early Career Initiative 

(ECI), which gives early career scientists at NASA the opportunity to 

work on innovative projects and collaborate with a variety of internal 

and external partners. For Dr. Biagi, the ECI has been a “fantastically 

transformative experience,” as it has allowed him and his team members 

to grow, gain experience with the research process at NASA, and meet a 

number of the supportive, talented people that work for and with NASA 

across the country. 

LAB TO INDUSTRY

KSC T2 

Team

Jim Nicols, 

Delvin Vannorman, 

Meredith Reeves, 

Hetal Miranda, 

Megan Victor, 

Jeff Kohler, 

Lewis Parrish
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NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

KSC Labs Collaborate on Technology Development

From Gas and Fluid Sensors to an 

Advanced Thermal Control Coating

At the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), scientists in the Applied Physics Lab 

(APL) and Applied Chemistry Lab (ACL) collaborate on many different projects. 

Each lab brings their own expertise and experience to a project, creating an 

interdisciplinary team that can use their varied experience to develop innovative 

solutions and technologies. Conveniently, the labs are located in the same 

building, making it easy to work together when needed. 

Mark Nurge is the current lead scientist of the APL, which was founded in the 

1990s. He has been with NASA for 36 years and has published several patents 

and over 25 journal articles and technical memoranda during this time. He was 

selected as Kennedy Space Center’s Engineer/Scientist of the year in 2014 and 

has also been a Launch Honoree.

A chemist in the ACL, Tracy Gibson, has worked at KSC for 20 years. During his 

time at KSC he has published 15 patents, and has been an innovator on over 90 

NASA New Technology Reports. Dr. Gibson has also received many awards while 

working at NASA, including the NASA Exception Public Service Medal in 2010 

and the NASA Silver Achievement Medal in 2014. 

The APL is an instrument development lab with research capabilities. It is 

multidisciplinary, with expertise in fields such as optics, electromagnetics, 

thermodynamics, electronics and software design, and physics modeling. The 

lab previously supported the shuttle program and mainly developed one-of-akind instruments to solve shuttle problems; however, since the end of the shuttle 

program the focus has shifted to other research and development projects such 

as radiation shielding, solar reflective coatings, and electromagnetic effects. 

The ACL, on the other hand, is focused on research and technology 

development, and creates engineering solutions for the ground- and spacebased needs of NASA and its external partners. The lab designs and develops 

technologies at all Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and several of these 

technologies have been commercialized. Current research focuses in the ACL 

include hypergol detection capabilities, in-situ resource utilization, plasma 

chemistry, and water treatment and oxygen production. 

Over the last several decades the ACL and APL have collaborated on projects 

ranging from the in-situ resource utilization project Regolith and Environment 

Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) to a project 

looking at methods to dry Space Shuttle tiles to a project analyzing the dielectric 

properties of spaceflight materials. More recently, the two laboratories have 

collaborated on projects related to sensor development and evaluation and 

novel materials for cryogenic fluid management. Several of these more recent 

projects will be discussed in further detail.

One collaborative project between the two labs is the testing of hydrogen and 

methane sensors. Liquid hydrogen (LH2) is used as fuel for rocket propulsion 

systems but can be dangerous because it is extremely flammable. Therefore, 

early and accurate detection of any LH2 leaks is necessary for safety reasons. 

Similarly, the ability to detect methane leaks is also important, due to safety 

concerns for both personnel and the environment. Commercially available 

hydrogen and methane sensors were tested by the ACL to evaluate whether 

they met the requirements to be used at KSC. Various characteristics were 

tested for each sensor, and it was determined that at least one hydrogen sensor 

LAB TO INDUSTRY

Robert Cox, 

Chris Biagi, 

Madeleine DeFilippo, 

Austin Atkins, 

Carolina Franco, 

Tracy Gibson, 

Annelisa Esparza, 

Nicholas Spangler, 

Joel Olson

Not present: 

Mark Nurge and 

Kenneth Engeling.
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NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

had the potential to meet KSC requirements, while several of the methane 

sensors showed quick response times and good repeatability. 

Another ongoing project is the development of a sensor to determine the 

concentration of pre-treat in the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) 

on the International Space Station (ISS). Pre-treat is added to the system to 

process the urine and is highly acidic. It is important that the concentration of 

pre-treat remain in a specified range, as if it is too high it can lead to corrosion 

in the system, and if it is too low it will not properly stabilize the urine. The 

existing conductivity-based sensor was not functioning properly, so a new 

optical sensor was considered as a solution to the problem. Scientists in the 

ACL and APL first completed a feasibility study to determine that an optical 

sensor could be used, and then designed a system where the pre-treat could be 

monitored through the walls of PFA tubing in the UWMS based on absorbance 

measurements. This new design simplifies the sensor and removes the need 

for optical windows, which reduces the chance of leaks in the system. Although 

successful measurements were taken with the new optical sensor in a static 

mixture of water and pre-treat, further testing is required to achieve reliable 

measurements in a flow system.

In addition to the previously mentioned projects, one major collaboration 

between APL and ACL was the development and testing of the Solar White 

material. Solar White is a thermal control coating designed to reflect the 

majority of the sun’s light while also emitting infrared radiation to create a 

cooling effect. Development of the technology began in th e APL, where theory 

and modeling work was completed to select materials that could potentially be 

used for the scattering layer. Once the modeling was completed, the materials 

expertise of ACL was utilized to test and further develop the technology. Both 

tile samples and a spray-on coating of Solar White have been tested, with the 

best tile achieving ~1% solar absorptivity and the best spray-on achieving 

~4%, allowing for cryogenic temperatures to be maintained at distances of 1 

AU from the sun. 

Solar White is also being evaluated for use in other applications such as 

passively cooled superconductors. The cooling effect created by Solar 

White may allow for high temperature superconductors (HTS) to remain in a 

superconducting state without the need for liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling. If 

LN2 cooling is not needed, it becomes more practical to use HTS for space 

applications such as magnetic shielding and efficient energy management. 

Funding was recently received by APL and ACL to investigate if it is possible 

to passively cool HTS materials with Solar White, and at what distances from 

the sun the cooling is effective. Testing was conducted in the Cryogenic Test 

Lab at KSC, and bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (BSCCO) was chosen 

as the HTS material since it is often used to make superconducting wires. The 

BSCCO sample was placed inside a cast aluminum sphere, which was then 

coated with multiple layers of the spray-on Solar White coating. Initial testing 

showed that an absorptivity of ~5.25% was achieved with this configuration. 

It was also determined that, in order to maintain the superconducting state, 

the temperature of the BSCCO needs to be below 104 K. To achieve this 

temperature, an absorptivity of ~2.5% is needed. Additional testing is planned to 

further develop this technology, but Dr. Nurge and Dr. Gibson are optimistic that 

the tile version of Solar White, and potentially the spray-on as well, will be able 

to achieve this goal. 

Solar White has the potential to be used in many different applications, and 

three patents have already been issued for the technology. Additionally, several 

companies have contacted the Tech Transfer office and expressed interest in 

producing and testing the material, which could lead to the further development 

and commercialization of the technology.

ACL and APL plan to continue their successful collaboration, and work on new 

projects together in the future. They have recently received funding to develop 

methods that can reliably generate and quantify hydrazine concentrations of 

10 ppb or less. Currently, hydrazine sensors are used in both the ACL and the 

Components Refurbishment & Chemical Analysis Facility (CRCA), but they are 

not able to reliably quantify vapor streams at 10 ppb or less. The team plans to 

develop and modernize the hydrazine generation and quantification processes, 

develop a new coulometer for the sensor as well as software for data acquisition 

and analysis, and add vapor dilution hardware to the system to reliably generate 

10 ppb levels of hydrazine. Once the new system is shown to be accurate and 

reliable, it will likely be of interest to other government agencies and industries 

that utilize hydrazine as well. 

LAB TO INDUSTRY

Optical Concentration Sensor

Test sample 

of Solar White 

coating on 

aluminum 

sphere
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NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

NASA’s Low Separation Force Quick Disconnect

A Self-Aligning, Self-Healing System 

for Pneumatics and Cryogenics

Umbilicals use fluid connectors, known as quick disconnects (QDs), to 

transfer fluids into a vehicle. The QDs allow for fast and easy connection and 

disconnection of fluid lines. Generally, the fluid in a QD follows an axial flow 

path, which can lead to a high separation force when the system is pressurized 

since the separation force is proportional to the line pressure. Specifically, 

the separation force is equal to the fluid pressure times the flow area, and 

can reach thousands of pounds in some systems. Separation forces of this 

magnitude require large, heavy support structures, such as umbilical plates 

and latching mechanisms, to keep the QDs connected. 

Due to the issues presented by traditional QDs, the low force disconnect (LFD) 

was invented by NASA’s William Manley, Gabor Tamasy, Tom Ebert in 2010. 

The design of the LFD utilizes a new, innovative seal arrangement and flow 

path to eliminate the separation force from the line pressure. Within the new 

design, the pressure load between the seals is internally reacted, resulting in 

no net separation load. This load reduction means that the force required for 

umbilical operations at high line pressures is reduced, allowing the support 

structures (e.g. umbilical plates, locking devices, vehicle structure, and mating 

mechanisms) to be lower weight and lower strength, which greatly reduces the 

system mass. 

To eliminate the separation force, the LFD uses a radial flow path rather than 

axial at the quick disconnect interface. This re-routes the fluid to flow into 

the connected line perpendicular to the typical flow path in a QD, and allows 

the fluid to flow evenly around the circumference of the line to balance the 

pressure. The LFD design also includes ten holes placed around the internal 

seal, which cancels the load due to the balanced pressure. Because of this 

innovative design, the separation force is reacted by the internal structure, 

rather than transferred to the external mounting fixtures and supports as in a 

traditional QD. 

The innovative design and radial flow path of the LFD ensure a low separation 

force for the device, regardless of line pressure. Since less force is exerted 

on the fixtures and supports, the overall support structure for the umbilical 

operations can be lighter and lower strength. This reduces the reliance on 

high strength locking devices, permits lighter retention systems, and reduces 

deflection variations. 

The LFD was designed to transport pneumatic and cryogenic fluids and can 

be useful for any company that deals with fluid connectors, especially those in 

the aerospace sector where the LFD can be used for flight-to-ground, flightto-flight, and surface-system applications. . Currently the Technology Transfer 

Office is engaging with manufacturers, SBIR contenders, and universities 

interested in evaluating and testing the LFD on their aerospace vehicles.

INNOVATOR INSIGHTS

Low separation 

force QD initial 

design – mated.
7

NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER I VOLUME 13 I NUMBER 1 I FALL 2023

GenH2 is Revolutionizing the Hydrogen Economy

Using Many of NASA’s Patented Technologies

GenH2, a leading liquid hydrogen (LH2) infrastructure company located in 

Titusville, FL, focuses on the mass production of products for hydrogen 

liquefaction, storage, and transfer to further the use of clean, carbon-free 

energy across the world. They are working to develop liquid-based hydrogen 

infrastructure solutions that will allow for the safe storage and transfer of LH2 

on or near-site to place of use, which will reduce costs associated with the 

transport and use of LH2 as an energy carrier. 

Although it is only a few years old, GenH2 has already formed a strong 

relationship with NASA through collaboration with current researchers and 

developers, as well as employment of previous NASA engineers/scientists. 

NASA and the Technology Transfer office fosters a strong culture of innovation 

for its inventors, which has been carried on by leading engineers and scientists 

at GenH2 as they strive to address the challenges facing the hydrogen industry 

and develop game-changing, breakthrough technologies to bring to the market. 

The importance of inventive and innovative approaches at GenH2 are modeled 

well by two founding members who are also inductees to the select group 

of NASA Inventors’ Hall of Fame. One inductee (2020), James Fesmire, is 

the Executive Vice-President and Chief Architect of GenH2. He founded the 

Cryogenics Test Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and has 

over 40 years of experience in the field of cryogenics. He is a prolific author, 

authoring numerous patents, publications, and has also been awarded NASA 

medals for Distinguished Service, Exceptional Technology Achievement, and 

Exceptional Service. Dr. Martha Williams, another Hall of Fame inductee (2021), 

worked as a NASA scientist for 29 years, served as the lead polymer scientist/

inventor until she retired in 2018. She has also authored numerous patents, 

which have resulted in seven active licenses for the KSC Technology transfer 

office and has received multiple awards including the NASA Commercial 

Invention of the Year award, Excellence in Technology Transfer Award, NASA 

Silver Snoopy Award and NASA Silver Achievement Medal. 

GenH2 has partnered extensively with NASA’s Technology Transfer Office. 

The Tech Transfer program ensures that the technologies and innovations 

developed by NASA can be made available to the public, often through 

licensing agreements with businesses to further develop or commercialize the 

technologies. GenH2 holds 20 license agreements with the program (including 

licenses under the Startup program), which is currently the record for the 

most active NASA patent license agreements held by any private company. 

Nine of these commercial licenses patent agreements are with KSC, while 

the others are with the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the Glenn 

Research Center (GRC). Of the 20 patents licensed to GenH2, the company has 

already commercialized several of them—the Layered Composite Insulation 

for Extreme Conditions (LCX), the Cryostat 500, and the Macroflash instrument. 

Additionally, GenH2 is currently using licensed data, design concepts, and 

know-how to develop new products and simulation cryostat platforms for 

working with LH2 and to contribute to their mainline hydrogen liquefaction and 

storage products. GenH2 continues to stand out in applying NASA technologies, 

and in parallel developing new, unique products to bring to the marketplace.

LCX is an insulation system that can be used for complex piping or tank 

systems, including LH2 systems that are difficult to insulate by conventional 

means and are utilized in non-vacuum applications and extreme 

environmental conditions. As a part of the license, the technology is also being 

commercialized for cold supply chain containers. The system can be tailored 

to specific performance requirements. The Macroflash instrument is one of 

multiple cryostat models licensed and utilized by GenH2. The technology was 

invented by James Fesmire during his time at NASA and has been further 

developed by GenH2. It has many benefits, as it is compact, easy to use, can 

run multiple tests per day, and does not require a vacuum chamber setup. The 

first organization to receive the commercialized product was the South Dakota 

School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota. The commercial 

availability of Macroflash, thanks to GenH2 and the Tech Transfer program, will 

also allow other industry and research organizations to complete testing and 

research evaluation of common materials as well as more advanced materials 

and systems.

INNOVATOR INSIGHTS

LS20 Mobile Liquid Hydrogen System
PROJECT UPDATE

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy

www.nasa.gov

NP-2023-07-759-KSC

By Linda Herridge

For the first time since 2018, the latest technologies at Kennedy were 

celebrated during the 2023 Innovator Recognition event on March 9. At the 

event, Kennedy leaders presented plaques to 25 NASA employees and seven 

contractor employees within the Launch Services Program, Engineering 

Directorate, and the Exploration Research and Technology Programs. 

Since January 2020, there have been 151 new invention disclosures, also 

known as New Technology Reports (NTRs), from 146 NASA and contractor 

innovators. 

Kennedy innovators included on eight or more NTRs from March 2020 to 

March 2022 were recognized: Jacob Torres; Gioia Massa, Ph.D.; Jeff Richards, 

Christina Johnson, Ph.D.; Griffin Lunn; and Tracy Gibson, Ph.D. Innovators 

included on five or more NTRs from the same years included Joel Olson, Ph.D.; 

Kenneth Engeling, Ph.D.; Ye Zhang, Ph.D.; Jim Mantovani, Ph.D.; LaShelle 

Spencer; Nathan Gelino; Oscar Monje, Ph.D.; and Dan Batcheldor, Ph.D.

The 2021 Best of KSC Software Competition winners also were recognized. The 

Mission category winner was the Spaceport Command and Control Systems 

that integrates NASA’s Space Launch System core stage, Orion spacecraft, 

and Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage with Kennedy’s ground systems to 

meet the processing and launch requirements for each Artemis mission. The 

Institutional category winner was the Secure Notification Application tool 

that securely enters, tracks, and reports Jacobs Test and Operations Support 

Contract personnel exposed to COVID-19.

Some technologies were found to have significant value in the conduct 

of aeronautical and space activities to receive Space Act Awards in 2022. 

These were the Environmental Test Chamber System (ETCS), Solar Radiance 

Reflective Coating, Miniaturized Aeroponic Electrosprayer, and the Close 

Location Access Wrench (CLAW). 

The latest technologies invented at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida 

were recognized during the 2023 Innovator Recognition event on March 

9, 2023. The patent recipients gathered for a group photo after the event 

held in the Space Station Processing Facility conference center. At far left is 

Kathy Loftin, chief technologist with the Exploration Research & Technology 

Directorate. At far right is Jennifer Kunz, Kennedy Space Center associate 

director, technical. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Innovator Recognition Event

Kennedy Leaders Celebrate Inventors at Innovator Recognition Event

Kennedy Tech Transfer News is the magazine of the Technology 

Transfer Office at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

This magazine seeks to inform and educate civil servant and contractor personnel 

at Kennedy Space Center about actively participating in achieving NASA’s technology 

transfer and partnership goals.

Hetal Miranda

Manager, Technology Transfer Program

(321) 867-3122

hetal.miranda@nasa.gov

Megan Victor

Editor

(321) 867-9724

megan.e.victor@nasa.gov

https://technology-ksc.ndc.nasa.gov