National Aeronautics and Space Administration

FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

SPACE TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE

Accomplishments | Fiscal Year 2021
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FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES MISSION

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program rapidly 

demonstrates promising technologies for space 

exploration, discovery, and the expansion of 

space commerce through suborbital testing 

with industry flight providers. The program 

matures capabilities needed for NASA missions 

and commercial applications while strategically 

investing in the growth of the U.S. commercial 

spaceflight industry.

These flight tests take technologies from 

ground-based laboratories into relevant 

environments to increase technology readiness 

and validate feasibility while reducing the costs 

and technical risks of future missions.

Awards and agreements for flight tests are 

open to researchers from industry, academia, 

non-profit research institutes, and government 

organizations. These investments help 

advance technologies of interest to NASA 

while supporting commercial flight providers 

and expanding space-based applications and 

commerce.

Credit: NASA/Lauren Hughes

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CONTENTS

FY2021 Year in Review 2

Flight Highlights 4

Technologies Tested in FY2021 12

Technology Transitions and 

Mission Infusions 16

FY2021 Technology Selections 18

Support for Vehicle 

Capability Enhancements 23

Educational Outreach 24

Supporting Researchers 26

Active Technology Portfolio 28

“My program’s work would be years 

behind where it is now without the 

repeatable, cost-effective flight testing 

facilitated by Flight Opportunities.” 

Dr. H. Todd Smith, Johns Hopkins 

University Applied Physics Laboratory
2 3

FY2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, 

FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES:

Supported 

83 payloads 

tested in flight

Managed 32

successful flights 

with commercial 

flight partners

Selected 36 new 

space technologies 

for the program

THE PROGRAM WORKED TO CHANGE 

THE PACE OF SPACE BY:

Introducing a new 

competition – the 

NASA TechLeap 

Prize – to connect 

with even more nonNASA organizations 

building space 

technologies

Increasing access 

for small and 

early-stage 

organizations to 

propose technologies 

for flight tests

Providing strategic 

support to NASA 

technologies and 

programs and across 

NASA mission 

directorates

Supporting 

development of 

new flight capabilities 

for technology 

demonstrations with 

commercial flight 

providers

Supporting 

the transition

of impactful 

technologies to 

orbital missions

Facilitating rapid 

suborbital to orbital 

testing to help 

reduce the cost, 

complexity, and time 

required to advance 

the state of the art for 

small spacecraft

FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES EXPANDED 

SUPPORT OF THE SUBORBITAL RESEARCH 

COMMUNITY WITH:

A new Community of Practice 

initiative to share best practices, 

lessons learned, and tools of the 

trade for suborbital flight tests

A monthly webinar series to 

help new researchers learn from 

seasoned professionals in the field

Regular lessons-learned insights 

in the monthly newsletter from 

our experienced flight campaign 

managers

THE PROGRAM HELPED INSPIRE THE 

NEXT GENERATION OF SPACE 

PROFESSIONALS BY:

Launching the NASA TechRise 

Student Challenge, giving students 

the opportunity to build and test a 

space technology on a suborbital 

flight

Providing educational funding 

to support university payloads 

in the annual NASA TechFlights 

solicitation 

Supporting the NASA CubeSat 

Launch Initiative (CSLI) to enable 

university and high school students 

to build small spacecraft payloads
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FLIGHT 

HIGHLIGHTS

RAPIDLY TESTING 

SPACE TECHNOLOGIES

Flight Opportunities supported a wide 

range of flight tests for a broad field of 

technologies in FY2021. From robotics 

to space-based manufacturing to 

biological experiments and more, the 

program helped to bolster technology 

areas with significant impact for the 

future of space exploration. 

Testing Methods for Space-Based 

Harvesting of Super Foods and More 

The microgravity LilyPond was one of several space technologies tested on New 

Shepard. The growth chamber uses capillary action to provide a stable water 

surface on which plants can grow. Credit: Space Lab Technologies

Credit: Masten Space Systems

DATE AND LOCATION: 

October 13, 2020

Van Horn, Texas

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED: 

Multiple technologies spanning thermal management, remote 

sensing, biological research, space-based food production, 

and more. See pages 12–15 for full list. 

FLIGHT VEHICLE:

New Shepard (Blue Origin)

This rocket-powered flight provided testing for a range 

of innovations for potential space-based use, including a 

hydroponic chamber for growing edible plants in space. 

Researchers tested the harvesting method with water 

lentils, a high-protein crunchy vegetable. These rapidly 

growing plants could be ideal for space because they do 

not require soil or other growing media – which means 

fewer materials, less mass, and less waste for resourceintensive space missions.

Dust on the Moon: Mitigating the 

Problems, Realizing the Promise

Masten’s Xodiac lifts off from a launchpad in Mojave, California, for testing of Flight 

Opportunities–supported technologies. PlanetVac can be seen attached to the 

lander leg in the foreground. Credit: Masten Space Systems

DATE AND LOCATION: 

November 12, 2020 

Mojave, California

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED: 

Ejecta STORM (University of Central Florida); 

PlanetVac (Honeybee Robotics)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

Xodiac (Masten Space Systems)

Lunar regolith poses both challenges and opportunities for 

exploration on the Moon. Among the problems: abrasion 

to valuable equipment caused by high-velocity regolith 

disturbances resulting from rocket plumes. Among the 

opportunities: the ability to send regolith samples from 

sites of high scientific value back to Earth for analysis. 

This flight test helped University of Central Florida 

researchers advance a sensor designed to collect data 

about the hazards of regolith disturbances. Meanwhile, 

researchers from Honeybee Robotics continued to mature 

their PlanetVac device for collecting lunar dust and soil for 

analysis in advance of a planned 2023 lunar mission. 

“When you do a lunar mission, 

you really get one chance to get the 

measurements you need. So, you 

don’t want to waste that. You have 

to do field testing to make sure 

you’ve validated all the different 

aspects of the sensor that you can.” 

Dr. Philip Metzger, Ejecta STORM 

principal investigator, University 

of Central Florida, Orlando
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FLIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

Advancing Innovations for In-Space 

Manufacturing and More

This scanning electron microscope image shows the surface defects caused by 

crystallization of ZBLAN fibers pulled on Earth (left) versus in microgravity (right). 

Flight Opportunities is investing in flight testing of space-based manufacturing 

methods for ZBLAN fibers to take advantage of the superior end result that may 

be achieved in space. Credit: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

DATES AND LOCATION: 

November 12-17 2020

April 28-May 4, 2021 

Orlando, Florida

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED: 

More than a dozen technologies from industry, academia, 

and NASA. See pages 12-15 for full list. 

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

G-FORCE ONE (Zero Gravity Corporation)

Space-based manufacturing advances were a highlight of 

these flight tests, with the goal of helping NASA improve 

on-site repair capabilities and other challenges of future 

lunar missions. Manufacturing technologies tested may 

also help address Earth-based challenges. For example, 

space-based production of ZBLAN fibers provides 

a smooth, clear, low-defect result – often superior to 

manufacturing the fibers on Earth. Flight Opportunities 

supported three ZBLAN-based technologies through 

NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 

investments, which included these flight tests. The 

innovations will next be put to the test in demonstrations 

on the International Space Station and may ultimately be 

used for applications including fiber optics, sensors, and 

laser technologies. 

Picking Up the PACE: Accelerating 

Development of Deep Space Technologies

Anh Nguyen (left), NASA’s project manager for the V-R3x mission, and Stanford 

University’s Max Holliday assemble a ground unit in a lab at NASA’s Ames 

Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Multiple V-R3x ground units tracked 

the payload aboard the high-altitude balloon during the flight test. 

Credit: NASA/Dominic Hart

DATE AND LOCATION:

March 12, 2021

Baltic, South Dakota

TECHNOLOGY TESTED:

V-R3x (NASA’s Ames Research Center)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

Zero Pressure Balloon System (Raven Aerostar)

In its first suborbital flight test, NASA’s new PACE 

initiative (see more information on page 19) supported 

demonstration of V-R3x – a technology designed to 

provide advanced communication and navigation 

capabilities among coordinated groups of CubeSats. Data 

collected on the high-altitude balloon flight will be added 

to that of an orbital flight test of three V-R3x CubeSats, 

which launched to space in January 2021. The in-space 

demonstration aims to enable determination of spacecraft 

location and distance between satellites in low-Earth orbit. 

This would support validation of new orbit determination 

and relative navigation algorithms.

Maturing Technologies Iteratively Through Successive Flight Tests

DATE AND LOCATION: 

May 22, 2021

Spaceport America, New Mexico

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED:

Electromagnetic Field Measurements on sRLV 

(Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory); 

Collisions into Dust Experiment (University of Central 

Florida); Aqueous Immersion Surgical System 

(University of Louisville)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

SpaceShipTwo (Virgin Galactic) Automation of a surgical system designed for wound care was tested in space on 

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. On parabolic flights (shown here), the simulated 

surgical procedure was performed by researchers. Credit: University of Louisville

Testing on a rocket-powered space plane provided further 

advancement for three innovations previously tested 

through the program:

l Researchers from Johns Hopkins University Applied 

Physics Laboratory tested the latest version of an 

electromagnetic field measurement payload designed 

to collect vital information about environmental 

conditions inside a spacecraft. The technology 

could also add to knowledge about exposure to the 

lower ionosphere at suborbital flight altitudes and its 

potential impact on spacecraft and equipment. 

l University of Central Florida researchers tested a new 

experiment setup (improved with experience from 

previous parabolic and rocket flight tests) designed 

to aid understanding of the behavior of dust and fine 

particles in response to human and robotic activities 

on planetary surfaces. 

l Researchers from the University of Louisville 

automated functions for a surgical system designed to 

facilitate wound care during long-duration missions. 

“By facilitating testing on commercial flight vehicles, Flight 

Opportunities has helped us mature not only our technology but also 

contribute and share what we’ve learned with other space medicine 

researchers and learn from their experiments as well.”

Dr. George Pantalos, principal investigator for the Aqueous 

Immersion Surgical System, University of Louisville
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FLIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

Testing Thermal Protection and In-Orbit 

Payload Return Capabilities

The KREPE capsule (left) can carry small samples, instruments, and other cargo 

from low-Earth orbit back to Earth. Its metal enclosure opens to release it at the 

appropriate altitude. Credit: University of Kentucky

DATE AND LOCATION: 

April 15, 2021

Madras, Oregon

TECHNOLOGY TESTED: 

Kentucky Re-entry Capsule Experiment (KREPE) 

(University of Kentucky)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

Small Balloon System (Near Space Corporation)

A balloon drop test enabled researchers to test a delivery 

system designed to carry research samples and other 

small payloads from the International Space Station back 

to Earth. Outfitted with a thermal protection system, 

the KREPE capsule is designed to survive re-entry into 

Earth’s atmosphere and could also one day deliver small 

payloads to Mars or other celestial bodies with harsh 

atmospheric entry conditions. The balloon test was an 

important step in preparing the technology for testing as 

part of Northrup Grumman’s NG-16 station resupply flight. 

Assessing Methods for Improving 

Turbulence Detection

The HiDRON stratospheric glider from Stratodynamics is seen over New Mexico 

on June 6, 2021. Credits: Stratodynamics, Inc./UAVOS

DATES AND LOCATION: 

June 1-6, 2021

Spaceport America, New Mexico

TECHNOLOGY TESTED: 

Forward-Sensing Turbulence Detection Strategies (University 

of Kentucky, NASA’s Langley Research Center)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

HiDRON stratospheric glider (Stratodynamics)

A series of flights on a stratospheric glider enabled 

researchers to assess the performance of a wind 

probe and infrasonic microphone sensor. Together, 

the instruments are designed to improve turbulence 

detection capabilities for remote-piloted and autonomous 

aerial vehicles, including commercial aircraft and ondemand delivery drones. They may also be applicable to 

suborbital and low-Earth orbit vehicles. Launched from a 

high-altitude balloon, the glider enabled the instruments 

to capture wind velocity, direction, magnitude, and 

low-frequency sound waves in a flight environment 

not possible with conventional balloon-borne wind 

measurements.

Looking to the Clouds to Improve Climate 

Models on Other Planets–and Here on Earth

Raven Aerostar’s Zero Pressure Balloon System is inflated for a launch to carry the 

NephEx payload on June 11, 2021. Credit: Raven Aerostar

DATE AND LOCATION: 

June 11, 2021

Baltic, South Dakota

TECHNOLOGY TESTED: 

NephEx (NASA’s Ames Research Center)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

Zero Pressure Balloon System (Raven Aerostar)

This flight test enabled researchers to assess a new 

nephelometer called NephEx, a sensor that measures 

light scattering by airborne particles, including cloud 

droplets and ice particles. The device is designed to 

provide information about a cloud’s water content as well 

as its impact on a planet’s atmosphere or thermal and 

radiation environments. NephEx could also supplement 

common techniques for cloud and climate monitoring, 

such as remote sensing via satellite. The high-altitude 

balloon flight provided an important step in maturing the 

technology and assessing its capabilities to measure the 

size, concentration, and distribution of cloud particles – 

data critical to understanding the impact of clouds on a 

planet’s climate.

“These launches are affordable 

and accessible and allow us to 

take important, iterative steps 

in the technology’s development 

in an environment directly 

applicable to the way the 

technology would ultimately be 

deployed. They give us a lot of 

practice and learning quickly 

to ultimately arrive at a better 

final product.” 

Dr. Anthony Colaprete, NASA’s 

Ames Research Center
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FLIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

Supporting the First Crew-Tended 

Experiment on a Suborbital Flight

Arabidopsis thaliana plants are shown in Virgin Galactic’s hangar under fluorescent 

lighting (below) and prepared in Kennedy Fixation Tubes (above) for a crew-tended 

experiment on SpaceShipTwo. Credit: University of Florida

DATE AND LOCATION: 

July 11, 2021

Spaceport America, New Mexico

TECHNOLOGY TESTED: 

Space Plants (University of Florida)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

SpaceShipTwo (Virgin Galactic)

In its first fully crewed spaceflight, Virgin Galactic carried 

a Flight Opportunities–supported biological experiment. 

A company crew member operated the space plants 

experiment on behalf of researchers from the University 

of Florida in Gainesville. Three plant-filled tubes were 

activated to release a preservative at critical datacollection stages during flight: at 1 g before the rocket 

boost, just before entering microgravity, and after the 

conclusion of microgravity. Researchers plan to use the 

data to assess the state of the plants at the cellular level 

at each stage of gravity as well as to better understand 

research opportunities for human-tended payloads.

Advancing a Method to Recycle 

Space Trash 

OSCAR principal investigator Annie Meier (left) and team member Jamie Toro 

assemble the flight hardware for NASA’s OSCAR in the Space Station Processing 

Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Note: This photo was 

taken prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: NASA

DATE AND LOCATION: 

August 26, 2021

Van Horn, Texas

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED: 

Six technologies spanning propellant gauging, biological 

research, regolith observations, space-based recycling, and 

more. See pages 12-15 for full list.

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

New Shepard (Blue Origin)

Among the technologies on this suborbital flight was a 

trash-to-gas conversion innovation called the Orbital 

Syngas/Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), 

designed to convert trash and metabolic waste into a 

blend of useful gases, including carbon dioxide, water 

vapor, and methane. Astronauts could vent the generated 

gas into space or use it as building blocks for products 

such as water, oxygen, or even spacecraft propellants. 

This recycling technology could reduce the volume and 

mass of trash on long-duration missions, minimize launch 

mass from Earth, and promote sustainable human space 

exploration. The flight enabled early-career researchers 

to collect data to help validate OSCAR’s conversion 

technologies and also added to thermal process data 

collected on the technology’s first suborbital flight.

Validating a Moon-Bound Computing System Ahead of Its Lunar Debut 

Flights on Raven Aerostar’s Thunderhead Balloon System provided the latest 

testing for RadPC in advance of a lunar mission. Credit: Montana State University

DATES AND LOCATION: 

July 27-28 and September 22-24, 2021

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

TECHNOLOGY TESTED: 

RadPC (Montana State University)

FLIGHT VEHICLE: 

Thunderhead Balloon System (Raven Aerostar)

Two high-altitude balloon flights enabled researchers 

to test a radiation-tolerant computing system called 

RadPC. The innovation is designed to replace failed 

processors in real time – and testing was needed to make 

sure the computing system can withstand the highenergy radiation particles emitted by the Sun and other 

celestial bodies. During more than 80 hours of flight time, 

researchers tested the computing technology against 

more than 3,000 injected system faults; the RadPC 

recovered from all of them successfully. The flights added 

to data collected during many other suborbital flights 

facilitated by Flight Opportunities, including sounding 

rocket and other balloon flights. The testing and validation 

were also critical preparation for a planned 2023 lunar 

demonstration of RadPC, which will enable assessment of 

its functionality for long-duration space missions. 

“There would have been no 

chance of us achieving [the 

lunar mission infusion] without 

Flight Opportunities. There’s 

simply no way you can get into 

these types of orbital missions 

unless you have flight heritage 

and you’ve shown through flight 

testing that you’ve actually taken 

the steps to understand how to 

build the systems NASA needs.” 

Dr. Brock LaMeres, principal 

investigator for RadPC, 

Montana State University
12 13

TECHNOLOGIES TESTED IN FY2021

Flight Date Flight Provider Flight Vehicle Principal Investigator Organization Technology Name

Oct. 2, 2020 AM0CAL High-Altitude Balloon Justin Lee The Aerospace Corporation T0177: Rapid Calibration of Space Solar Cells in Suborbital Environments

Oct. 13, 2020 Blue Origin New Shepard H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory T0022: Environment Monitoring Suite on Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle

Franklin Robinson NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center T0173: Flow Boiling in Microgap Coolers - Embedded Thermal Management for Space Applications

Charles Hibbitts Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory T0217: Integrated Remote Imaging System (IRIS)

Christine Escobar Space Lab Technologies T0220: Microgravity Investigation for Thin Film Hydroponics

W. Kent Tobiska Space Environment Technologies T0221: ARMAS Suborbital

Daniel Durda Southwest Research Institute — Boulder T0225: Box-of-Rocks Experiment II: Morphology and Sampling of Asteroid Regolith Simulants in Microgravity

Kevin Supak Southwest Research Institute — San Antonio T0227: Microgravity Testing of a Large-Scale Liquid Acquisition Device for Cryogenic Fluid Management

Robert Ferl University of Florida T0239: Biological Imaging in Support of Suborbital Science (FLEX)

John M. Carson NASA's Johnson Space Center T0269: Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE)

Nov. 12, 2020– 

Nov. 17, 2020 Zero Gravity Corporation G-Force One Michael Menze University of Louisville T0209: Evaluation of Preserved Blood for Transfusion Therapy in Reduced Gravity

Gregory Whiting University of Colorado Boulder T0245: Viability of In-Situ Lunar Manufacturing of Life Support Systems Using a Direct Writing Technique

Konstantinos Sierros West Virginia University T0212: 3D Printing of Hierarchical Foams in Microgravity

Kevin Crosby Carthage College T0218: Magneto-Active Slosh Control System for Spacecraft and Launch Vehicles

Sridhar Gorti NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center T0252: Parabolic Flight Demonstration of Fluid Dispensing Tube Performance Limits for Drop Delivery

Daniel Marshall Mercury Systems T0268: Orbital Fiber Optic Production Module (ORFOM)

Chung-Lung Chen University of Missouri T0211: Electrowetting Enhanced Dropwise Condensation in the Zero-g Environment

Kevin Crosby Carthage College T0229: Propellant Mass Gauging in Gateway Architecture Vehicles

Mircea Badescu NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory T0248: Microgravity Testing of the Dual Rasp Sampling Tool/System

Kasthuri Venkateswaran NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory T0249: Parabolic Flight Test of the Microgravity Tolerant Instrument for Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction (uTitan)

Nov. 12, 2020 Masten Space Systems Xodiac Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics T0226: PlanetVac-Xombie2: Honeybee PlanetVac on the Masten Lunar Lander

Philip Metzger University of Central Florida T0242: Maturing Ejecta STORM for Lunar Delivery

Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics T0253: Increasing Fidelity for Lunar Sample Collection

Mar. 12, 2021 Raven Aerostar Zero Pressure 

Balloon System Zachary Manchester NASA’s Ames Research Center T0259: V-R3x - CubeSat Cross-Link, Ranging, and Coordinated Measurement Technology Demonstration for Future Distributed CubeSat Swarm Missions

Apr. 15, 2021 Near Space Corporation Small Balloon System Alexandre Martin University of Kentucky T0214: Technology Demonstration of the KREPE Capsule for Heat-Shield Validation
14 15

Flight Date Flight Provider Flight Vehicle Principal Investigator Organization Technology Name

April 28, 2021– 

May 4, 2021 Zero Gravity Corporation G-Force One Amir Hirsa Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute T0219: Adapting the Ring-Sheared Drop (RSD) Technology as a Bioreactor

Srihar Gorti NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center T0252: Parabolic Flight Demonstration of Fluid Dispensing Tube Performance Limits for Drop Delivery

David Miles University of Iowa T0207: CubeSat Articulated Boom Option Optimization in Microgravity (CABOOM)

Gregory Whiting University of Colorado Boulder T0245: Viability of In-Situ Lunar Manufacturing of Life Support Systems Using a Direct Writing Technique

Kevin Crosby Carthage College T0191: Microgravity Propellant Gauging Using Modal Analysis: Phase III

Michael Menze University of Louisville T0209: Evaluation of Preserved Blood for Transfusion Therapy in Reduced Gravity

Stephen Caskey Air Squared T0263: Vapor Compression Refrigeration System for Cold Food Storage on Spacecraft

Mark Pankow North Carolina State University T0228: Composite Origami for Spacecraft Solar Arrays and Deployable Structures

George Pantalos University of Louisville T0287: Preparations for a Suborbital Evaluation of a Human Tended Surgical Fluid Management System

Steven Collicott Purdue University T0206: Small-Sat Propellant Management Technology

Kevin Crosby Carthage College T0229: Propellant Mass Gauging in Gateway Architecture Vehicles

Alicia Carey Redwire T0284: Glass Alloy Manufacturing Machine - Acoustic Levitation Furnace (GAMMA-ALF)

Joseph Paradiso Massachusetts Institute of Technology T0286: Autonomous Robot Swarms for Lunar Orbit Servicing and Space Asset Assembly

May 22, 2021 Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory T0015: Electromagnetic Field Measurements on sRLV

Josh Colwell University of Central Florida T0036: Collisions into Dust Experiment on a Commercial Suborbital Vehicle

George Pantalos University of Louisville T0155: Suborbital Evaluation of an Aqueous Immersion Surgical System for Reduced Gravity

Jun. 1–6, 2021 Stratodynamics HiDRON Sean Bailey University of Kentucky T0235: Assessment of Forward Sensing Turbulence Detection Strategies for Stratospheric Flight

Jun. 11, 2021 Raven Aerostar Zero Pressure 

Balloon System Anthony Colaprete NASA's Ames Research Center T0260: Nephelometer Experiment (NephEx)

Jul. 11, 2021 Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Robert Ferl University of Florida T0201: Human Tended Space Biology: Enabling Suborbital Genomics and Gene Expression

July 27–28, 2021; 

Sept. 22–24, 2021 Raven Aerostar Thunderhead Balloon System Brock LaMeres Montana State University T0233: RadPC@Scale - Suborbital Flight Demonstration of a Radiation Tolerant Computer System at Scale

Aug. 11, 2021 UP Aerospace SpaceLoft Arwen Dave NASA's Ames Research Center T0142: Affordable Vehicle Avionics 

Aug. 26, 2021 Blue Origin New Shepard Kevin Supak Southwest Research Institute — San Antonio T0227: Microgravity Testing of a Large-Scale Liquid Acquisition Device for Cryogenic Fluid Management

Kevin Crosby Carthage College T0229: Propellant Mass Gauging in Gateway Architecture Vehicles

Adrienne Dove University of Central Florida T0243: Exploring Electrostatic Regolith Interactions in Low-Gravity

Annie Meier NASA's Kennedy Space Center T0247: Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR)

John M. Carson NASA's Johnson Space Center T0269: Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE)
16 17

TECHNOLOGY 

TRANSITIONS 

AND MISSION 

INFUSIONS

ADVANCING 

TECHNOLOGIES TO 

SPACE MISSIONS 

From the International Space Station to 

the Moon, Mars, and beyond, infusion 

into space-based missions is a significant 

milestone for innovations tested and 

matured through Flight Opportunities. 

In FY2021, several Flight Opportunities–

supported innovations transitioned to 

further testing on orbit or as part of major 

planetary missions. 

Maturing the Lander Vision System for 

NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover 

NASA’s Lander Vision System (LVS) is based on a 

terrain-relative navigation (TRN) and hazard avoidance 

system that photographs the surface beneath a 

descending spacecraft and matches it with onboard 

maps to determine vehicle location while also looking 

for unmapped hazards. Thanks in part to Flight 

Opportunities–supported testing on vehicles from Masten 

Space Systems, the technology was infused into NASA’s 

Mars 2020 mission and played a critical role in the 

successful landing of the Perseverance rover on February 

18, 2021. The LVS was used to guide the rover to a safe 

landing site at Jezero Crater – a scientifically interesting 

but geographically challenging stretch of terrain on the 

Red Planet.

The Mars 2020 

Perseverance rover 

relied on data depicted 

in this hazard map to 

help guide it to a safe 

landing. Safer landing 

areas are colored blue 

and green. To select the 

best location to touch 

down while avoiding 

damage to the rover, the 

spacecraft's TRN-based 

system took images of 

the terrain below during 

Perseverance’s descent. 

Credit: NASA

“The testing that Flight Opportunities is set up 

to provide has proven so valuable that it’s now 

becoming expected to do these types of flight 

tests. For LVS, those rocket flights were the 

capstone of our technology development effort.” 

Dr. Andrew Johnson, principal robotics systems 

engineer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Preparing Technologies for the International Space Station 

Several experiments matured in part through Flight Opportunities testing made their way to the International Space Station 

in FY2021 aboard Northrop Grumman’s NG-16 Cygnus spacecraft. The following were among the experiments that 

astronauts will conduct on the station.

A preflight view of the RRP suite, which arrived at the station aboard NG-16. 

The suite includes print heads, plates, and lunar regolith simulant feedstock. 

Credit: Redwire Space

3D PRINTING WITH LUNAR REGOLITH 

A 3D printing project from Redwire Space is helping 

to advance practices for in-situ resource utilization for 

additive manufacturing of parts, tools, and structures on 

the lunar surface. Astronauts will use the station’s Made 

In Space Additive Manufacturing Facility (made possible 

in part through early testing with Flight Opportunities) 

to demonstrate the Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) 3D 

printing suite as well as use of a regolith simulant as the 

feedstock.

Credit: NASA

STUDYING THE ROLE OF DESTRUCTIVE PROTEIN 

CLUSTERS IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES 

The ring-sheared drop (RSD) experiment from Rensselaer 

Polytechnic Institute and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight 

Center aims to help researchers understand the formation 

of potentially destructive protein clusters and their role in 

neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and 

Parkinson’s. Current work on the station will pick up from 

a previous version of the experiment that encountered 

operational challenges. The research team leveraged 

parabolic flights supported by Flight Opportunities, which 

were instrumental to returning the experiment to the 

station with high confidence of success. 

“The April 2021 flight proved that our 

modified hardware is capable of deploying 

and pinning each of the protein solutions 

that we planned to use on the station. That 

experiment design resulted in successful 

deployments for each flight fluid experiment 

performed on the International Space 

Station during operations over the past 

several months.” 

Dr. Louise Strutzenberg, co-investigator for the 

RSD flight demonstration of Fluid Dispensing 

Tube Performance Limits for Drop Delivery, 

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
18 19

NEW 

TECHNOLOGY 

SELECTIONS

CHANGING THE PACE 

OF SPACE 

From the solicitation of new 

technologies to the capabilities of 

program flight providers, Flight 

Opportunities continues to evolve to 

ensure its flight tests have farreaching impact.

TechLeap: A New Competition Approach

Announced in June 2021, the new NASA TechLeap Prize 

invited commercial businesses, academic institutions, 

entrepreneurs, and other innovators to compete for 

payload development funding and access to suborbital 

flight testing for innovative space technologies. Winning 

teams in the first challenge, Autonomous Observation 

Challenge No. 1, will develop and test payloads to 

help rapidly advance small spacecraft technologies for 

autonomous observation of events on Earth and beyond 

as well as to improve communications and computing 

power in small spacecraft applications. 

The winning teams are: l The Bronco Space Club at Cal Poly Pomona 

(Pomona, California)

The team’s Bronco Ember technology is 

designed to autonomously detect, track, and 

log terrestrial phenomena, such as wildfires.

l Orion Labs, LLC (Nunn, Colorado)

The company plans to demonstrate the capabilities of 

quantum machine learning aboard a small spacecraft 

to reduce downlink bandwidth requirements.

l Texas A&M University SEAK Lab 

(College Station, Texas)

The team plans to develop a system using visible 

and infrared imaging to identify and classify 

plumes in Earth’s atmosphere automatically.

Support for Other NASA Programs and Technologies

In FY2021, Flight Opportunities continued to strengthen connections with a wide 

range of other NASA programs, providing access to suborbital flight tests to 

help advance the technology readiness of high-value innovations and prepare 

them for infusion in NASA missions. Highlights of this program support included: l Small Business Innovation 

Research and Small Business 

Technology Transfer 

(SBIR/STTR)

Flight Opportunities is investing 

in technologies funded by NASA’s 

SBIR and STTR programs, 

providing suborbital flight testing 

to help mature these innovations.

l International Space Station 

Research Integration Office

Support for suborbital 

testing of many innovations 

enables the technology 

advancement necessary for 

further demonstration on the 

International Space Station.

l Payload Accelerator for 

CubeSat Endeavors (PACE)

Targeting at least one flight every 

6 to 9 months, this initiative 

with NASA’s Small Spacecraft 

Technology program aims to 

rapidly de-risk technologies via 

a combination of suborbital and 

orbital flight tests. 

l Game Changing Development

Flight tests for this program help 

bolster its mission to advance 

space technologies that may lead 

to entirely new approaches for 

NASA’s future space missions 

and provide solutions to 

significant national needs. 

l Technology Demonstration 

Missions

Flight tests for this initiative 

help address its goal of bridging 

the gap between scientific and 

engineering challenges and 

the technological innovations 

needed to overcome them. The 

effort also supports early proofof-concept tests and infusion 

of cost-effective, revolutionary 

new technologies into NASA, 

government, and commercial 

space missions.

l Science Mission Directorate 

(SMD) Programs

Flight Opportunities increased 

collaboration with SMD programs 

in FY2021, including support for 

the Earth Science and Technology 

Office (ESTO), Payloads and 

Research Investigations on the 

Surface of the Moon (PRISM), 

and Research Opportunities 

in Space and Earth Sciences 

(ROSES).

“The PACE flight campaign 

for V-R3x was a success and 

could not have been completed 

without the Space Technology 

Mission Directorate and 

Flight Opportunities. The 

insight, knowledge, commercial 

partnerships, and oversight that 

the program provides are truly 

invaluable.”

Dr. Anh Nguyen, project manager for 

PACE, NASA’s Ames Research Center

Credit: Blue Origin
20 21

NEW TECHNOLOGY SELECTIONS

FY2021 Technology Selections

NASA, industry, and academic technologies selected in FY2021 for future testing on suborbital vehicles

NASA’S AMES RESEARCH CENTER

Fluidic Telescope Experiment 

(FLUTE)

A method for developing fluidic 

optical components in microgravity 

conditions for use in space telescopes

Potential Impact: Advances in space-based 

astronomy using large fluidic components in place 

of lenses and mirrors, which could reduce costs, 

construction time, and failure risk

Lawn Dart Terrestrial Demonstration

Remote delivery of security 

commodities (e.g., communication, 

navigation, situational awareness/

sensing, power) to the lunar 

surface, sponsored by the Air Force 

Research Laboratory

Potential Impact: Enabling publish-andsubscribe capabilities to civil, commercial, 

security, and allied consumers for safe operation 

in the lunar environment 

NASA’S KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Microgreens Root Zone/Shoot Zone 

Partitioned Planting Box

A harvesting system designed to 

distinguish between water loss from 

two parts of a plant, enabling safety 

testing of an entire crop canopy 

rather than just one plant at a time

Potential Impact: Growth of nutrient-dense 

crops to serve as a dietary supplement in space

Electrostatic Dust Lofting via 

Photoionization Under Artificial 

Lunar Gravity

Photoionization of lunar regolith 

grains, enabling observation of their 

electrostatic repulsion via highspeed imagery

Potential Impact: Validation of models used 

to predict how electrostatically charged dust 

may impact lunar missions, including risks to 

mechanical, thermal, and electronic systems 

Electrodynamic Regolith Conveyor

A dust-tolerant technology 

designed to move lunar regolith 

particles with the use of generated 

dynamic electric fields rather than 

conventional rotating or vibrating 

actuation

Potential Impact: Use in future in-situ 

resource utilization operations on the Moon

Vibratory Lunar Regolith Conveyor

Technology that takes advantage 

of a “stick-slip” phenomenon to 

overcome static friction to convey 

granular materials up an inclined 

surface

Potential Impact: Improved methods 

for vertical transport of regolith for future 

lunar missions

In-Situ Resource Utilization Pilot 

Excavator Bucket Drum Flow

A regolith collection method that 

relies on bucket drum excavation 

technology with simultaneous 

opposing rotations to counteract 

excavation forces

Potential Impact: Use on the Moon and 

planetary bodies to enable digging with low-mass 

robotic excavators

Propellant Mass Gauging with 

Electrical Capacitance Tomography 

(ECT)

An ECT system designed to track 

propellant distribution in real time 

and previously shown to work during 

slosh and boiling in 1 g

Potential Impact: Improved mass gauging 

accuracy for launch vehicle and propellant tanks, 

decreasing risk and boosting performance

NASA’S GLENN RESEARCH 

CENTER

Material Flammability in Lunar 

Gravity

Burn tests to assess the flammability 

of solid materials in lunar and Martian 

gravity, designed to provide rating 

guidance for the many materials 

anticipated to be used on the Moon 

and Mars

Potential Impact: Crucial understanding of 

the impact of material flammability on spacecraft 

and habitat safety for deep space exploration 

missions

Lunar-g Transport of Dust Liberated 

from Spacesuit Fabric

An experiment leveraging ClothBot 

– a mechanical apparatus designed 

to autonomously stretch, shear, 

and crumple a patch of spacesuit 

material in a controlled manner to 

shed dust particles from the material

Potential Impact: Validation and refinement 

of numerical dust models for space-based 

habitats

NASA’S JET PROPULSION 

LABORATORY

Multiphase Microfluidics for 

Chemical Analysis Systems

Multiphase reservoirs for sample 

mixing and bubble migration, 

featuring a high-voltage electric field 

and apparatus shapes to help drive 

the gas phase to a desired location 

and prevent bubbles from blocking 

outlet/inlet channels

Potential Impact: Insight into the occurrence 

of unexpected phase behavior 

Soil Properties Assessment, 

Resistance, and Thermal Analysis 

(SPARTA) 

A versatile, miniature, multi-tool 

instrument designed to provide 

in-situ measurements of regolith 

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Three-Dimensional Plume-Surface 

Interaction and Crater Formation 

Dynamic Measurements

Novel, non-intrusive stereo imaging 

to analyze the time-resolved, 3D 

crater-formation process in reducedand lunar-gravity environments

Potential Impact: Improvements in modeling 

accuracy for assessing the risk of lunar dust and 

debris during future Moon landings

CREARE

Lightweight, Hybrid Screen-Channel 

Device for Advanced Cryogenic 

Fluid Management

A device designed to rapidly transfer 

cryogenic liquids across a wide 

range of operating conditions while 

preventing vapor ingestion into the 

transfer pump

Potential Impact: Improvements to current 

fuel transfer methods, making existing spacecraft 

suitable for long-duration missions

FOMS

Space Fibers 3 Preflight

A system designed to enable 

fully automated manufacturing of 

optical fiber 

Potential Impact: Deployment on the 

International Space Station (planned for 2022), 

paving the way for space-based industrial 

processing of unique, high-value materials such 

as ZBLAN optical fibers

densities as well as geomechanical, 

thermal, electrical, and chemical 

properties of dry or icy soils and 

permafrost on planetary surfaces

Potential Impact: Enabling fundamental 

measurements needed for in-situ resource 

utilization on the lunar surface

NASA’S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

Hermes LunarG

Lunar dust mitigation and regolith 

characterization experiments, 

including use of flight-proven 

hardware tested on the International 

Space Station, lunar simulants 

released during lunar gravity, and 

cameras for data collection

Potential Impact: Improvement in dust 

mitigation methods needed for lunar exploration

NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE 

FLIGHT CENTER

Project Duneflow

Direct characterization and 

comparison of both old and new 

regolith simulants under a lunar 

gravity field

Potential Impact: Advancements in 

manufacturing of geotechnical simulants, leading 

to better testing of excavation and regolith 

conveyance systems
22 23

NEW TECHNOLOGY SELECTIONS

HEETSHIELD

Thermal Protection for Hypersonic 

Missions 

Insulation materials designed for tight 

folding and easy storage, with the 

capability to alleviate two primary 

modes of heat transfer: radiation and 

gas conduction

Potential Impact: Improved performance and 

reduction in bulk for thermal protection systems 

on planetary entry vehicles

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

3D Printing of Flexible Electronics 

for In-Space Manufacturing 

A 3D printing technology based on 

electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing 

using electrical fields and forces 

Potential Impact: Space-based fabrication of 

sensors and electronics 

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters for 

Use in the Upper Atmosphere

Evaluation of potential degradation 

to the signal quality of various 

dosimeters caused by rocket 

vibration

Potential Impact: Improved dosimeter 

designs and validation of computer models for 

ionizing radiation

REDWIRE SPACE

Vulcan Advanced Hybrid 

Manufacturing System

A multi-material manufacturing 

system for in-orbit, lunar, and 

Martian operations designed to 

autonomously produce component 

parts out of multiple metals and 

polymers in variable gravity

Potential Impact: Enabling reliable in-situ 

supply of replacement parts and structures to 

meet changing exploration mission needs

SPACE FOUNDRY

Plasma Jet Printing for In-Space 

Manufacturing

A plasma jet printing system 

designed for microgravity with the 

aim of reducing post-processing and 

ink dependency for production of a 

wide range of devices, particularly 

electronics

Potential Impact: On-demand fabrication 

of products needed for long-duration crewed 

missions and acceleration of low-Earth orbit 

commercialization

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, 

SANTA BARBARA

Root-Like Burrowing Device

A pneumatic tip-extending device 

with self-anchoring and burrowing 

capabilities

Potential Impact: Enabling delivery of 

subsurface sensors deep under planetary surfaces

SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE CAPABILITY 

ENHANCEMENTS 

Flight Opportunities continually seeks to expand 

options for flight testing, through both new vehicle 

capabilities and test regimes. Made possible 

through contracts, Space Act Agreements, and 

purchase of payload space, activities in FY2021 

included support for:

l Masten Space Systems

Expansion of testing capabilities for spacecraft 

navigation and landing systems through 

development of the Xogdor vehicle

l Rocket Lab

Exploration of re-entry and recovery capabilities 

for the company’s small launch vehicles 

l Blue Origin

Capabilities for lunar gravity environments on 

the New Shepard rocket-powered vehicle

l UP Aerospace

Development of Spyder Orbital to include high-altitude 

parabolas via the rocket’s first stage, advance highperformance propulsion capabilities for dedicated 

small payload launches for orbital missions, and 

achieve planetary re-entry test environments

Download our Guide to Commercial 

Suborbital Flight Providers to learn 

more about the flight vehicles 

available to Flight Opportunitiessupported researchers:

https://go.nasa.gov/3mqWbFq

Raven Aerostar’s high-altitude balloon is inflated the morning of its March 12, 2021, flight to test NASA’s V-R3x 

technology in Baltic, South Dakota – an effort made possible by the agency’s new PACE initiative. Read more 

about the flight on page 6. Credits: Raven Aerostar
24 25

EDUCATIONAL 

OUTREACH

INSPIRING THE NEXT 

GENERATION 

In FY2021, Flight Opportunities 

continued support for flight tests of 

university payloads and field experience 

for student researchers, and introduced 

a new student competition as well. 

Through these resources, the program 

provides valuable, hands-on field 

experience to those looking toward 

careers in science, technology, and 

space exploration. 

TechRise: A New Student Competition for 

Suborbital Flight Testing

In its first year, NASA’s new TechRise Student Challenge 

invited teams of sixth- to twelfth-grade students to design, 

build, and launch experiments on suborbital rockets and 

balloon flights during the 2021–2022 school year. 

The contest aims to inspire deeper understanding of:

l Earth’s atmosphere

l Space exploration

l Coding and electronics

l The value of test data

Participants submitted ideas for research related to a 

wide range of areas, including: 

l Climate

l Remote sensing

l Space exploration 

Winning teams receive:

l $1,500 to build their payloads

l An assigned spot on a NASA-sponsored commercial 

high-altitude balloon or suborbital rocket flight

l Opportunities for engagement with NASA and 

technology communities

l Exposure to potential careers in science, technology, 

and space exploration

Educational Opportunities with TechFlights

NASA’s annual TechFlights solicitation continues to provide an option to fund 

educational activities conducted as part of suborbital flight tests. This support 

provides university students with hands-on experience developing and testing 

space technologies. They also gain real-world field experience with the planning 

and logistics that go into a full flight campaign, alongside professionals in 

the field. 

Researchers from University of Colorado Boulder leveraged parabolic flights to test a direct writing technique that 

could be used for in-situ lunar manufacturing of life support systems. Note: Flight participants were required to 

provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results prior to flight. Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation/

Steve Boxall

“This was the first time our student group experienced a flight 

project like this, and we learned so much from the other 

research teams on the flight, from our Flight Opportunities 

campaign manager, and from our flight provider. Even though 

we had a big learning curve, these flights were a huge success.” 

Dr. Gregory Whiting, University of Colorado Boulder 

Support for NASA’s CubeSat 

Launch Initiative (CSLI)

CSLI provides another avenue for 

university and high school students 

as well as non-profit organizations to 

gain exposure to orbital flight testing 

– and Flight Opportunities continued 

to support testing for CSLI payloads 

in FY2021. High school and college 

students can access low-cost 

opportunities to conduct scientific 

investigations and technology 

demonstrations in space. The 

initiative enables students, teachers, 

and faculty to obtain hands-on flight 

hardware development experience 

with CubeSats.

Credit: UP Aerospace
26 27

SUPPORTING 

RESEARCHERS

SUBORBITAL 

COMMUNITY 

OUTREACH 

Flight Opportunities continued its efforts

to foster knowledge transfer among 

researchers in FY2021, leveraging 

impactful new outreach initiatives and 

expanding regular communications.

 

Community of Practice: Conversation, 

Best Practices, and Lessons Learned

Introduced in early FY2021, the new Community of 

Practice initiative is designed to increase engagement, 

knowledge transfer, resource sharing, and dissemination 

of lessons learned among program-supported 

investigators and organizations. Resources include 

a monthly webinar series featuring moderated 

conversations with researchers alongside program 

personnel and representatives from flight providers. 

Attendees include other program-supported researchers, 

who learn flight testing best practices, as well as 

researchers interested in proposing technologies to 

the program. Participants come away with a better 

understanding of how to submit a technology of value to 

NASA and the space industry and conduct effective 

flight tests. 

The monthly Community of Practice webinar series features conversations with 

Flight Opportunities personnel and researchers to share information, resources, 

and knowledge about suborbital flights. Credit: NASA

Monthly Newsletter: Flight News, 

Events, Opportunities, and More

Flight Opportunities continued its monthly newsletter, 

reaching over 2,500 members of the space community, 

including investigators, flight providers, and industry 

enthusiasts. Expanded content in FY2021 included: 

l A lessons-learned column to support researchers new 

to suborbital flights

l News about vehicle availability and capability 

enhancements

l NASA program opportunities for funding of technology 

development and/or testing

l Information about NASA prizes and competitions

Subscribe to the Flight Opportunities 

newsletter to keep up with the latest 

program news and learn about 

upcoming Community of Practice 

webinars and events:

https://bit.ly/3Cy5pFC

“The flights helped us uncover many things that 

we had not encountered in our ground-based 

testing, resulting in very important lessons 

learned. The results are helping us optimize both 

our design and our thinking.”

- Dr. Chung-Lung Chen, principal investigator 

for the Electrowetting Enhanced Dropwise 

Condensation Experiment, University of Missouri

Credit: Stratodynamics
28 29

ACTIVE TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

213 R. Michael Banish University of Alabama Transport Properties of Fluids for Exploration TX14: Thermal Management 

Systems

214 Alexandre Martin University of Kentucky KRUPS Capsule for Heat-Shield Validation TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

215 Alina Alexeenko Purdue University FEMTA Micropropulsion System for Interplanetary Smallsat TX01: Propulsion Systems

216 Steven Collicott Purdue University Zero-g Slosh Model Technology TX01: Propulsion Systems

217 Charles Hibbitts Johns Hopkins University APL Integrated Remote Imaging System TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

218 Kevin Crosby Carthage College Magneto-Active Slosh Control System for Spacecraft and Launch 

Vehicles TX01: Propulsion Systems

219 Amir Hirsa Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Adapting the Ring-Sheared Drop Technology as a Bioreactor TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

220 Christine Escobar Space Lab Technologies Thin-Film Hydroponics TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

221 W. Kent Tobiska Space Environment Technologies 

(SPACEWX) ARMAS Suborbital TX06: Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems

224 Charles Hibbitts Johns Hopkins University APL Integrated Remote Imaging System – UltraViolet TX08: Sensors and Instruments

225 Daniel Durda Southwest Research Institute – 

Boulder

Box-of-Rocks Experiment II: Morphology and Sampling of Asteroid 

Regolith Simulants in Microgravity TX04: Robotic Systems

226 Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics PlanetVac-Xombie2: Honeybee PlanetVac on the Masten Lunar 

Lander TX04: Robotic Systems

227 Kevin Supak Southwest Research Institute – 

San Antonio

Large-Scale Liquid Acquisition Device for Cryogenic Fluid 

Management TX01: Propulsion Systems

228 Mark Pankow North Carolina State University Composite Origami for Spacecraft Solar Arrays and Deployable 

Structures

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

229 Kevin Crosby Carthage College Propellant Mass Gauging in Gateway Architecture Vehicles TX01: Propulsion Systems

230 Marion Turnbull Mayo Clinic – Jacksonville Autonomous Sampling Technology for Biological Research During 

Suborbital Rocket Flight

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

231 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL Application of Europa-Clipper Technology for Lunar Radiation Hazard 

Identification and Characterization

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

232 W. Kent Tobiska Space Environment Technologies 

(SPACEWX) ARMAS Dual Monitor Pre-Operations Mission Demonstration TX06: Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems

233 Brock LaMeres Montana State University Radiation Tolerant Computer System at Scale TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

234 Bryan Chan Night Crew Labs GNSS Radio Occultation Autonomous System for Commercial Space 

Weather Applications TX08: Sensors and Instruments

235 Sean Bailey University of Kentucky Forward Sensing Turbulence Detection Strategies for Stratospheric 

Flight

TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

236 Susana Zanello imec USA Nanoelectronics 

Design Center Silicon-Based Microfluidic Blood Test for Spaceflight TX06: Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems

237 Daniel Bowman Sandia National Labs Balloon-Borne Aeroseismometer TX08: Sensors and Instruments

238 John Wikswo Vanderbilt University Integrated Microfluidic Pump and Valve Experiment Control System TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

3 Sathya Gangadharan Zero-G Horizons Technologies

Investigation to Determine Rotational Stability of On-Orbit Propellant 

Storage and Transfer Systems Undergoing Operational Fuel Transfer 

Scenarios

TX01: Propulsion Systems

15 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University Applied 

Physics Lab (APL)

Electromagnetic Field Measurements on Suborbital Reusable Launch 

Vehicles (sRLV) TX08: Sensors and Instruments

22 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL Environment Monitoring Suite on sRLV TX08: Sensors and Instruments

23 Sean Casey Silicon Valley Space Center Measurement of the Atmospheric Background in the Mesosphere TX08: Sensors and Instruments

36 Josh Colwell University of Central Florida Collisions into Dust Experiment TX07: Exploration Destination 

Systems

76 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Earth Climate Remote 

Sensing TX08: Sensors and Instruments

114 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL Graphene Ion Membranes for Earth and Space Applications TX08: Sensors and Instruments

142 Amela Zanacic NASA's Ames Research Center Affordable Vehicle Avionics TX15: Flight Vehicle Systems

155 George Pantalos University of Louisville Aqueous Immersion Surgical System for Reduced Gravity TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

156 Julie Brisset University of Central Florida Suborbital Particle Aggregation and Collision Experiment-2 (SPACE-2)

TX11: Software, Modeling, 

Simulation, and Information 

Processing

173 Franklin Robinson NASA's Goddard Space Flight 

Center

Flow Boiling in Microgap Coolers – Embedded Thermal Management 

for Space Applications

TX14: Thermal Management 

Systems

177 Justin Lee The Aerospace Corporation Rapid Calibration of Space Solar Cells in Suborbital Environments TX03: Aerospace Power and 

Energy Storage

187 Peter Lee Ohio State University Gravity Sensing Mechanisms in Tissue-Engineered Skeletal Muscle TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

189 Jacob Chung University of Florida Optimal Chilldown Methods for Cryogenic Propellant Tanks in 

Reduced Gravity

TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

191 Kevin Crosby Carthage College Microgravity Propellant Gauging Using Modal Analysis: Phase III TX01: Propulsion Systems

194 Steve Ord NASA's Ames Research Center SFEM-3 TX15: Flight Vehicle Systems

196 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL JANUS 3.0: Enabling Game-Changing External Environment Payload 

Accommodation TX08: Sensors and Instruments

201 Rob Ferl University of Florida Human-Tended Space Biology: Enabling Suborbital Genomics and 

Gene Expression

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

204 Julie Brisset University of Central Florida Dust In-Situ Manipulation System (DIMS) TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

206 Steven Collicott Purdue University Small-Sat Propellant Management Technology TX01: Propulsion Systems

207 David Miles University of Iowa CubeSat Articulated Boom Option Optimization in Microgravity 

(CABOOM) TX04: Robotic Systems

209 Michael Menze University of Louisville Evaluation of Preserved Blood for Transfusion Therapy in Reduced 

Gravity

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

211 Chung-Lung Chen University of Missouri Electrowetting Enhanced Dropwise Condensation in the Zero-g 

Environment

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

212 Konstantinos Sierros West Virginia University 3D Printing of Hierarchical Foams in Microgravity

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing
30 31

ACTIVE TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

239 Rob Ferl University of Florida Biological Imaging in Support of Suborbital Science TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

240 Brett Streetman Draper Draper Multi-Environment Navigator (DMEN) TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

241 Steven Collicott Purdue University Spacecraft Pointing Control and Zero-g Slosh TX01: Propulsion Systems

242 Philip Metzger University of Central Florida Maturing Ejecta STORM for Lunar Delivery TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

243 Adrienne Dove University of Central Florida Exploring Electrostatic Regolith Interactions in Low-g TX13: Ground, Test, and Surface 

Systems

244 Jacob Chung University of Florida Determination of Cryogenic Pool Boiling and Subsurface Helium 

Pressurization Characteristics in Reduced Gravity TX01: Propulsion Systems

245 Gregory Whiting University of Colorado Boulder Viability of In-Situ Lunar Manufacturing of Life Support Systems Using 

a Direct Writing Technique

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

247 Annie Meier NASA's Kennedy Space Center Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

248 Mircea Badescu NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory Dual Rasp Sampling Tool/System TX04: Robotic Systems

249 Kasthuri 

Venkateswaran

NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory

Microgravity Tolerant Instrument for Automated Nucleic Acid 

Extraction (uTitan)

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

250 Allen Parker NASA's Armstrong Flight 

Research Center Advancing Fiber Optic Sensing Technology for Space Applications TX08: Sensors and Instruments

251 Vivek Dwivedi NASA's Goddard Space Flight 

Center In-Space Coating Development Utilizing Atomic Layer Deposition TX08: Sensors and Instruments

252 Sridhar Gorti NASA's Marshall Space Flight 

Center Fluid Dispensing Tube Performance Limits for Drop Delivery TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

253 Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics Increasing Fidelity for Lunar Sample Collection TX04: Robotic Systems

254 H. Todd Smith Johns Hopkins University APL Chip-Scale Satellites for Earth, Lunar, and Cislunar Space 

Applications TX08: Sensors and Instruments

255 Tim Lachenmeier GSSL Data Buoy for NASA's Long-Duration High-Altitude Balloons

TX11: Software, Modeling, 

Simulation, and Information 

Processing

256 Steve Sandford Psionic Psionic Navigation Doppler Lidar: Precision Navigation Sensor for 

Lunar Missions

TX17: Guidance, Navigation, and 

Control (GN&C)

257 Dayne Kemp NASA's Ames Research Center Intrepid Particle Detector TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

258 Dayne Kemp NASA's Ames Research Center Advanced Developments Projects Flight Avionics TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

259 Zachary Manchester Stanford University

V-R3x – CubeSat Cross-Link, Ranging, and Coordinated 

Measurement Technology Demonstration for Future Distributed 

CubeSat Swarm Missions

TX05: Communications, 

Navigation, and Orbital Debris 

Tracking and Characterization 

Systems

260 Anthony Colaprete NASA's Ames Research Center Nephelometer Experiment TX08: Sensors and Instruments

261 Sona Hosseini NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory Next-Generation, Miniature High-Resolution Spectrometers TX08: Sensors and Instruments

262 Jeffrey Didion NASA's Goddard Space Flight 

Center

Investigation of Gravity Effects on Electrically Driven Liquid Film 

Boiling

TX14: Thermal Management 

Systems

264 James J. Miller NASA Headquarters Multi-Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver Payload TX16: Air Traffic Management 

and Range Tracking Systems

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

265 Nick Demidovich Federal Aviation Administration Spacecraft Black Box Technology Modules for Commercial Spacecraft TX16: Air Traffic Management 

and Range Tracking Systems

266 Nick Demidovich Federal Aviation Administration General Aviation Strobe for Commercial Reusable Launch Vehicles TX16: Air Traffic Management 

and Range Tracking Systems

267 Nick Demidovich Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Vehicle Tracking Using ADS-B Technology TX16: Air Traffic Management 

and Range Tracking Systems

268 Daniel Marshall Mercury Systems Orbital Fiber Optic Production Module 

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

269 John M. Carson NASA's Johnson Space Center Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

270 Arwen Dave NASA's Ames Research Center Affordable Vehicle Avionics in Flight TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

272 David Masten Masten Space Systems Reusable Suborbital Vehicle for Terrestrial Testing of Landing 

Technologies

TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

273 Thomas Valdez Teledyne Energy Systems Hydrogen Electrical Power System TX03: Aerospace Power and 

Energy Storage

274 Richard French Rocket Lab Proposal to the NASA Space Technology Announcement of 

Collaborative Opportunity

TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

275 Markus Wilde Florida Institute of Technology Autonomous Multiple Cycle Farming System TX07: Exploration Destination 

Systems

276 Candice Hovell imec USA Nanoelectronics 

Design Center

Electrophysiology Recording of Neuronal Networks During Suborbital 

Spaceflight

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

277 Kevin Crosby Carthage College Propellant Gauging During On-Orbit Refueling and Transfer Operations TX01: Propulsion Systems

278 Ranga Narayanan University of Florida Novel Technology for a Key Material Property Measurement for InSpace Manufacturing

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

279 Richard Mathies University of California, Berkeley Microfluidic Biochemical Analysis Lab-on-a-Chip TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

280 Stephen Robinson 

(2) University of California, Davis Low-Cost Three-Axis CubeSat Attitude Control with Hard Disk Drive 

Reaction Wheels

TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

281 Steven Collicott Purdue University Enhancing Suborbital Technology Advancement Through Automated 

Control of High-Definition Video Systems

TX02: Flight Computing and 

Avionics

282 Veerle Reumers imec USA Nanoelectronics 

Design Center Functional Integration of Lens-Free Imaging in Suborbital Flight TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

283 Emilio Baglietto Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology

Computational Fluid Dynamics Boiling Models for Cryogenic Fluid 

Management Systems TX01: Propulsion Systems

284 Alicia Carey Redwire Space Glass Alloy Manufacturing Machine – Acoustic Levitation Furnace

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

285 Steven Collicott Purdue University Integrating Microgravity Medical Suction and Microgravity Surgical 

Facility

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

286 Joseph Paradiso Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology

Autonomous Robot Swarms for Lunar Orbit Servicing and Space 

Asset Assembly TX10: Autonomous Systems

287 George Pantalos University of Louisville Human Tended Surgical Fluid Management System TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

288 Allison Pieja Mango Materials Enabling In-Situ Resource Utilization in Space Through Gas 

Fermentation

TX07: Exploration Destination 

Systems

289 Sean Bryan Arizona State University CubeSounder TX13: Ground, Test, and Surface 

Systems
32 33

ACTIVE TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

290 Stephen Robinson University of California, Davis Capturing Human Adaptations in Novel Gravitational Environments in 

Space

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

291 Issam Mudawar Purdue University Cryogenic Two-Phase Heat Transfer Coefficients for In-Space Transfer 

Systems TX01: Propulsion Systems

292 Adrienne Dove University of Central Florida Strata-2P – Characterizing Sensor-Regolith Interactions in Reduced 

Gravity TX08: Sensors and Instruments

293 Hayden Taylor University of California, Berkeley Computed Axial Lithography

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

294 Konstantinos Sierros West Virginia University Particle-Based Foam Spraying in Microgravity

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

295 Robert Anderson NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory Soil Properties Assessment Resistance and Thermal Analysis TX04: Robotic Systems

296 Sheila Nielsen Montana State University Autonomous Hardware to Evaluate Impacts of Launch and Landing on 

Candida albicans Adaptation to Spaceflight

TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

297 Tyler Kunsa SpaceWorks Enterprises Enabling Low-Cost, Autonomous Recovery of Small Payloads from 

Low-Earth Orbit

TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

298 Steven Collicott Purdue University Nucleation of Cryogenic Bubbles in Spacecraft Liquid Acquisition 

Devices TX01: Propulsion Systems

299 Danielle Wood Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology

Paraffin and Beeswax Formation in Microgravity for Low-Earth Orbit 

Propulsion Applications TX01: Propulsion Systems

300 Boris Khusid New Jersey Institute of 

Technology Stability of In-Space Cryogenic Systems TX01: Propulsion Systems

301 Steven Collicott Purdue University Lander-Style Vehicle Plume-Structure Heat Transfer Monitoring TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

302 Brett Streetman Draper Draper Multi-Environment Navigator Hazard Detection Campaign TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

303 Fu-Kuo Chang Stanford University Integrated Acoustic Technology for Boil-Off Control, Mass Gauging, 

and Structural Health Monitoring in Cryogenic Fuel Tanks TX01: Propulsion Systems

304 Jason Mezilis Zandef Deksit ExoCam Module Lunar Lander Descent Imaging TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

305 Samuel Darr The Aerospace Corporation Non-Condensable and Autogenous Unsettled Cryogenic 

Pressurization Schemes in Reduced Gravity TX01: Propulsion Systems

306 Kris Zacny Honeybee Robotics Asteroid Soil Strength Evaluation Tool TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

307 Alan Stern Southwest Research Institute – 

San Antonio

Enhancing Commercial Suborbital Vehicle Utilization and Collecting 

New Suborbital Scientific Data TX08: Sensors and Instruments

308 David Scarborough Auburn University Three-Dimensional Plume-Surface Interaction and Crater Formation 

Dynamic Measurements in Reduced Gravity Environments

TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

309 Prashant Singh Mississippi State University Thermal Transport Characterization of Phase-Change Material TX14: Thermal Management 

Systems

310 Eric Benton Oklahoma State University Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters for Use in the Upper Atmosphere TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

311 Thomas Conboy Creare Lightweight, Hybrid Screen-Channel Device for Advanced Cryogenic 

Fluid Management TX01: Propulsion Systems

312 Ram Prasad 

Gandhiraman Space Foundry Plasma Jet Printing for In-Space Manufacturing

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

# Principal 

Investigator Organization Technology Name NASA Taxonomy

313 Gioia Massa NASA's Kennedy Space Center Microgreens Root Zone/Shoot Zone Partitioned Planting Box TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

314 Charles L. Finley NASA's Ames Research Center Lawn Dart Terrestrial Demonstration 

TX05: Communications, 

Navigation, and Orbital Debris 

Tracking and Characterization 

Systems

315 James Phillips NASA's Kennedy Space Center Electrostatic Dust Lofting via Photoionization Under Artificial Lunar 

Gravity

TX13: Ground, Test, and Surface 

Systems

316 Aaron Olson NASA's Kennedy Space Center Electrodynamic Regolith Conveyor TX04: Robotic Systems

317 Kristen John NASA's Johnson Space Center Hermes LunarG TX04: Robotic Systems

318 Jennifer Edmunson NASA's Marshall Space Flight 

Center Project Duneflow TX04: Robotic Systems

319 James Mantovani NASA's Kennedy Space Center Vibratory Lunar Regolith Conveyor TX04: Robotic Systems

320 Jason Schuler NASA's Kennedy Space Center In-Situ Resource Utilization Pilot Excavator Bucket Drum Flow TX04: Robotic Systems

321 Aaron Noell NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory Multiphase Microfluidics for Chemical Analysis Systems TX01: Propulsion Systems

322 Benjamin Sumlin NASA's Glenn Research Center Low-g Transport of Dust Liberated from Spacesuit Fabric TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

323 Robert Anderson NASA's Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory SPARTA Blue TX04: Robotic Systems

324 Paul Ferkul NASA's Glenn Research Center Material Flammability in Lunar Gravity TX06: Human Health, Life 

Support, and Habitation Systems

325 Hantang Qin Iowa State University 3D Printing of Flexible Electronics for In-Space Manufacturing and 

Investigations

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

326 Dmitry Starodubov FOMS Space Fibers 3 Preflight

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

327 Jed Storey NASA's Kennedy Space Center Propellant Mass Gauging in Microgravity with Electrical Capacitance 

Tomography TX01: Propulsion Systems

328 Steve Miller HeetShield Enabling Technology for Thermal Protection on Hypersonic Missions TX09: Entry, Descent, and 

Landing

329 Edward Balaban NASA's Ames Research Center Fluidic Telescope Experiment TX08: Sensors and Instruments

330 Jason Hartwig NASA's Glenn Research Center A Reduced-Gravity Chilldown and Transfer Investigation Using 

Cryogens TX01: Propulsion Systems

331 Brandon Kirkland Redwire Space Vulcan Advanced Hybrid Manufacturing 

TX12: Materials, Structures, 

Mechanical Systems, and 

Manufacturing

332 Nicolas Naclerio University of California, Santa 

Barbara Root-Like Burrowing Device TX04: Robotic Systems

333 Sara Jennings Orion Labs Quantum Machine Learning Enhanced Sensor Combination for Earth 

Observation

TX05: Communications, 

Navigation, and Orbital Debris 

Tracking and Characterization 

Systems

334 Cristian Rodriguez Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Space 

Club

Bronco Ember: Autonomous Nascent Wildfire Detection and 

Prevention TX08: Sensors and Instruments

335 Ben Gorr Texas A&M University Satellite for Natural and Artificial Plumes TX08: Sensors and Instruments
FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES 

Rapid Demonstration of Space Technologies

An electronic transmission conveys the delight of researchers from 

MIT after gathering successful flight data on a parabolic flight in 

April 2021. Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation/Steve Boxall National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Armstrong Flight Research Center 

Edwards, California 93523

www.nasa.gov/flightopportunities

www.nasa.gov

Front cover image: Researchers from the University of Iowa tested 

their CubeSat Articulated Boom Option Optimization in Microgravity 

(CABOOM) experiment in spring 2021 on Zero Gravity Corporation’s 

G-FORCE ONE aircraft with funding from Flight Opportunities. 

Credit: Zero Gravity Corporation/Steve Boxall

 NP-2022-01-64-AFRC