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NASA can't operate superconductors or store cryogenic liquids in space because even the best spacecraft coatings absorb too much of the Sun's power. We are developing a highly reflective coating, minimizing absorbed solar radiation, so that cryogenic temperatures can be achieved.
KSC has discovered a coating we call “Solar White” that is predicted to reflect more than 99.9% of the sun’s irradiance, roughly a factor of 100 times better than the current state of the art. KSC has published the work in Optics Letters, showing predicted temperatures in deep space as low as 50K. But this is theory. KSC is currently setting up a deep space simulator (evacuated cryocooler) to test prototype powder based coatings, but we need to move to rigid, self-supporting, coatings. If KSC can develop a Solar White coating that is space worthy and matches prediction it will enable deep space cryogenic storage, superconductor operation, and have multiple impacts on NASA needs.
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This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
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