Debris and meteoroid ENvironment Sensor: Instrument Technology Development (DENTS)

All objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), including spacecraft, will encounter substantial fluxes of micro-meteoroids and space debris. The consequences of these impacts range from minor (micron-deep craters on spacecraft surfaces) to moderate (degradation of spacecraft and science instrument operations) to severe (incapacitation of spacecraft). Against this background, recent deployment of spacecraft mega-constellations is rapidly changing the LEO debris environment, greatly enhancing the possibility of debris production via collisions, spacecraft failure, or space weathering (e.g. UltraViolet (UV) light exposure, micrometeoroid bombardment) of spacecraft surfaces. A stark observational gap exists for small debris in LEO, just as the historic shift to mega-constellations is making it most important to understand the small debris production rate and the consequences of collisions with small debris. With several mega-constellations only partially deployed, the threat from debris to spacecraft and science instruments in LEO already equals or exceeds the threat posed by natural meteoroids. Further, most assets with the ability to monitor small debris particles (< 3 mm) in LEO are no longer operational. To make the measurements required to close these observational gaps, we propose an instrument technology development effort to develop an innovative impact detection instrument: Debris and meteoroid ENvironment Sensor (DENTS). DENTS combines three well-established in-situ dust and debris detection measurement techniques (Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) foils, impact plate, and electric field antennas) into a single large-area cohesive detector. The proposed work will develop and test a prototype DENTS instrument, bringing its test readiness level (TRL) from 3 to 5, and thereby making it viable to propose for future deployment opportunities, including on the International Space Station (ISS). DENTS is a high-impact instrument development that directly addresses NASA Heliophysics science goals by filling a critical observation gap related to characterizing small meteoroid and debris populations in LEO, as well as the consequences of operating scientific instruments in that environment.

Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.