The Hawaii EPSCoR RID 2020 Augmentation

The goal of the Hawai‘i NASA EPSCoR Program is to develop an academic research enterprise that is directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally-competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. The Hawai‘i NASA EPSCoR Program supports a series of collaborative projects that will strengthen ties between the University of Hawai‘i system, NASA Centers in closest proximity to Hawai‘i, State and Federal agencies, and private industry. Hawai‘i underrepresented populations will be preferential recipients of support. The ORS-4 Mission launched unsuccessfully from Kauai on November 3, 2015. While the launcher rail worked perfectly, there was a problem with the Super-Strypi first stage motor and rocket shroud (The shroud was made of wood and delaminated in flight.) Nevertheless, there were numerous successes as a result of the ORS-4 Mission. The ORS-4 mission trained 130 students who helped to deliver the HiakaSat satellite according to US Air Force standards. HSFL, with NASA EPSCoR RID support, is working on a Big Island small launch vehicle (<300 kg to 500 km orbit) site that will handle solid-motor and liquid-engine vehicles. Six US small launch companies have expressed interest to launch from a Big Island site. The EPSCoR jurisdiction director is involved with guiding both efforts. HSFL is working on four small satellite missions and mission concepts currently with NASA EPSCoR RID support. (1) Neutron-1: This 3-U CubeSat features a LunaH-Map neutron detector from Arizona State University and is of interest to the NASA Science Mission Directorate as an engineering test of neutron detectors that will go to the Moon. Neutron-1 will be delivered for launch in summer-fall 2020. (2) Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI): HSFL, JPL, and partners are building a 6-U infrared remote sensing technology demonstration satellite for the NASA Science Mission Directorate Earth Science Technology Office. HyTI is a $5.6M mission (JPL funds included) that was partially secured with NASA EPSCoR RID funding that was directed to the HSFL engineering team to help to flesh out proposal details. (3) Space-Based Calibration Platform (SBCP): SBCP will be a 100-kg satellite that will support DoD radar testing and is currently in the System Requirements Review stage. NASA EPSCoR RID funds are used to help the Project Manager, Dr. Trevor Sorensen, and the HSFL engineering team to draft proposals for further DoD funding. (4) High-Energy Particle Detection for Astrophysics: Dr. Shaddia Habbal at the Institute for Astronomy wrote a proposal in response to a NASA Science Mission Directorate call for SMEX-level proposals and received encouraging reviews to resubmit. NASA EPSCoR RID funds will be used to support the HSFL engineering team to help with proposal and schematic development of the small satellite to be used in the mission.

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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