UTILIZING ISS AS A TEST BED TO VALIDATE THE PERFORMANCE OF NANO-ENHANCED POLYMERS SUBJECTED TO ATOMIC OXYGEN AND / OR HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT

The PIs of this proposal investigated the efficiency of using nano materials to improve the performance of polymeric materials in space applications through a number of ground/ lab tests. The research was part of an EPSCoR research grant titled “Hypervelocity Impact – Environmental Resistant Nano Materials in Space Applications”. The research attempted to improve the state of the art of hypervelocity impact-resistant materials and structures by designing and manufacturing a new family of composite materials for space applications. It focused on two debris-related threats to spacecraft survivability: hypervelocity impact and environmental degradation of transparent polymeric materials. The two threats were evaluated in the context of using graphene nanoparticles embedded in POSS modified polymers. The objective of the proposed research is use ISS as a test bed for evaluating the performance of a new class of nanocomposites manufactured at University of Mississippi under a NASA EPSCoR program and perform relevant ground test experiments required, including flammability, off gassing, and toxicity, before deployment to ISS. The proposed development and testing will determine the post space exposure performance of a specific type of ultra-lightweight nano-composite sheet that can prove to be a significant improvement in the shock absorption/attenuation and dispersion of modern debris shields. These new shields could be retrofitted on ISS and also used on spacecraft destined for planetary missions.

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.