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Completed
This project starts the development of a small, low-cost optical comm system for direct LEO and/or Lunar to Earth data downlinks.
New approach to optical communications with lower size, weight, power, and cost than current state of the art. It will enable even small systems to have reliable, high-rate communications that can be deployed within weeks, mitigating project timelines and RF spectrum demands.
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.