Low Cost Method of Manufacturing Space Optics

Proposed is the development of a manufacturing technology that will increase feasible large optics design options and significantly reduce the manufacturing time, cost and risk involved in manufacturing large optic components. Specifically addressed are cutting and light weighting of glass and ceramic optical components. While milling and cutting materials such as ULE or SiC is often performed at Ormond using a novel technology, there is a need to develop this technology to a point where the risk of machining large optics made from these materials is acceptably low and NASA and its contractors understand the technical and cost performance. Development is needed to address engineering requirements of large optics and to advance production readiness. In Phase I, proprietary glass and ceramic cutting and milling technologies will be adapted to space optics requirements through software, process and tool development. Performance data will be immediately available to support ongoing NASA programs and to set the groundwork for Phase II. Key risk reduction methods will be identified. The Phase I workscope will involve NASA primes to demonstrate and prove the feasibility of implementing the proposed technology in large optics manufacturing. Phase II will result in a commercial ready means of cutting and milling large optics.

Management at the Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems group have stated that the developments made under this SBIR will directly support NASA programs including JDEM, IXO, LISA, ICESAT, ATLAST, CLARREO and ACE.

The developments made under the proposed SBIR will support any application where brittle materials are machined, especially applications where challenging ceramics such as SiC must be machined in bulk. Another large market area is the ceramic armor industry. Manufacturers are searching for reduced cost methods of shaping armor plates; an excellent application for the present development where subsurface flaws and residual stresses must be avoided.

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.