Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Diode Laser Sensor for Methane

A compact, lightweight, and low power diode laser sensor will be developed for atmospheric methane detection on small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The physical specifications of this sensor will be considerably smaller than current NASA laser sensors. The smaller sensor specifications will enable use of carrier UAVs that are similiar in size to a large model aircraft. Using smaller UAVs for measurements will result in large cost savings. The proposed sensor will use an open path optical system that will provide superior spatial resolution in the measurements.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas, behind only water vapor and carbon dioxide in regard to green house impact. Understanding the sources and sinks of methane has become the subject of many climatic studies, particularly in the Arctic. The proposed sensor will make measurements of methane in remote areas more economical. Additionally, the platform developed in this project will be readily adapted to measurements of other gases such as water vapor or carbon dioxide.

The technology developed in this project may have use in natural gas pipeline monitoring. Also, the technology has several land based applications. These applications include flux monitoring and natural gas leak detection.

This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — 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.