DEMONS (DEployable Membrane Optical commuNication System)

In this study we propose to study deployable membrane optics for use in laser/optical communication. We will partner with MIT for their spaceborne laser communication experience. The team has extensive experience developing, fabricating and using membrane-based diffractive optics and will apply these optics to laser communication for this project.

As NASA aims to return to the lunar surface and eventually mars, laser communication is the only credible approach to high bandwidth data transfer over large distances. Traditional optics (lenses and mirrors) used in current SOA laser communication systems are heavy, occupy a large volume, and are expensive. The DEMONS approach will replace these optics with thin, nearly massless, and deployable optics to enable laser communication at a low cost and a small volume.

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.