Stratospheric Balloon Free-Space-Optical Communication (SB-FSO) (SB-FSO)

Torrey Pines Logic, Inc. (TPL) proposes developing a complete Free Space Optical communication system design, initial BoM and Phase II development roadmap for a lightweight FSO communication link designed to accommodate the sub-orbital to ground communication requirements. The Phase I effort will conclude with a TRL 3-5 demonstration. Target markets include NASA, DoD, and international needs for low-power high-speed 99.9%+ reliability remote data connection nodes. Stratospheric Balloons or stratostats are a dynamic low-cost platform that carries a wide variety of payloads and instrumentation to altitudes between 27 km and 46 km (90000 ft and 150,000 ft) above sea level. These platforms are primarily used for data collection missions such as space research (ASTHROS and GUSTO) (NASA, 2022), (NASA, 2023), weather research, geological survey, investigation of high-altitude atmospheric phenomenology (BARREL) (NASA, 2017), and defense applications. As payload instrumentation evolves and becomes more sophisiticated, so does the amount of data that is collected during a mission. With that the need to rapidly offload large amounts of data becomes crucial. According to the July 2024 NASA civil airspace shortfall rankings (NASA, 2024), a technology gap exists in the low orbit / sub-orbital craft to ground communications, particularly in the low SWaP-C (size weight power and cost) arena.

Stratospheric Balloons or stratostats are a dynamic low-cost platform that carries a wide variety of payloads and instrumentation to altitudes between 27 km and 46 km (90000 ft and 150,000 ft) above sea level. These platforms are primarily used for data collection missions such as space research (ASTHROS and GUSTO) (NASA, 2022), (NASA, 2023), weather research, geological survey, investigation of high-altitude atmospheric phenomenology (BARREL) (NASA, 2017), and defense applications. As payload instrumentation evolves and becomes more sophisiticated, so does the amount of data that is collected during a mission. With that the need to rapidly offload large amounts of data becomes crucial. According to the July 2024 NASA civil airspace shortfall rankings (NASA, 2024), a technology gap exists in the low orbit / suborbital craft to ground communications, particularly in the low SWaP-C (size weight power and cost) arena. S, X and Ka band communications are a well-developed commercial option. S and X bands have low data rates and are not easily scalable. The Ka band has a significant data rate capability and is readily available, but RF communications have inferior directive gain, translating to a power requirement in the hundreds of Watts for a wider solid angle. Long distance FSO communications can be used in a variety of different applications outside of NASA installations like remote network connections, substitutes/additional capabilities for Starlink, and a variety of DoD applications.

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.