Deep-space Anomaly Solution for Habitat Assistance and Resolution Aid (DASHARA) (DASHARA)

Future deep space smart habitats will need to balance human and autonomous system intervention during anomalies, with onboard autonomous systems collecting sensor data, diagnosing faults, predicting maintenance needs, and recommending resolutions. To support anomaly response, smart habitats must integrate data from multiple sensors, analyze large datasets onboard, and provide astronauts with decision-support tools that enhance situational awareness and predict potential upcoming failures. In response to this need, Paragon and ASU propose to develop an AI framework called Deep-space Anomaly Solution for Habitat Assistance and Resolution Aid (DASHARA). In Phase I, the DASHARA framework will be designed and applied to a relevant space habitat system to focus the project's scope while enabling in-depth development and virtual and physical demonstration. DASHARA will be applied to a “smart” CO2 removal system. The project will build upon proven methodologies in intelligent decision-making, environmental adaptation, and predictive analytics, and apply them to the vacuum swingbed CO₂ removal hardware Paragon has developed for space exploration and deep-space habitation. Paragon’s hardware and ASU’s AI will be combined for virtual and experimental testing. The project will virtually simulate human-in-the-loop and autonomous space habitat operations and utilize development hardware to conduct physical lab experiments, ensuring a validated, scalable, and mission-ready prototype for future lunar and Martian exploration. Paragon and ASU will target customers developing commercial space stations and permanent lunar habitats. This currently includes the Starlab space station, Blue Origin and Sierra Space’s Orbital Reef, and Lockheed Martin’s lunar habitat.

DASHARA has relevance to NASA for near-term exploration-class missions within the Artemis program and longer-term exploration goals, such as Mars and deep-space human habitation missions. DASHARA, or a similar AI-based approach, could also be applied to NASA’s xEMU for EVA activities for maintenance and science operations for orbital and surface environments. Paragon and ASU’s proposed AI solution would reduce astronauts’ cognitive and maintenance workload. Thus, more of astronaut’s time may be spent on science and exploration goals. This in turn enables NASA to shift resources and money away from nominal mission upkeep and logistics towards more science and technology development. The DASHARA concept and AI-powered technologies could find potentially rapid applications in commercial space stations where Paragon plays a major role in ECLSS development, Starlab for example. Paragon and ASU envision deploying AI solutions to reduce cognitive loads and facilitate autonomous operations to a variety of fields, particularly DoD applications, where similar needs exist for commanders managing vast data streams. In the civilian sector, law enforcement and firefighting are activities where DASHARA will find rapid adoption as well due to the criticality of the mission and difficulty in managing large amounts of information rapidly. The team anticipates a fast growth curve in demand for DASHARA-type solutions with great business potential, in space and on Earth.

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.