← Back to NASA Technology Projects
Completed
Under PIDDP, NSF, and internal funding, we have developed an instrument to search for evidence of past life on Mars, to reveal the history of habitability, and to ascertain how the local geology evolved. To validate our dating method, we developed and successfully demonstrated 1st and 2nd generation instruments (one bench-top, and one portable), and successfully produced custom, miniature, solid-state, discrete optics laser systems for desorption, and resonance of Rb and Sr. However, recent advances in fiber laser design allow us to produce resonance laser systems with 0.5X the input power, 4X more output power, 3X lower mass, and 10X fewer optical interfaces; reducing the number of optical interfaces is crucial to reducing alignment and contamination requirements. This proposal seeks to implement and test the fiber laser technology, raising its TRL from 4 to 6.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
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.