X-Boom

The proposed X-Boom is an innovation on rollable boom design directly relevant to NASA SBIR topic H5.01, Deployable Structures. The X-boom is a rollable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) boom with an open and symmetrical cross-section. X-boom exhibits superior strength when compared to other open section state of the art (SOA) rollable booms and reduced system integration complexity when compared to both open and closed section SOA rollable booms.

Deployable booms have significant flight heritage and will have sustained prominence in future spacecraft design. Potential X-Boom applications include solar array systems, deployable Gossamer Structures (e.g. solar sails, sun shades, and deorbiting systems), antennas, and CubeSats.

X-Boom applications for commercial space and the DoD are equivalent to NASA. For commercial space, CubeSats are an emerging market. The inherent scalability of X-Boom could provide capability to CubeSats for the deployment of solar array systems, instruments, and antennas. Further, X-Boom can be deployed to establish a gravity gradient.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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.