Multifunctional Flexible Aerogels for Inflatable Habitats, Phase I

In 2005, President George W. Bush issued a Vision for Space Exploration that included a return to the lunar surface by as early as 2015. This mission is expected to undertake far more ambitious activities than those of the previous Apollo mission, possibly involving medium to long term lunar habitation. The use of inflatable structures for large-volume crew habitation on the lunar surface has proven to be an effective technology to maximize payload volumes and reduce overall launch costs. NASA is currently seeking cutting edge material technologies that can simplify the construction of these habitats and provide for enhanced performance. Aspen Aerogels proposes to develop novel hybrid aerogel materials that are able to simultaneously provide for thermal, micrometeoroid and radiation protection in one single layer. Chemical modifications in the sol-gel preparation of aerogel materials are expected to afford hybrids materials that will combine the durability and thermal performance of a standard silica aerogel with the flexibility, resilience and radiation protection properties of a polymeric material.

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.