Nanotube Electrodes for Dust Mitigation

Dust mitigation is critical to the survivability of vehicle and infrastructure components and systems and to the safety of astronauts during EVAs and planetary surface operations. The proposed project seeks to demonstrate a broadly applicable and extremely space durable dust mitigation technology by combining transparent conductive circuits, based on carbon nanotechnology, with electrodymanic shielding. Presently metals and metal oxides are used to form the electrodes in electrodynamic dust mitigation devices. However the simple substitution of these traditional materials with nanocomposite conductors will provide a far more space durable electrode applicable to a broader array of surfaces and applications. The resulting dust mitigation system will have broad common value to its own mission and to other mission directorates. This approach exploits the unique capabilities of singlewalled carbon nanotubes and binders to form conductive circuits with existing dust mitigation technology developed at NASA-KSC. This approach provide the widest utility making the combined technologies suitable for vehicle structures, spacesuits, modular infrastructure, lightweight deployable and inflatable structures, and habitats. The thin transparent dust shield technology will mitigate the effects of charge, dust and other contaminates on materials, electronics and other space systems. This technology will provide significant improvement in robustness, reliability, and safety. The proposed project will build from a foundation created by NASA and Eikos over the past ten years. It is a natural extension of both efforts to combine Eikos Invisicon technology with the dust mitigation technology being conducted at KSC.

Eikos is currently marketing these conductive coatings under its register trademark, InvisiconREG, as a replacement of ITO in existing applications and a core part of our second thrust is to use Invisicon coatings for rapid prototyping of new electronic devices and enabling entirely new device structures. Based on superior performance and lower costs InvisiconREG can be a transparent electrode that is easily printed and patterned that allows manufacturers to produce more efficient and cost effective PV's, displays, and electronic devices.

ESC mitigation is critical to the survivability of vehicle and infrastructure components and systems and to the safety of astronauts during EVAs and planetary surface operations. This technology will provide significant improvement in robustness, reliability, and safety. Once fully matured, this technology will be implemented to sustain affordable exploration in remote environments where surface contamination, like dust, is persistently reducing the effectiveness, safety, and sustainability of key systems.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.