Demonstration of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nano-tubes for Earth Climate Remote Sensing

Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 7)

Description

Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes (VACNTs) possess numerous remarkable electrical, thermal and optical properties, including that they are the blackest known substance to humankind. This property, as well as their very light thermal mass, makes them ideal absorbers for radiation measurement instruments. Herein we describe a demonstration of VACNT-based radiometer technology to be carried on a commercial suborbital reusable launch vehicle (sRLV). The results of this proposed work and demonstration would raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of this technology from 3 to 7 enabling their proposed use in future NASA and operational Earth science missions.

Problem Statement
VACNT based bolometer radiometers provide just the type of instrument improvements needed to make Earth and Sun observing radiometers sufficiently accurate and low cost to measure’s Earth’s absolute energy balance/imbalance for the first time. This is precisely the measurement that is needed to resolve the climate change debate and enable vastly superior predictions of future change.

Technology Maturation
Integration of the VACNT with a radiometer sensor head and environmental testing will bring them to TRL 5 for this application, and the flight on a sRLV will bring the technology to TRL 6. Successful measurement of the solar incident radiation will bring the VACNT-based radiometer sensor head to TRL 7.

Benefits

This technology, when used as the basis for radiometers, will assist in measuring Net Radiation, thought to be one of the prime contributors to global climate change. A better understanding of the Earth's climate system will have a global benefit.

Future Customers
VACNT have numerous proposed future uses in space applications in addition to radiometer absorbing elements. Current pursuits include stray light suppression, thermal management, electrical generation and transmission, and super-light structures, as outlined in NASA Technology Roadmap [2012] Nanotechology Area (TA10).

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Detectors and Focal Planes
Program	Flight Opportunities (FO)
Lead organization	Johns Hopkins University: Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
Start date	2016-05-01
End date	2022-04-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

H. Todd Smith
Lars P Dyrud
Stergios J Papadakis
Steven Lorentz

How to get involved

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.