University of Alabama - Huntsville (UAH) ChargerSat - 2 Parabolic Flight Testing

The UAHuntsville ChargerSat program is a student satellite development program to design, build, test, and operate orbital Pico/Nano-satellites. The project is conceived and run under the Space Hardware Club, an all-volunteer, all-student aerospace system design group and student organization of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The UAHuntsville ChargerSat program is currently working on its second CubeSat mission, ChargerSat-2. ChargerSat-2 has a primary focus of investigating the heat transfer properties of nucleate boiling in microgravity. This will involve two 1.5U CubeSat satellites (10x10x15cm), each containing two boiling instruments. To support this mission, two primary technologies will need to be tested to ensure a successful orbital mission. The technologies that need to be tested are: 1) the deployment mechanisms for a drag device designed to increase deceleration forces and 2) the microgravity boiling instrument verification and characterization.

The technologies to be tested, drag device deployment and microgravity boiling instrument verification and characterization, have the potential to benefit the commercial space industry and future NASA missions.

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.