Environment monitoring suite on suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV) (sRLV)

This Technology is an evolution from Technology #15: Electromagnetic Field Measurements on sRLV. We propose to improve our initial instrument suite design consisting of modified Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) electric field mill and magnetometer sensors by the addition of a dual frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The initial experiments will demonstrate the feasibility of making future global electric circuit and water vapor/ionospheric profile measurements on a routine basis to assess the influence of global change on the Earth’s complex electrical environment.

This low-cost technology expands on previous research in characterizing electromagnetic fields by adding a dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS). Observations from the experiment will be a critical component for engineering models of the electromagnetic environment inside suborbital reusable launch vehicles. Once translated to the electric field external to spacecraft, the results will provide an important input to Earth science models.

This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — 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.