Sodium Lidar Laser Transmitter TRL Advancement

Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

We are developing a few laser transmitter concepts and prototype breadboards for ground, balloon-borne and space-borne lidar instruments for Earth mesosphere temperature measurements. Our emphasis in this IRAD topic is on improving the TRL of the laser systems sodium spectroscopy for different platforms.

Benefits

Our developed laser systems will be the baseline for a balloon-borne and a space borne missions. For spaceborne instruments, we are targeting an opportunity through the Heliophysics mission of opportunity (MOO) for a sodium lidar - Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics Across the Mesopause (ACaDAMe) on the International Space Station (ISS). We are also targeting a high altitude balloon-borne mission - Balloon Sodium Lidar to measure Tides in the Antarctic Region (B-SoLiTARe) from the Heliophysics Low Cost Access to Space (HLCAS) solicitation.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Lasers
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: GSFC IRAD (GSFC IRAD)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2018-10-01
End date	2022-09-30

Project contacts

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

Errol J Summerlin — errol.summerlin@nasa.gov
Georgia A De Nolfo — georgia.a.denolfo@nasa.gov
Nikolaos Paschalidis — nikolaos.paschalidis@nasa.gov
Diego Janches — diego.janches@nasa.gov
Anthony W Yu — anthony.w.yu@nasa.gov
Bernd Kaifler
Chester Gardner
Guangning Yang — guangning.yang-1@nasa.gov
Kenji Numata — kenji.numata-1@nasa.gov
Molly E Fahey — molly.e.fahey@nasa.gov
Ruth S Lieberman — ruth.s.lieberman@nasa.gov
Shahriar Etemad
Steven X Li — steven.x.li@nasa.gov

How to get involved

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.