Goddard's IRAD program is managed under Goddard's Office of Chief Technologist. Activities are coordinated in collaboration with the Sciences and Exploration Directorate; Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate; Flight Projects Directorate; Wallops Flight Facility; New Opportunites Office; SBIR/STTR program; Goddard Strategic Partnerships Office; and the Export Compliance Office.
IRAD provides"seed funding" to develop concepts, reduce technology risk, and advance human capital and technological capabilities. The program is highly competitive, opportunity-driven, and 100% strategically aligned with NASA's and GSFC's strategic priorities. A significant portion of the program is focused on Early Stage Innovations for high-risk, strategically aligned, potential high-payoff technologies that are longer-term or lower TRL.
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The goal of this IRAD is to design, manufacture, and test actuator drive components coated with new novel materials that have exceptionally strong hardness and low coefficient of friction properties for potential use in devices from room to cryogenic temperatures.
New thin film low friction coating technologies have recently been developed and matured to the point for use in this IRAD actuator work.
The new novel materials have exceptionally strong hardness and low coefficient of friction properties. The coatings have been applied to the actuator drive components.
The next step in this project is the analysis of the performance and life tested for potential future space flight application, which is underway.
","benefits":"The benefit to NASA would be to have a new technological capability for developing reliable, long life electromechanical actuators that can routinely operate from room to cryogenic temperatures for millions of cycles, far surpassing any present commercially available products for space flight use.
The same benefit exists here to NASA as for funded mission and would also include the potential cost savings of technology development on future missions that require long life actuators for deep space missions.
Presently, no known commercial aerospace actuator vendor in the US has the resources or capability to perform this work and no other known government agency is pursuing it. If successfully developed, there is potential for commercial technology transfer of this IRAD technology via SBIR or other equivalent methods for licensing purpose and future and other government agency use.
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