{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":12093,"title":"In-Situ Water Vapor Probe for a Robot Arm-Mounted, Compact Water Vapor Analyzer","startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"
Testing of basic underlying physico-chemical processes (KA) in lab and in field • Integration with analyzer developed by Vista Photonics (SBIR Phase II) • Collection of a data set enabling proposal to PIDDP or MATISSE.
","description":"This instrument could be utilized in both manned and unmanned missions to a wide range of high priority NASA mission targets including Mars, the Moon, and Near Earth Objects. It also can serve as a key component of an ISRU instrument package - providing in-situ prospecting. The applicability of this project to both science and ISRU makes this proposal directly responsive to the \"New Tools of Discovery\" and to the \"Space Colonization\" Grand Challenges. It is a novel technology that will be an essential tool in discovering the origin and abundance of water in the solar system. The discovery and understanding of H2O deposits throughout the solar system is a critical component of self-sufficient human settlement. We propose to test a prototype water vapor sampling end-effector in the laboratory and in the field that will eventually be integrated with a small, infrared spectrometer developed through SBIR phase II funding for lunar, asteroid, or Martian exploration. The analyzer is capable of in-situ analysis of water- bearing materials on a millimeter scale providing high precision measurements of water abundance and isotopic composition. The high precision isotopic analysis will include D/H, 17O/16O, and 18O/16O. Water is central to NASA's strategic goals for exploration of the solar system and high precision isotopic analysis, especially of 17O, provides a key tool in answering fundamental scientific questions about its origin and history. In addition, these measurements can serve as an important component of ISRU operations helping to identify, characterize, understand, and predict the occurrence of volatile deposits.","startYear":2012,"startMonth":10,"endYear":2013,"endMonth":9,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":369769,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Paul","lastName":"Niles","fullName":"Paul B Niles","fullNameInverted":"Niles, Paul B","middleInitial":"B","primaryEmail":"paul.b.niles@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":335305,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Lapointe","fullName":"Michael R Lapointe","fullNameInverted":"Lapointe, Michael R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"michael.r.lapointe@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":392233,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Richard","lastName":"Howard","fullName":"Richard W Howard","fullNameInverted":"Howard, Richard W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"richard.w.howard@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62108,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Westhelle","fullName":"Carlos H Westhelle","fullNameInverted":"Westhelle, Carlos H","middleInitial":"H","primaryEmail":"carlos.h.westhelle@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"caption":"Project Image In-Situ Water Vapor Probe for a Robot Arm-Mounted, Compact Water Vapor Analyzer","file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":266624,"fileName":"12093-1377029871801","fileSize":181261,"objectId":266283,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"177.0 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":266624,"fileName":"12093-1377029871801","fileSize":181261,"objectId":266283,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"177.0 KB"}],"id":266283,"title":"12093-1377029871801.jpg","description":"Project Image In-Situ Water Vapor Probe for a Robot Arm-Mounted, Compact Water Vapor Analyzer","libraryItemTypeId":1095,"projectId":12093,"primary":true,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1095,"code":"IMAGE","description":"Image","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}}],"transitions":[{"transitionId":53389,"projectId":12093,"transitionDate":"2013-09-01","path":"Closed Out","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"September 2013"}],"primaryImage":{"file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":266624,"fileSizeString":"0 Byte"},"id":266283,"description":"Project Image In-Situ Water Vapor Probe for a Robot Arm-Mounted, Compact Water Vapor Analyzer","projectId":12093,"publishedDateString":""},"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"JSC CIF","active":true,"description":"JSC provides and applies its preeminent capabilities in science and technology to develop, operate, and integrate human exploration missions. The Center encourages collaboration with aerospace and non-aerospace industries, government agencies, and academia to solve science and technology challenges, while actively striving to maximize technology transfer into the commercial sector.
An active and sustainable science and technology development program is key to ensuring the challenges of human exploration are successfully overcome. The JSC-directed solicitations program enables the Center to invest strategically in high priority areas needed to accomplish future missions as articulated in the NASA Technology Roadmaps and the Space Technology Investment Plan (STIP). It offers the Center the ability to address technology gaps that are beyond the requirements of near-term programs to fund. It also provides a platform to continue to grow and maintain critical skills and innovations needed to ensure future mission success. These solicitations encourage use of collaborations to ensure maximum benefit to both the space program and the nation. As such, external partnerships are highly encouraged not only as a funding leverage but to bring innovative ideas and approaches into human exploration programs.
Selection Process
Typically, JSC solicitations are developed by the JSC CTO and the JSC Technology Working Group (JTWG). The competitive calls are coordinated with JSC Senior Staff and communicated to the JSC workforce via internal email distribution to an R&D community list and through postings on the internal center website and through JSC Today notices.
The JTWG solicits, evaluates and prioritizes all JSC solicitation responses in a two-stage process. The JTWG members review project proposals and work together to down-select to the finalists. The Principal Investigators (PIs) make presentations to the JTWG to provide more in-depth project details. This allows the members to select the finalists to support for the year. Selection criteria and funding vary based on the focus of the solicitation but of primary interest are:
Project Accomplishments
Through the result of research and development, JSC’s IR&D project PIs are making important progress in the advancement of technology needed to enable NASA’s mission of space exploration. In addition, many of the technologies development to meet the challenges of space exploration have great commercialization potential. Each year, many of JSC’s IR&D projects file New Technology Reports (NTRs) through the JSC Tech Transfer Office. Several of these reports have received New Technology Evaluation Patent ratings to pursue patents, while additional ones have been scheduled for success story articles to be written and published.
JSC projects active in FY12 and beyond have been included in TechPort. Through the TechPort tool information on the projects is provided and will be updated by PIs as developments and updates become available. This will offer further knowledge and information sharing between NASA developers, researchers, engineers and scientists and other internal and external stakeholders.
The JSC Chief Technologist Office (CTO) sponsors one or more Independent Research & Development (IR&D) solicitations throughout each year depending on available funds. These local solicitations primarily use a blend of Agency Center Innovation Fund (CIF) and the JSC Center Investment Account (CIA) funds to stimulate and encourage technology development, creativity, and innovation. The objective is to address the technology needs of the Agency as well as the nation. For these reasons, funds distributed to JSC support emerging technologies and creative initiatives that leverage the Center’s talent pool and unique capabilities. Scientists and engineers across the Center lead projects and establish partnerships between other centers, agencies, research laboratories, academic institutions and private industries.
","parentProgram":{"acronym":"CIF","active":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
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