The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"We propose a hollow reservoir cathode suitable for use in ion or Hall thrusters which utilizes iodine as a propellant. Reservoir cathodes have several unique features which will allow them to resist the corrosive effects of iodine. Chief amongst these is that the barium-emission-material-containing reservoir is isolated from the iodine flow. This allows free barium to be produced in an environment free of iodine. Furthermore, barium production rates in reservoir cathodes can be adjusted to very high levels -- high enough to overcome the deleterious effects of iodine at the cathode's emitting surface. Reservoir cathodes carry a barium supply that is 100 times that of conventional cathodes. Furthermore, the reservoir cathode inserts can be made of materials other than tungsten. This is not possible with impregnated cathodes. These materials can be selected for their resistance to iodine attack. They include osmium, rhodium, and iridium. NASA is pursuing iodine EP because of iodine's advantages over xenon, especially for small satellite propulsion. Most important are its low cost and its high storage density. Also, it requires no high-pressure, large and heavy pressure vessels.","benefits":"NASA's primary interest is for iodine thrusters of less than 1 KW. It is also interested in powers over 10 KW. Nanosats are the biggest market with iodine supply between 1 and 10 kg and power at about 200 watts. A 12U Cubesat sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center will employ an iodine ion thruster. It has a crucial need for reliable cathodes, both for discharge and neutralization. NASA Glenn and the Marshall Space Flight Center are co-sponsoring the iSat (iodine satellite) project. It, too, needs reliable cathodes. 2,000 to 2,750 small satellites are planned for this project.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"We propose a hollow reservoir cathode suitable for use in ion or Hall thrusters which utilizes iodine as a propellant. Reservoir cathodes have several unique features which will allow them to resist the corrosive effects of iodine. Chief amongst these is that the barium-emission-material-containing reservoir is isolated from the iodine flow. This allows free barium to be produced in an environment free of iodine. Furthermore, barium production rates in reservoir cathodes can be adjusted to very high levels -- high enough to overcome the deleterious effects of iodine at the cathode's emitting surface. Reservoir cathodes carry a barium supply that is 100 times that of conventional cathodes. Furthermore, the reservoir cathode inserts can be made of materials other than tungsten. This is not possible with impregnated cathodes. These materials can be selected for their resistance to iodine attack. They include osmium, rhodium, and iridium. NASA is pursuing iodine EP because of iodine's advantages over xenon, especially for small satellite propulsion. Most important are its low cost and its high storage density. Also, it requires no high-pressure, large and heavy pressure vessels.","benefits":"NASA's primary interest is for iodine thrusters of less than 1 KW. It is also interested in powers over 10 KW. Nanosats are the biggest market with iodine supply between 1 and 10 kg and power at about 200 watts. A 12U Cubesat sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center will employ an iodine ion thruster. It has a crucial need for reliable cathodes, both for discharge and neutralization. NASA Glenn and the Marshall Space Flight Center are co-sponsoring the iSat (iodine satellite) project. It, too, needs reliable cathodes. 2,000 to 2,750 small satellites are planned for this project.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"A hollow reservoir cathode for use in ion and Hall thrusters which uses iodine as propellant. Reservoir cathodes have unique features not found in conventional impregnated cathodes. The critical barium reduction process occurs in the reservoir, not in the matrix, and this isolates that process from iodine poisoning. Also, the barium supply is 100 times greater than is available in conventional cathodes. This allows much higher rates of barium to flow to the cathode’s surface – enough to overcome iodine poisoning. Also, metals resistant to iodine attack can be used in the cathode matrix. We propose constructing large numbers of reservoir cathodes with various compositions and activities. We propose a systematic study of these cathodes in iodine to discover the factors which provide the successful performance. We also propose a miniature reservoir cathode for use in CubeSats, where iodine's compactness is most appealing. NASA is pursuing iodine EP because of its many advantages over xenon. These include low cost and high storage density.","benefits":"NASA's primary interest is for iodine thrusters of less than 1 KW. It is also interested in powers over 10 KW. NASA has a critical need for reliable cathodes, both for discharge and neutralization. NanoSats are the largest market with iodine supply between 1 and 10 Kg and power at about 200 watts. A 12U CubeSat sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center will employ an iodine ion thruster. NASA Glenn and the Marshall Space Flight Center are co-sponsoring the iSat (iodine satellite) project. It, too, needs reliable cathodes. 2,000 to 2,750 small satellites are planned for this project.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"We propose a hollow reservoir cathode suitable for use in ion or Hall thrusters which utilizes iodine as a propellant. Reservoir cathodes have several unique features which will allow them to resist the corrosive effects of iodine. Chief amongst these is that the barium-emission-material-containing reservoir is isolated from the iodine flow. This allows free barium to be produced in an environment free of iodine. Furthermore, barium production rates in reservoir cathodes can be adjusted to very high levels -- high enough to overcome the deleterious effects of iodine at the cathode's emitting surface. Reservoir cathodes carry a barium supply that is 100 times that of conventional cathodes. Furthermore, the reservoir cathode inserts can be made of materials other than tungsten. This is not possible with impregnated cathodes. These materials can be selected for their resistance to iodine attack. They include osmium, rhodium, and iridium. NASA is pursuing iodine EP because of iodine's advantages over xenon, especially for small satellite propulsion. Most important are its low cost and its high storage density. Also, it requires no high-pressure, large and heavy pressure vessels.","benefits":"NASA's primary interest is for iodine thrusters of less than 1 KW. It is also interested in powers over 10 KW. Nanosats are the biggest market with iodine supply between 1 and 10 kg and power at about 200 watts. A 12U Cubesat sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center will employ an iodine ion thruster. It has a crucial need for reliable cathodes, both for discharge and neutralization. NASA Glenn and the Marshall Space Flight Center are co-sponsoring the iSat (iodine satellite) project. It, too, needs reliable cathodes. 2,000 to 2,750 small satellites are planned for this project.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"A hollow reservoir cathode for use in ion and Hall thrusters which uses iodine as propellant. Reservoir cathodes have unique features not found in conventional impregnated cathodes. The critical barium reduction process occurs in the reservoir, not in the matrix, and this isolates that process from iodine poisoning. Also, the barium supply is 100 times greater than is available in conventional cathodes. This allows much higher rates of barium to flow to the cathode’s surface – enough to overcome iodine poisoning. Also, metals resistant to iodine attack can be used in the cathode matrix. We propose constructing large numbers of reservoir cathodes with various compositions and activities. We propose a systematic study of these cathodes in iodine to discover the factors which provide the successful performance. We also propose a miniature reservoir cathode for use in CubeSats, where iodine's compactness is most appealing. NASA is pursuing iodine EP because of its many advantages over xenon. These include low cost and high storage density.","benefits":"NASA's primary interest is for iodine thrusters of less than 1 KW. It is also interested in powers over 10 KW. NASA has a critical need for reliable cathodes, both for discharge and neutralization. NanoSats are the largest market with iodine supply between 1 and 10 Kg and power at about 200 watts. A 12U CubeSat sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center will employ an iodine ion thruster. NASA Glenn and the Marshall Space Flight Center are co-sponsoring the iSat (iodine satellite) project. It, too, needs reliable cathodes. 2,000 to 2,750 small satellites are planned for this project.