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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna proposes to continue development of integrated high-definition fiber optic sensors (HD-FOS) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-graphene piezoresistive sensors for inflatable space habitat materials to enable full coverage structural health monitoring (SHM) and impact detection. Inflatable habitats are key to reducing the weight of space structures, enabling future long term missions and planetary habitation. There is a need for monitoring the structural health of these habitats, as many of the methods used on earth are not applicable to the space environment or the materials used. To accomplish this goal, Luna has teamed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) who is a leader in the development of CNT sensor technology. Luna is teaming with an established manufacturer to fabricate a sub-scale inflatable structure with integrated SHM sensors which will enable thorough characterization of the approach. During Phase I, the team successfully demonstrated damage detection in an inflatable prototype as well as dynamic impact detection of soft goods layers with the technologies. Phase II will focus on increasing the TRL of the sensing technologies and preparing for transition into future NASA missions. Phase III will focus on commercializing the technology with NASA and NASA affiliates.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. This applies to flexible inflatable structures as well as rigid cured composite lightweight structures. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite's structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna proposes to continue development of integrated high-definition fiber optic sensors (HD-FOS) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-graphene piezoresistive sensors for inflatable space habitat materials to enable full coverage structural health monitoring (SHM) and impact detection. Inflatable habitats are key to reducing the weight of space structures, enabling future long term missions and planetary habitation. There is a need for monitoring the structural health of these habitats, as many of the methods used on earth are not applicable to the space environment or the materials used. To accomplish this goal, Luna has teamed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) who is a leader in the development of CNT sensor technology. Luna is teaming with an established manufacturer to fabricate a sub-scale inflatable structure with integrated SHM sensors which will enable thorough characterization of the approach. During Phase I, the team successfully demonstrated damage detection in an inflatable prototype as well as dynamic impact detection of soft goods layers with the technologies. Phase II will focus on increasing the TRL of the sensing technologies and preparing for transition into future NASA missions. Phase III will focus on commercializing the technology with NASA and NASA affiliates.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. This applies to flexible inflatable structures as well as rigid cured composite lightweight structures. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite's structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna will partner with Dr. Daewon Kim and Dr. Sirish Namilae of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University to develop a multifunctional structural health monitoring solution for lightweight composites used in long duration space habitats. A combination of fiber optic sensors, for strain and temperature monitoring, and piezo resistive sensors, for impact detection, will be utilized to provide a flexible and lightweight health monitoring solution. Luna's high definition fiber optic measurement system utilizes low cost optical fiber to report strain or temperature points every 1.25 mm to 5 mm along the sensing fiber. Fiber can be embedded in the composite materials to detect changes in the structure and predict early onset of failure, prior to visible damage. The piezo resistive sensors will be mounted on flexible soft goods materials. During Phase 1, Luna will fabricate a small-scale expandable composite test article and demonstrate the ability to sense strain using embedded optical fiber and detect impact events using surface mounted piezo resistive sensors. During Phase II, Luna will demonstrate a solution that fuses data from both sensing techniques into one platform for a cohesive SHM solution. Phase III will focus on transitioning the technology to NASA and NASA affiliates such as Bigelow Aerospace.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and in-space habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite?s structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure to be monitored and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna proposes to continue development of integrated high-definition fiber optic sensors (HD-FOS) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-graphene piezoresistive sensors for inflatable space habitat materials to enable full coverage structural health monitoring (SHM) and impact detection. Inflatable habitats are key to reducing the weight of space structures, enabling future long term missions and planetary habitation. There is a need for monitoring the structural health of these habitats, as many of the methods used on earth are not applicable to the space environment or the materials used. To accomplish this goal, Luna has teamed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) who is a leader in the development of CNT sensor technology. Luna is teaming with an established manufacturer to fabricate a sub-scale inflatable structure with integrated SHM sensors which will enable thorough characterization of the approach. During Phase I, the team successfully demonstrated damage detection in an inflatable prototype as well as dynamic impact detection of soft goods layers with the technologies. Phase II will focus on increasing the TRL of the sensing technologies and preparing for transition into future NASA missions. Phase III will focus on commercializing the technology with NASA and NASA affiliates.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. This applies to flexible inflatable structures as well as rigid cured composite lightweight structures. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite's structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna proposes to continue development of integrated high-definition fiber optic sensors (HD-FOS) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-graphene piezoresistive sensors for inflatable space habitat materials to enable full coverage structural health monitoring (SHM) and impact detection. Inflatable habitats are key to reducing the weight of space structures, enabling future long term missions and planetary habitation. There is a need for monitoring the structural health of these habitats, as many of the methods used on earth are not applicable to the space environment or the materials used. To accomplish this goal, Luna has teamed with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) who is a leader in the development of CNT sensor technology. Luna is teaming with an established manufacturer to fabricate a sub-scale inflatable structure with integrated SHM sensors which will enable thorough characterization of the approach. During Phase I, the team successfully demonstrated damage detection in an inflatable prototype as well as dynamic impact detection of soft goods layers with the technologies. Phase II will focus on increasing the TRL of the sensing technologies and preparing for transition into future NASA missions. Phase III will focus on commercializing the technology with NASA and NASA affiliates.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. This applies to flexible inflatable structures as well as rigid cured composite lightweight structures. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite's structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.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","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","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Luna will partner with Dr. Daewon Kim and Dr. Sirish Namilae of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University to develop a multifunctional structural health monitoring solution for lightweight composites used in long duration space habitats. A combination of fiber optic sensors, for strain and temperature monitoring, and piezo resistive sensors, for impact detection, will be utilized to provide a flexible and lightweight health monitoring solution. Luna's high definition fiber optic measurement system utilizes low cost optical fiber to report strain or temperature points every 1.25 mm to 5 mm along the sensing fiber. Fiber can be embedded in the composite materials to detect changes in the structure and predict early onset of failure, prior to visible damage. The piezo resistive sensors will be mounted on flexible soft goods materials. During Phase 1, Luna will fabricate a small-scale expandable composite test article and demonstrate the ability to sense strain using embedded optical fiber and detect impact events using surface mounted piezo resistive sensors. During Phase II, Luna will demonstrate a solution that fuses data from both sensing techniques into one platform for a cohesive SHM solution. Phase III will focus on transitioning the technology to NASA and NASA affiliates such as Bigelow Aerospace.","benefits":"Lightweight composites can provide not only significant mass and size savings, but also allow for more efficient and complex designs for future space vehicles and in-space habitable structures. Use of new lightweight materials also raises a critical need to assess and monitor their structural performance. Lightweight and minimally invasive fiber optic sensors can be embedded in composites during their manufacturing process and utilized afterwards for structural health monitoring. High Definition Fiber Optic Sensing (HD-FOS) technology will provide NASA with a measurement technique that can report hundreds of strain or temperature measurement points along the fiber optic cable, allowing for a detailed understanding of the composite?s structural reliability. Combined with piezo resistive surface sensors for impact detection, this multi-functional solution enables a wider coverage area of the structure to be monitored and can improve sustainability of future crewed missions to Mars.