The path to commercialization is straightforward, via our commercialization partner ATK. ATK has significant interest in commercializing CTA technology and post-Phase II commercialization would be in the form of sales directly from ATK. The most direct commercialization would come in the form of a demo-wing for a NASA SEP mission such as ARM/ARRM or an earlier demonstration on ISS, where it could also function to provide supplemental power. NASA's interest in large arrays and SEP will not end with ARM, so larger, more powerful, follow-on missions will in interested in the capabilities of CTA, including manned and unmanned missions to Mars.
The entire space community is interested in high performance solar arrays. CTA offers great promise for mass efficiency, compact stowage, scalability to high power, and variability to fit different spacecraft busses and fairings. Benefits over the current state of practice will be most significant for large wings, so early commercialization efforts will focus on the needs of larger satellites in higher orbits, such as MEO-orbit GPS satellites and GEO-orbit communications satellites. These applications are equally relevant for non-NASA customers such as Air Force and private, commercial prime contractors.
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