Besides its application to NASA, laser-based gas analyzers also have significant commercial application. Through several strategic partnerships, LGR is developing a suite of analytical instrumentation to measure trace gases for industrial process control, energy exploration, and military applications. The proposed work is essential in making these instruments more compact, rugged, and cost competitive, and will thus enlarge the potential market size significantly.
Future NASA extraplanetary exploration missions will require in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies to manufacture fuels, life support gases, and minerals. One of key NASA technologies involves the processing of extraplanetary regolith to produce H2O and O2. This oxygen can then be used as a propellant or for habitation. NASA requires several diagnostics to assess the validity and viability of ISRU technologies. Foremost, the final oxygen product must be analyzed to determine the trace contaminant levels. This analysis will provide information regarding the regolith composition, sorbent efficacy, and sorbent aging. Additionally, in-situ measurements of gas composition and temperature in the hot reactor or downstream of the sorbent bed are required to monitor the efficiency and dynamics of reduction process. Finally, NASA is targeting robotic lunar mission that include the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) project. This project necessitates the deployment of a lightweight, low-power gas analyzer. The proposed miniature Phase II prototype can complement existing technology to provide additional and verifying data. In addition to NASA's regolith processing monitoring needs, several other NASA programs can benefit from the technologies developed in this SBIR program, including the Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch, the NASA Astrobiology Program, and the NASA Astronaut Health Monitoring Program.
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