FO Portfolio Tracker¶
Last updated: 2026-04-07 (Session 100)
Data source: TechPort snapshot 2026-04-04
Portfolio Summary¶
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Total FO projects | 430 |
| Completed | 357 |
| Active | 51 |
| Canceled | 22 |
| Projects with any outcome record | 96 (22%). Session 97 audit: 3 failure modes in technologyOutcomes documented — see TechPort Outcome Data Quality |
| Mission infusion confirmed | 23+ (see mission infusion summary) — includes Artemis II CPAS, AELISS ISS. Session 95-96 audit: Micro Sun Sensor downgraded (Prox-1 descoped), RAVAN removed (FO flight unverified, ESTO-funded) |
| Industry-led | 136 |
| Industry-led, Completed | 103 |
| Projects with documents (fileIds) | ~17 (confirmed Session 26) |
TRL gain distribution (429 projects with both TRL values):
| TRL Gain | Count |
|---|---|
| +0 | 48 |
| +1 | 122 |
| +2 | 205 |
| +3 | 35 |
| +4 | 9 |
| +5 | 9 |
| +6 | 1 |
| Mean | +1.7 |
Investigation Status¶
DONE — Deep Investigation (75 projects across 47+ companies/orgs)¶
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91394 | Made in Space (→Redwire) | Printing the Space Future Testing | 4→9 | Mission Infusion (ISS AMF) + Acquisition | $10.1M tracked | made-in-space.md |
| 91391 | Controlled Dynamics Inc. | VIP Microgravity Stabilization | 6→9 | Mission Infusion (DSOC/Psyche, completed Sep 2025) + ESA interop Jul 2025 + DoD HEL | $5.4M tracked | controlled-dynamics.md |
| 94146 | SpaceX | Dragon V2 PMD Testing | 5→7 | Commercial (Crew Dragon → ISS missions) | — | spacex-dragon-v2-pmd.md |
| 12180 | ADA Technologies | Fine Water Mist Fire Extinguisher | 4→7 | Mission Infusion (ISS deployed Dec 2015, 13 units) + Orion Phase III + DoD batteries/hypersonics/DEW | $3.4M NASA + $46M+ DoD | ada-technologies.md |
| 91329 | Solstar Space Company | WiFi on Suborbital Platforms | 5→6 | Orbital deployment confirmed (Deke on Vigoride 7, Mar 30 2026) + Gateway HALO (paused) + $2.97M govt | $2.97M (govt) + $15M (Momentus deal) | solstar-space.md |
| 89368 | World View Enterprises (→Ondas Apr 2026) | Balloon Altitude Control | 6→9 | Acquisition (Ondas Holdings Apr 2026) + Commercial ISR (Stratollite 140+ flights) | ~$7.3M cash + shares | world-view-enterprises.md |
| 91651 | Eigen Strategies (fmr Valor Robotics) | On-Orbit Propellant Transfer (SOARS) | 4→7 | Completed TRL7 (NS-35 Sep 2025); SAA active thru Jun 2027; Valor Robotics $2.72M govt; no new follow-on | $2.72M (Valor) | eigen-strategies.md |
| 94197 | Tyvak (→Terran Orbital→Lockheed) | MicroAMPP (Tipping Point 2016) | 4→9 | Acquisition (Lockheed Oct 2024, ~$450M); now SDA constellation factory; T2TL Gamma $254M terminated (procurement integrity); Tranche 3 $1.1B (Dec 2025) | $48.7M pre-acq + $1.1B+ post-acq | tyvak-terran-orbital.md |
| 106591 | Tyvak (→Terran Orbital→Lockheed) | Micro-Avionics Multi-Purpose Platform | 4→9 | Acquisition (same company as 94197) | (see above) | tyvak-terran-orbital.md |
| 91700 | Busek Co., Inc. | Iodine RF Ion Thruster (Canceled) | 3→3 | Commercial product (BIT-3); Artemis-1 flights both failed; Gateway PPE BHT-6000 delivered Sep 2025 (first US EP on human-rated); HWO; OneWeb 80 sats | $80M+ tracked | busek-company.md |
| 94198 | Ventions LLC (→Astra Space) | Electric Pump-Fed Launch Vehicle | 4→8 | Pivot to spacecraft engines (110 shipped 2025); new rocket 2026; breakeven EBITDA | $13M Q4 2025 contracts | ventions-astra-space.md |
| 71984 | Sierra Nevada Corp (ORBITEC) → Sierra Space | ZGMMD Parabolic Flight Test | 4→9 | ISS deployed (2017–present) + commercial product (MMD) | $2.1M tracked | sierra-nevada-zgmmd.md |
| 91338 | Astrobotic Technology | Precision Nav Autolanding (Canceled) | 5→5 | CLPS contracts $498M+ (both missions problematic) | $498M tracked | astrobotic.md |
| 12460 | Near Space Corporation | Satellite-Based ADS-B Operations | 4→8 | Acquisition (Aerostar, March 2024) | $5.2M tracked | near-space-corporation.md |
| 106710 | Near Space Corporation | Data Buoy for High Altitude Balloons | 4→7 | Acquisition (same company as 12460) | (see above) | near-space-corporation.md |
| 12181 | Ad Astra Rocket Company | Cryocooler Vibration (VASIMR) | 4→7 | Active maturation — SBIR Phase II Sequential + SpaceNukes NEP alliance | $15.0M tracked | ad-astra-vasimr.md |
| 94196 | UP Aerospace, Inc. | Spyder Critical Tech Demo | 4→8 | Active maturation: hypersonic flight June 2025 (LANL); orbital in dev | $10.4M tracked | up-aerospace.md |
| 94202 | UP Aerospace, Inc. | Spyder GNC AVA Development | 4→7 | Active maturation (same as 94196) | (see above) | up-aerospace.md |
| 106636 | UP Aerospace, Inc. | SPYDER In Flight | 5→8 | Active maturation (same as 94196) | (see above) | up-aerospace.md |
| 94201 | Masten Space Systems (→Astrobotic) | M10A LOX/Methane Broadsword Engine | 4→7 | Tech absorbed by Astrobotic ($4.5M, 2022); M10A dormant; Xodiac lost flight 176 (May 2025); $17.5M new contracts (Dec 2025); Griffin-1 NET Jul 2026 (FLIP rover); Peregrine closed Aug 2024; Thales lunar wheel contract Mar 2026; $600M+ portfolio | $82M tracked (CLPS cancelled) + $17.5M new | masten-space-systems.md |
| 94139 | Henry Ford Health System | Microgravity Health Care | 4→8 | Clinical impact: ISS ultrasound protocols + global telemedicine | — | henry-ford-health.md |
| 12196 | Orbital Medicine, Inc. | Medical Chest Drainage System | 4→6 | Proof of concept only — TRL6 in parabolic; no ISS deployment | — | orbital-medicine.md |
| 91351 | NASA Langley RC (→Psionic/SurePath Nav) | Navigation Doppler Lidar | 5→6 | License → Psionic → IM-1 + IM-2 lunar landings (2024–2025); GCD Tipping Point [146990]; 4 peer-reviewed papers; $15.65M contracts | $15.65M tracked (Psionic) | psionic-ndl.md |
| 12187 | AFRL Kirtland (→TMT performer) | IsoTherm Thermal-Structural Panel | 4→6 | Acquisition pending: Phantom Space acquired TMT, April 2026 | $3.2M tracked (TMT) | tmt-isotherm.md |
| 93857 | AFRL Kirtland (→TMT performer) | Resilient Thermal Panel (2D heat pipes) | 4→5 | Acquisition pending (same as 12187) | (see above) | tmt-isotherm.md |
| 106680 | Made in Space (→Redwire) | GAMMA-ALF Glass Fiber Acoustic Levitation | 3→6 | Dead end — did not progress to ISS; ZBLAN is Redwire's actual glass product | — | dead_ends/gamma-alf-glass-fiber.md |
| 106590 | Nexolve (→Applied Aerospace & Defense Dec 2025) | LISA-T Microgravity Deployment Demo | 5→6 | On-orbit validation (partial anomaly): PTD-4 flew Aug 2024, boom anomaly unresolved 18mo; Nexolve→Applied Aerospace (Mar 2025)→merged PCX ($500M+, Dec 2025)→acquired Vestigo deorbit sails (Feb 2026); $19M+ NASA | $19M+ tracked (Nexolve) | organizations/nexolve-lisa-t.md |
| 145009 | Falcon ExoDynamics, Inc. | LITTLE OWL Nighttime Landing Hazard | 4→6 | TechLeap winner (Sep 2024, up to $650K); Closed Out Apr 2025; Handle 2.0 on Victus Salo2 (late 2026, SpaceX rideshare); $2.23M DoD confirmed | $2.23M tracked (Handle) | organizations/falcon-exodynamics.md |
| 106654 | Mango Materials Inc. | Gas Fermentation ISRU (PHA biopolymer) | 4→6 | Commercial scale-up: BioMADE (Jun 2026 close); Vacaville facility operational; BEAM Circular partnership (Jan 2026); VC round Jul 2025; $4.25M NASA | $4.25M tracked (NASA) | organizations/mango-materials.md |
| 12457 | Saber Astronautics Australia | DragEN Electrodynamic Tether | 4→6 | Software pivot: $8.7M+ Air Force space ops contracts (Sentinel, WINDU, Space Cockpit); hardware not deployed | $8.7M tracked (DoD) | organizations/saber-astronautics.md |
| 93962 | Massachusetts General Hospital | NINscan 4a Cerebral Hemodynamics | 4→7 | Clinical/research adoption: NINscan-SE in Epilepsy Foundation wiki; 4+ publications; BRAIN-SANS 8-modality ICP suite (HRP grant ended Mar 2026, ~6 manuscripts in preparation); LBNP countermeasure arm; no commercial product | — | organizations/mgh-ninscan.md |
| 91634 | Techshot (→Redwire) | Dynamic Microscopy System | 4→4 | No TRL gain; company had ISS success via other products (FabLab, bioprinting) — this specific project dead end | — | (no full page) |
| 91608 | Silicon Valley Space Center | Atmospheric Background Mesosphere IR | 4→6 | Data anomaly (outcome date predates project); PI @nasa.gov; no follow-on contracts found | — | (no full page) |
| 106746 | Center for Applied Space Technology | Large-Scope Bioprinting in Microgravity | 4→6 | Proof of concept only; no USASpending contracts; larger players (Redwire, Auxilium) occupy the market | — | (no full page) |
| 91328 | MSNW LLC | ICE Thruster System Development | 3→3 | Dead end: zero TRL gain; company wound down ~2017–2019 | — | dead_ends/msnw-ice-thruster.md |
| 184148 | Ecoatoms, Inc. | HERMES Automated Genetic Extraction | TBD | Active project (2025–2027); too early to assess | — | (active) |
| 93991 | NanoRacks (→Voyager Tech NYSE:VOYG) | Centrifuge for New Shepard | 5→6 | IPO $3.8B (Jun 2025); Starlab $183.2M received, 35 milestones, launch ~2029; CLD Phase 2 uncertain (NASA Ignition RFI Mar 2026); Defense 59% YoY; LambdaVision customer | $60.2M NASA + $183.2M Starlab | organizations/nanoracks.md |
| 94161 | Terminal Velocity Aerospace (SpaceWorks subsidiary) | EDL Comm Technologies | 4→6 | RED product line; RED-Data2 flew 2017; RED commercial offering active | — | organizations/spaceworks-tva.md |
| 106674 | SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. | Autonomous LEO Payload Recovery | 5→6 | RED system commercial product; TechLeap Prize Jul 2025 (Astral Materials); demo Q2 2026; $30M+ DoD contracts | $30M tracked | organizations/spaceworks-tva.md |
| 158500 | Blue Origin, LLC | Landing Lidar System | 4→4 | Active maturation: MK1 "Endurance" pathfinder late 2026; VIPER CS-7 $190M (late 2027); New Glenn operational (NG-2 Nov 2025) | $190M (VIPER CS-7) | organizations/blue-origin-lidar.md |
| 106700 | Zandef Deksit Inc. | ExoCam Lunar Lander Descent Imaging | 4→6 | Technology stalling: Phase I closed Feb 2025; no Phase II; no CLPS flight; 1-employee company; approaching dead end | $150K | organizations/zandef-deksit.md |
| 93996 | Astrobotic Technology, Inc. | Autolanding for Robotic Precursor Missions | 4→6 | AAS core landing tech absorbed into Peregrine/Griffin; continuation contract $7.97M (LaRC) | $7.97M tracked | organizations/astrobotic.md |
| 106715 | Space Environment Technologies, LLC | ARMAS Dual Monitor Pre-Operations Mission Demo | 7→8 | Mission Infusion: FM11 on IM-2 Athena → Moon March 6, 2025 (southernmost landing ever); ~$7.9M NASA+DoD+NOAA | $7.9M tracked | organizations/set-armas.md |
| 145004 | Honeybee Robotics, Ltd. (Blue Origin sub) | POCCET Dust Removal Tool | 5→5 | TRL stagnation (no advance); Honeybee active via other products (Firefly rover, LUNARSABER, LAMPS) | — | organizations/honeybee-poccet.md |
| 106608 | Orion Labs LLC | QEOBS Quantum ML for Earth Observation | 3→5 | TechLeap Prize winner; balloon demo July 2022 (dam detection via quantum ML); no follow-on contracts | — | organizations/orion-labs-qeobs.md |
| 155234 | Creare LLC | Cryogenic Liquid Acquisition Device (LAD) | 5→6 | LAD validated in microgravity; feeds Artemis cryogenic propellant management; Creare $38M+ NASA cryo portfolio | $38M tracked (Creare portfolio) | organizations/creare-lad.md |
| 91361 | Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. (→Boeing 2017) | EDLS-ISS Dynamic Load Sensors | 4→6 | Patent US20190015702A1 filed; ISS deployment unconfirmed; Boeing absorbed Aurora, tech likely shelved | — | organizations/aurora-edls.md |
| 106644 | Rocket Lab USA, Inc. | Re-entry Recovery Technology (ACO) | 4→4 | ACO testbed establishment; no NASA payloads demonstrated; Electron catch was self-funded; $53M NASA launch services | — | organizations/rocket-lab-reentry.md |
| 91362 | Aerojet Rocketdyne | MPS-120 CubeSat Propulsion (Canceled) | 4→4 | Canceled; MPS-100 product line commercially listed (SatCatalog) via parallel NASA SSTP + IR&D paths | — | organizations/aerojet-mps120.md |
| 91392 | Southwest Research Institute - Boulder | Solid-State Fine Steering (Canceled) | 4→4 | Dead end: solid-state approach failed; BOPPS FSM succeeded in parallel; SwRI balloon science continues | — | organizations/swri-fine-steering.md |
| 158499 | Protoinnovations, LLC | Wheel-Regolith Interactions | 6→8 | Active Maturation: VIPER wheel testing + EMBED flight software in VIPER cFS; $6.2M Tipping Point (Mobility Coordinator); CMU spinoff; VIPER revived via Blue Origin CS-7 (late 2027) | $25-26M tracked (incl $6.2M TP) | organizations/protoinnovations.md |
| 89360 | Space Environment Technologies, LLC | ARMAS-Hi (High-Altitude) | 6→7 | Precursor to IM-2 Mission Infusion: first real-time COTS radiation dose assessment at altitude; PI Tobiska (same as 106715) | (see set-armas.md) | organizations/set-armas.md |
| 155254 | Made in Space, Inc. (→Redwire) | MSTIC Semiconductor Manufacturing | 4→6 | Mission Infusion: FO parabolic validation → ISS deployment on NG-20 Feb 2024; 18 thin-film samples manufactured on ISS; Redwire targeting semiconductor market | — | organizations/made-in-space.md |
| 106722 | Space Foundry, Inc. | Plasma Jet Printing for ISM | 4→6 | Active Maturation: NASA Spinoff 2024; ODME ISS demo likely uses different toolheads (not plasma jet); DoD IR detectors + printed antennas; diamond quantum SBIR Phase I did not advance | $2.3M tracked | organizations/space-foundry.md |
| 106740 | HeetShield, Inc. | HIAD TPS (OFI + FIRA) | 4→6 | Proof of Concept: flight Aug 2024 (Van Horn TX); HIAD co-I = F. Cheatwood (LaRC HIAD manager); no USASpending contracts; pre-revenue | — | organizations/heetshield.md |
| 106653 | Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. | Hydrogen Electrical Power System (HEPS) | 4→6 | Active Maturation: New Shepard flight Sep 18, 2025; NASA Tipping Point via FO; Artemis lunar power; DOE $12.59M + NASA $2.69M; Apollo heritage | $18M tracked (DOE+NASA) | organizations/teledyne-energy.md |
| 106657 | IMEC USA Nanoelectronics Design Center | Electrophysiology of Neuronal Networks | 5→7 | Research/Clinical: npj Microgravity (Nature) 2025; Dec 2023 New Shepard flight; VGLUT alteration in human neurons in microgravity | — | organizations/imec-usa-neuropixels.md |
| 106660 | IMEC USA Nanoelectronics Design Center | Lens-Free Imaging (LFI) Microscope | 6→7 | Research/Clinical: 4 LFI modules flew Dec 2023 (NS); UCF bone health samples (Coathup); no publication yet (~28mo post-flight); commercial demo kits sold | (see imec-usa-neuropixels.md) | organizations/imec-usa-neuropixels.md |
| 158702 | Creare, LLC | Freeze-Tolerant Radiator for Thermal Control | 4→6 | Specialist R&D: Artemis rover/habitat thermal management; PI Conboy (same as LAD); Creare NASA portfolio now $60M+ | (see creare-lad.md) | organizations/creare-lad.md |
| 106694 | Space Lab Technologies, LLC | Thin Film Hydroponics | 4→6 | Active SBIR Portfolio: LILYPOND Lab Test Suite at NASA (May 2025); EcoMine lunar mining pivot; $3.8M+ tracked across 10+ programs | $3.8M tracked | organizations/space-lab-technologies.md |
| 91422 | Airborne Systems North America of CA | Guided Parafoil High Altitude Research | 4→6 | Large Contractor Extends Product Line: FO extended JPADS to 50,000+ ft (tripling crossrange); Orion parachute provider ($13.57M NASA LaRC) | $313M+ tracked (DoD+NASA) | organizations/airborne-systems.md |
| 106717 | Mayo Clinic — Jacksonville | ATOM Biological Sampling | 4→6 | Research/Clinical: enabling device for Zubair's ISS stem cell program; 5 ISS missions (2017–2025); CRS-33 bone loss experiment Aug 2025; npj Microgravity paper 2024 | — | organizations/mayo-clinic-atom.md |
| 91345 | Masten Space Systems, Inc. | DRAG FLAPs Deployable Aerodynamic Decelerators | 4→5 | Dead End: minor VTVL experiment; date anomaly on outcome record; Masten bankrupt 2022, DRAG FLAPs not mentioned in Astrobotic acquisition | — | (see masten-space-systems.md) |
| 106714 | Night Crew Labs LLC | GNSS Radio Occultation Autonomous System | 5→6 | Knowledge Transfer: Company dormant but founder (Bryan Chan) now VP at Xona Space Systems + GPS.gov advisor; 2024 GRL paper validated airborne GNSS-RO on commercial aircraft | $519K NOAA SBIRs | organizations/night-crew-labs.md |
| 106621 | Honeybee Robotics, Ltd. (Blue Origin) | ASSET Asteroid Soil Strength | 5→6 | Blue Origin Subsidiary R&D: TRL5→6 for NEA soil characterization; Honeybee won Firefly lunar rover contract Mar 2025; ASSET feeds asteroid mining agenda | — | (see honeybee-poccet.md) |
| 155245 | Paragon Space Development Corporation | COSMIC Condensate Separator | 4→5 | ISS/Artemis ECLSS Infusion Path: COSMIC → ISS WPA upgrade; Paragon is ISS BPA contractor (active through Dec 2030); Gateway HALO ECLSS >$100M (Northrop Grumman); new CEO Mark Greeley (Nov 2025) | $130M+ tracked (incl $100M+ HALO) | organizations/paragon-cosmic.md |
| 158519 | CisLunar Industries USA, Inc. | Space Metal Processing System (SMPS) | TBD→TBD | Pivot to Power Electronics: SMPS/ISS deprioritized; EPIC PPU orbital demo Mar 30 2026 (Vigoride 7); $2.6M seed round Mar 2026; DARPA LunA-10 completed (no Ph 2) | $7.6M tracked (contracts + investment) | organizations/cislunar-industries.md |
| 158680 | Sierra Lobo, Inc. | Microgravity Lab Assistant (MLA) | 5→6 | Engineering Services Product Extension: ISS compact robot for sample prep; Sierra Lobo operates ISS MSG; too recent for downstream contracts | $700M+ tracked (Sierra Lobo portfolio; MLA not attributed) | organizations/sierra-lobo-mla.md |
| 12203 | The Vital Space Team | Non-Invasive Physiologic Monitoring | 4→6 | PI Pivot: Ravi Komatireddy moved to consumer digital health (Daytona Health, Motiv Labs); no aerospace follow-on; suborbital tourism market delayed | $0 | organizations/vital-space-team.md |
| 155244 | Giner, Inc. | High-Density Energy Storage (NFTFC) | 4→6 | Active Maturation: gas-liquid separator validated on ZERO-G G-Force One; NASA SBIR Phase III RFC 2kW ($931.3K, Aug 2025); DHA STTR gene detection ($1.1M); Artemis lunar night power path; total govt ~$28M+ | $2M NASA RFC-related | organizations/giner-inc.md |
| 106642 | The Aerospace Corporation (FFRDC) | Cryogenic Pressurization in Reduced Gravity | 5→6 | Research Publication: npj Microgravity (Nature) July 2025 (DOI 10.1038/s41526-025-00504-w); 19 cases on parabolic flights; PI Darr + co-I Jason Hartwig (NASA Glenn); Artemis propellant data | — | organizations/aerospace-corp-cryogenics.md |
| 184140 | Mudawar Thermal Systems Inc. | Cryogenic Pool Boiling Reduced Gravity | 3→4 | Academic R&D: 1-month FO flight Sep 2025; STTR Phase III follow-on ($366.6K, Apr 2026); Issam Mudawar/Purdue BTPFL; Mars ISRU cryogenic processing | $366.6K Phase III | organizations/mudawar-thermal.md |
| 93997 | Airborne Systems North America of CA | Guided Parafoil High Altitude Research II | 4→5 | Same company as [91422] — GPHAR II extends altitude further; successful second flight Sep 2019; same JPADS product line | (see airborne-systems.md) | organizations/airborne-systems.md |
| 71978 | Orbital Medicine, Inc. | Evolved Medical Microgravity Suction Device | 4→6 | Same company as [12196] — EMMSD flew Blue Origin New Shepard Dec 2017; TRL 4→6 proof of concept; no ISS deployment or commercial product | — | organizations/orbital-medicine.md |
| 91635 | Busek Company, Inc. | 1U CubeSat Green Propulsion System | 3→3 | Same company as [91700] — zero TRL gain; green propellant 1U system; NASA Goddard co-I (Eric Cardiff); parallel to BIT-3 work but no independent outcome | — | (see busek-company.md) |
| 106632 | Honeybee Robotics, Ltd. (Blue Origin) | H-BEE Lunar Regolith O2 Extraction | 4→5 | Blue Origin subsidiary R&D: honey-as-molten-regolith analog for oxygen bubble extraction; TRL 4→5; PI Naclerio; feeds Blue Origin ISRU agenda | — | (see honeybee-poccet.md) |
| 106593 | Qascom S.r.l. (Italy) | GPS/Galileo Receiver for Human Exploration (GARHEO) | 4→5 | Mission Infusion (corrected Session 23): FO receiver → LuGRE on Blue Ghost M1 (Mar 2025); first GNSS fix on Moon; previously misclassified as dead end | — | organizations/qascom-lugre.md |
| 12189 | DTM Technologies | Diapason Nanoparticle Monitoring | 4→4 | Dead End: Italian company, zero TRL gain, nanoparticle environmental monitor for ISS; no follow-on found | — | (no page — dead end) |
| 12262 | Jackson and Tull | Flexible Fuel Hose in Zero-G | 4→5 | Dead End: Goddard SSCO-funded satellite servicing R&D executed by engineering services firm; flexible fuel hose behavior; no commercial outcome | — | (no page — dead end) |
| 94018 | HNU Photonics LLC | BioChip SubOrbitalLab | 4→4 | Dead End: zero TRL gain; microfluidic live-cell imaging in microgravity; completed 2020 (COVID); no follow-on contracts found | — | (no page — dead end) |
| 94167 | Makel Engineering, Inc. | Food Processing Equipment | 4→5 | Dead End: food spatter behavior in reduced gravity; SBIR I/II history; no visible follow-on mission deployment | — | (no page — dead end) |
| 71954 | Univ. of Louisville | Aqueous Immersion Surgical System | 4→6 | Active Research Pipeline: 10-year multi-institution program (UofL/Cornell/CMU); TRL 7 on VG SpaceShipTwo May 2021; patent US11540858; active follow-on T0287-P; ISS evaluation path | — | organizations/uofl-aqueous-surgery.md |
| 91363 | Univ. of Louisville | Hermetic Surgery System | 4→7 | Active Research Pipeline: continuation of [71954]; same PI Pantalos; 25-page final report (fileId 361971); 2 conference abstracts (2022) | (see above) | organizations/uofl-aqueous-surgery.md |
| 12184 | Glenn Research Center | Heat Pipe Limits in Reduced Gravity | 4→6 | Program Transition (FO→FO→GCD→TDM): Validated thermosyphon flooding limits in microgravity → RCHS [93976] sounding rocket Jul 2015 → Kilopower [14405] KRUSTY demo Mar 2018 → FSP [105671] Active (40 kWe lunar reactor, early 2030s). Same PI (Marc Gibson). TechPort confirms: "infused in Kilopower." $25M+ tracked | $25M+ tracked | organizations/grc-heat-pipe-kilopower.md |
| 93976 | Glenn Research Center | Radial Core Heat Spreader | 5→6 | (see above — same chain as [12184]) | (see above) | organizations/grc-heat-pipe-kilopower.md |
| 91412 | Ames Research Center | ADEPT Flight Testing | 4→5 | Technology Ready, Awaiting Mission: SR-1 sounding rocket Sep 2018 (UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL, WSMR); deployment and stable entry confirmed; GCD parent programs [13596], [94041]. Venus/Mars/Titan concepts studied; no mission selected. 5+ NTRS publications | — | organizations/arc-adept-deployable-entry.md |
| 91427 | Ames Research Center | AVA Flight Testing | 5→6 | Patent Filed, No Adoption: SL-11 first successful flight (2018); roll-axis control demonstrated; patent US10669045 on T2 Portal; no known commercial licensee; market overtaken by Rocket Lab/Astra/Firefly proprietary avionics. Data quality: erroneous technologyOutcomes linkages to unrelated projects | — | organizations/arc-ava-avionics.md |
| 94141 | The Aerospace Corporation (FFRDC) | Rapid Solar Cell Calibration (AMU) | 4→6 | Satellite Deployment: balloon AMU → 12 units orbiting on 2 CubeSats; contracts with 2 NASA + 2 university satellite programs; 4 flights/week vs 1/year | — | organizations/aerospace-corp-amu.md |
| 93937 | UT Southwestern Medical Center | Effects of Microgravity on Intracranial Pressure | 6→7 | Research/Clinical: 4+ papers; first direct ICP measurement in 0g; LBNP countermeasure for SANS; PI Levine; NSBRI-funded | — | organizations/ut-southwestern-icp.md |
| 91340 | Northwestern University | Freeze-Cast Titanium Foams | 5→5 | ISS Selection: "selected for ISS testing in August 2016"; PI David Dunand; 2 publications; FreezeCasting.net database created | — | (no page) |
| 12464 | Wyle Laboratories | OCT in Microgravity | 4→6 | ISS Deployment: Investigation #1146; standard SANS diagnostic; Mini OCT for Artemis [157621]; 6+ publications | — | organizations/wyle-oct-sans.md |
| 91638 | Univ. of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras | Direct Ammonia Alkaline Fuel Cell | 6→7 | Mission Infusion (ISS flight Oct 2020): AELISS launched on NG-14; ~70% current density decrease in microgravity; npj Microgravity 2023; PI Cabrera now UTEP | — | upr-ammonia-fuel-cell.md |
P3 Academia/FFRDC sampled (Session 10):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12272 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | G-FOLD: Fuel Optimal Large Divert Guidance | 3→5 | Mission Infusion: Mars 2020 Perseverance LVS (landed Feb 2021 within 5m of target) | >$2.5B (Mars 2020 mission) | organizations/jpl-precision-landing.md |
| 91418 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | FOALS: Fuel Optimal and Accurate Landing System | 4→6 | Mission Infusion: ADAPT test → Mars 2020 LVS flight; Dec 2014 flights on Masten Xombie | (see jpl-precision-landing.md) | organizations/jpl-precision-landing.md |
| 12186 | Draper Laboratory (Non-Profit) | GENIE Precision Landing | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (AT RISK): CP-12 CLPS $56.93M; NET 2030 (ispace ULTRA redesign Mar 2026); DMEN tech mature, lander is bottleneck | $56.93M (CP-12) | organizations/draper-precision-landing.md |
| 106585 | Draper Laboratory (Non-Profit) | TRN/SPLICE Subsystem | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (AT RISK): same arc as [12186]; TRN flew on New Shepard; DMEN flew NS-29 Feb 2025 | (see draper-precision-landing.md) | organizations/draper-precision-landing.md |
| 106613 | Draper Laboratory (Non-Profit) | DMEN Hazard Detection Campaign | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (AT RISK): DMEN on CP-12; Xodiac fall 2024 + NS-29 Feb 2025; CP-12 delayed to 2030 | (see draper-precision-landing.md) | organizations/draper-precision-landing.md |
| 91344 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | VACNT Radiometers for Earth Climate | 3→3 | CORRECTED Session 96: FO sRLV flight likely never occurred (TRL stayed 3). RAVAN was ESTO/InVEST-funded. Libera VACNTs via NIST→LASP, not APL. | $0 attributed to FO | organizations/jhuapl-vacnt-ravan.md |
| 155261 | Harvard University (Academia) | Wildfire Smoke Stratospheric Surveillance | 4→7 | Near-Operational: multi-sensor system flew over controlled burns Apr 2025; FRP + smoke plume data from 15-20km; community warning application | — | organizations/harvard-wildfire-smoke.md |
Session 11 — JPL cluster (16 new) + JHU/APL cluster (9 new):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91355 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | EM Field Measurements on sRLV | 4→7 | Mission Infusion (planned): JANUS platform foundation → [91597] → [106720] → SELINE CLPS 2028 | ~$9M (SELINE est.) | organizations/jhuapl-janus-seline.md |
| 91597 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | Environment Monitoring Suite on sRLV | 5→8 | Mission Infusion (planned): JANUS full sRLV characterization → SELINE arc | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) | organizations/jhuapl-janus-seline.md |
| 106633 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | JANUS 3.0 External Environment Access | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (planned): JANUS external accommodation → enables [106720] → SELINE | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) | organizations/jhuapl-janus-seline.md |
| 106720 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | Europa Clipper Tech for Lunar Radiation | 5→5 (target 7) | Mission Infusion (planned): PIMS Faraday cups + JANUS → SELINE CLPS 2028 (PI Drew Turner = PIMS investigation scientist + SuPREMeS PI + L1-Next STIS lead; selected Jan 2026; no CLPS provider yet) | $9M est. (SELINE) | organizations/jhuapl-janus-seline.md |
| 106661 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | IRIS-UV: Integrated Remote Imaging System – UV | 4→6 | Research Maturation: UV spectrometer on New Shepard booster; PI Hibbitts = Europa Clipper MISE deputy PI; atmospheric science | — | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) |
| 106676 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | IRIS: Integrated Remote Imaging System | 6→7 | Research Maturation: Vis-SWIR + iSTART space object tracking; atmospheric science + space domain awareness | — | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) |
| 91666 | JHU/APL (FFRDC/UARC) | Enhanced Thermal Switch Testing | 4→4 | Dead End: zero TRL gain; no description; PI Mehoke (different group from Smith/Hibbitts) | — | (dead end — no page) |
| 12195 | Johns Hopkins University (Academia) | Assessing Vestibulo-ocular Function | 4→6 | Research/Patent: patent US9072481; VAN/TAN technique; PI Shelhamer (former HRP Chief Scientist); no commercial product | — | jhu-vestibulo-ocular.md |
| 91321 | Johns Hopkins University (Academia) | VEMPs in Parabolic Flight (Canceled) | 4→4 | Dead End: canceled, zero TRL gain; same PI team as [12195] | — | (dead end — no page) |
| 91341 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Testing ON-OFF Gecko Adhesive Grippers | 5→6 | Commercial Spinoff + ISS Demo: OnRobot commercial product (2018+); ISS Astrobee demo Apr 2021 (Rubins+Glover); Phoenix Gecko Gripper for debris capture | — (private co.) | organizations/jpl-gecko-gripper.md |
| 106611 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | SPARTA Regolith Instrument | 4→6 | Active Maturation: LPSC 2025 abstract; no confirmed mission yet; competing for CLPS/Artemis host | — | organizations/jpl-sparta.md |
| 106730 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | SPARTA Blue (New Shepard) | 4→6 | Active Maturation: same as [106611]; added Kris Zacny/Honeybee Robotics as co-I | (see jpl-sparta.md) | organizations/jpl-sparta.md |
| 12284 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Advanced Micro Sun Sensor | 5→6 | CORRECTED Session 95: Delivered but Descoped — sensor delivered to Georgia Tech but removed from Prox-1 during 2017 descoping before launch | — | organizations/jpl-micro-sun-sensor.md |
| 72023 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | BioSleeve Gesture Control I | 4→5 | Research Maturation: EMG+IMU telerobotic sleeve; TRL4→5; PI Assad; no ISS deployment found | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 106691 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | BioSleeve Gesture Control II | 4→5 | Research Maturation: continuation of [72023]; 20 gesture recognition at >95% accuracy; no deployment | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 89318 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | CSSR Sample Verification System | 5→6 | Research/Future Science: BiBlade sampler + FiSI fiberscope for comet return; IEEE Aerospace 2018 paper; CSSR not on near-term roadmap | — | (no page — future science) |
| 106619 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | μTitan Nucleic Acid Extraction | 4→6 | Research/ISS Candidate: microgravity-adapted DNA extraction; Venkateswaran (JPL microbiome) co-I; Frontiers 2020 paper; no confirmed ISS flight | — | (no page — ISS candidate) |
| 106618 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Dual Rasp Sampling Tool (Enceladus) | 4→6 | Future Science Precursor: validated for Enceladus landed sampling; 9-month project (2020); Enceladus lander not on near-term roadmap | — | (no page — future science) |
| 106690 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | SPECTRE 2: Flux-Pinned Interface | 4→5 | Research Maturation: flux-pinned proximity maintenance for sample capture; Mason Peck (Cornell) co-I; no host mission | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 91670 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Microspine Rock Coring Drill | 4→5 | Research Maturation: asteroid/lava tube sampling; ARM canceled; Parness (same as Gecko Gripper) PI; no current mission | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 91352 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Hopping/Tumbling Robots for Small Bodies | 4→5 | Research Maturation: low-gravity small body mobility; JPL+Stanford (Pavone, Nesnas); "Advanced To" outcome; no near-term mission | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 12278 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Miniature Altitude Determination System (Canceled) | 4→4 | Dead End: canceled, zero TRL gain, no description; PI Mobasser | — | (dead end — no page) |
| 106605 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | Miniature High-Resolution Spectrometers | 4→4 | TRL Stagnation: spatial heterodyne spectroscopy; 5-year project (2020–2025); TRL didn't advance; Hosseini PI, Hibbitts co-I | — | (no page — TRL stagnation) |
| 106739 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | FORGE Multiphase Microfluidics | 4→6 | Research Maturation: chemical analysis / life detection chemistry; 4-year project completed 2025; Noell PI; no confirmed mission | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 91415 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (FFRDC) | SDIRP Disturbance Isolation Platform (Canceled) | 4→4 | Dead End: canceled, zero TRL gain; PI Ortiz, Hemmati co-I (later did DSOC/LLCD via other programs) | — | (dead end — no page) |
Session 12 — NASA Center Cluster (selected deep-investigated; ~74 total NASA Center FO projects):
| ID | Center | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106586 | Kennedy Space Center | Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) | 4→6 | Govt Tech → Commercial Launch Infrastructure: KSC tech transfer award + Rocket Lab first US Electron launch (LC-2 Wallops, Dec 2020); ~30+ subsequent Rocket Lab US launches | — (range safety regulatory requirement) | organizations/ksc-afts.md |
| 91358 | Ames Research Center | Wet Lab 2 | 5→9 | ISS Infrastructure Deployment: TRL 9 = fully deployed on ISS; in-space PCR/gene expression/bacteria detection platform; PI Macarena Parra; ISS Space Station Research Explorer entry #7683 | — (NASA program) | (no separate page — ISS deployment confirmed) |
| 91425 | Ames Research Center | Suborbital Flight Environment Monitor (SFEM) | 4→9 | FO Program Infrastructure: TRL 9 = operational FO tool; monitors flight environment for all FO payloads; Advanced To 2013; New Shepard / Blue Origin documented use | — (FO internal) | (no separate page — FO infrastructure) |
| 93961 | Johnson Space Center | SFEM-2 | 4→7 | FO Infrastructure Arc: 2nd version of SFEM; PI Kathryn Hurlbert; also supports ECLSS/multiphase flow evaluation | — | (see above) |
| 106612 | Armstrong Flight Research Center | SFEM-3 (SlamStick) | 5→6 | FO Infrastructure Arc: 3rd version of SFEM; SlamStick-based; Armstrong-led | — | (see above) |
| 12177 | Glenn Research Center | RF Mass Gauge (Parabolic) | 4→6 | Mission Infusion + ISS Demo: Advanced To ×2 (2013, 2020); documents link to RRM3 (ISS cryogenic servicing demo) + Perseverance CFM analysis; PI Gregory Zimmerli | — (NASA program) | organizations/grc-cryogenic-power.md |
| 91405 | Glenn Research Center | RF Gauging on sRLV (Masten Xaero LOX tank) | 4→6 | Research/Mission Data: sRLV-integrated LOX tank RF gauging; 9-year arc (2011–2020); APS 2020 publication; evolution of [12177] | — | (see grc-cryogenic-power.md) |
| 12184 | Glenn Research Center | Heat Pipe Limits in Reduced Gravity | 4→6 | FSP Supply Chain: Ti-water heat pipes for FSP radiators; PI Marc Gibson (FSP lead); Advanced From + Advanced To in 2011–2013; explicit FSP description | — (FSP program) | organizations/grc-cryogenic-power.md |
| 93976 | Glenn Research Center | Radial Core Heat Spreader | 5→6 | FSP Supply Chain: Stirling convertor heat spreader; PI Gibson (same as [12184]); 1-year focused test 2014–2015 | — (FSP program) | (see grc-cryogenic-power.md) |
| 91382 | Ames Research Center | Exo-Atmospheric Aerobrake (Exo-Brake) | 3→8 | Archetype 14 (Flight-Qualified Tech Awaiting Mission): TRL 8 + 4 post-FO TechEdSat missions (TES-7/10/13/15, 2021-2022); TES-7 87% orbital lifetime reduction from 500 km; no controlled sample recovery; program wound down ~2022; Murbach shifted focus | — | organizations/exo-brake.md |
| 106705 | Johnson Space Center | SPLICE (Safe & Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution) | 4→6 | Active Maturation: Artemis precision landing suite integration; PI Gavin Mendeck; destination Moon+Mars; connects to Draper DMEN arc | — | (no page — part of Draper arc) |
| 155257 | Goddard Space Flight Center | Touch-and-Go (TAG) Guidance System | 4→6 | Active Maturation: small-body/interplanetary sample collection GNC; PI Kenneth Getzandanner; active through Aug 2026; destination Moon + asteroid | — | (active — too early) |
| 155248 | Marshall Space Flight Center | SEADS (ODME semiconductor) | 4→6 | Active Maturation: Intel/NAU/Fujifilm/TEL/Axiom Space partners; ISS deployment 2024–2025 planned; active through April 30, 2026 | — | (see kb-techport-only tx12) |
| 91427 | Ames Research Center | Affordable Vehicle Avionics (AVA) | 5→6 | Active Research Infusion: 3 outcome records; "several third-party launch service providers" cited in description; 2528 views; Arwen Dave PI | — | (no page — infusion into launch ecosystem) |
| 106580 | Ames Research Center | AVA in flight | 4→6 | Same arc as [91427] — continuation (2020–2023) | — | (see above) |
| 91412 | Ames Research Center | ADEPT Deployable Aeroshell | 4→5 | Research Maturation: deployable EDL aeroshell; PI Paul Wercinski; Closed_Out 2019; TRL 4→5 only; GCD picked up separately | — | (no page — research maturation) |
| 91590 | Langley Research Center | Mars Electric Reusable Flyer | 5→5 | Dead End: no TRL gain; balloon drop test for Mars glider; PI David North; concept only | — | (dead end — no page) |
| 145010 | Marshall Space Flight Center | ODME Advanced Toolplate | 4→4 | Dead End: no TRL gain despite target 6; Curtis Hill PI; same team as SEADS | — | (dead end) |
| 155241 | Marshall Space Flight Center | ODME EHD Ink Jet Printer | 5→5 | Dead End: no TRL advance (5→5); EHD printer for in-space electronics; co-I Hantang Qin | — | (dead end) |
| 155250 | Armstrong Flight Research Center | WARS Spyder Thermal Sensor | 4→4 | Dead End: no TRL gain; optical temp sensor for reentry; 4124 views (high); Chris Kostyk PI | — | (dead end — high interest, no outcome) |
| 93852 | Johnson Space Center | Autonomous Cell Culture (3D tissues) | 4→6 | Research/Clinical: Advanced To 2013; 3D cell culture for radiation biology; PI Zarana Shavers; NASA Space Radiobiology project | — | (no page — research/clinical) |
| 91346 | Johnson Space Center | MFEST Multi-Phase Flow | 5→7 | Research/ECLSS Infusion: Advanced To 2013; two-phase thermal control for JSC/USAF/commercial; PI Kathryn Hurlbert; feeds active thermal control | — | (no page — research infusion) |
NASA Center dead ends / research-only (not individually paged): - 91430 Ames ISS LSG Crew Restraint: TRL 4→4, zero gain - 106646 Ames TENG triboelectric: TRL 4→4, zero gain - 93935 Ames HET Smartphone: TRL 3→5, ISS SPHERES telerobots, research only - 106692 Ames Animal Tracker/BOEM: TRL 4→5, BOEM collaboration, marine monitoring - 91334 Ames Lunar Plant Growth (LPX): TRL 5→6, outcomes ×2 (1 legit, 1 erroneous), microfluidics for lunar plant water delivery; DONE Session 98 → page - 106625 Ames FLUTE: TRL 4→6, fluidic telescope optics in microgravity, no mission host - 106600 Ames NephEx: TRL 4→6, planetary cloud microphysics nephelometer - 106628 Ames ADP avionics: TRL 4→6, CubeSat avionics for X-projects - 106685 Ames V-R3x CubeSat swarm: TRL 4→6, S-band autonomous cross-link - 106627 Ames Intrepid Particle Detector: TRL 4→6, gamma/neutron detector, no mission host - 155262 Ames SPEED: TRL 5→9 (target), capsule entry dynamics via balloon drop - 145003 Ames STRATO: TRL 4→4 (no advance), wildfire stratospheric comms for AFRL - 91428 Ames Multiphase Vibration: TRL 4→7, vibration-phase coupling for ECLSS - 12179 GSFC Autonomous Robotic Capture: TRL 4→5, outcomes ×1, satellite servicing research - 106708 GSFC Flow Boiling Microgap: TRL 4→6, thermal management research - 106704 GSFC EHD Boiling: TRL 5→6, electrohydrodynamic heat transfer - 91413 GSFC Fuel Mass Gauging (ECVT): TRL 4→4, zero gain, outcomes ×1 - 14817 GSFC Reaction Spheres: TRL 4→6, attitude control sphere, 3-axis reaction wheel alternative - 106662 GSFC ALD in-space coating: TRL 4→6, atomic layer deposition for ISAM - 106729 MSFC Duneflow regolith: TRL 4→6, lunar regolith geotechnics at lunar g - 106698 MSFC Fluid Dispensing Tube: TRL 4→5, drop delivery engineering - 91395 MSFC PULSAR radio (Canceled): TRL 5→5, software-defined radio, outcomes ×3 - 155259 MSFC Laser Welding: TRL 4→6, active, space welding at lunar sites - 106629 JSC Novel Musculoskeletal Loading: TRL 4→4, exercise hardware, no advance - 12274 JSC Portable Fire Extinguisher: TRL 4→5, ISS requalification test - 91372 JSC Maraia Earth Return Capsule: TRL 4→6, small sample return capsule EDL - 106736 JSC Hermes LunarG: TRL 4→6, lunar dust mitigation + regolith characterization - 106586 KSC AFTS: (in main table above) - 106668 KSC Electrodynamic Regolith Conveyor: TRL 4→6, lunar ISRU, no mission - 106738 KSC ISRU Excavator Bucket Drum: TRL 4→6, lunar ISRU, no mission - 106724 KSC Vibratory Regolith Conveyor: TRL 4→6, lunar ISRU, no mission - 106745 KSC ECT Mass Gauging: TRL 4→6, propellant ECT gauging - 106723 KSC Electrostatic Dust Lofting: TRL 4→6, photoionization dust behavior - 106744 KSC Microgreens Planting Box: TRL 4→6, food production - 12183 KSC Radiation DNA Monitoring (MEMS): TRL 4→5, lab-on-chip for DNA damage - 106688 KSC OSCAR trash-to-gas: TRL 4→6, ECI methane/H2 from waste - 12188 KSC VPCAR (Canceled): TRL 7→7, water purification, outcomes ×2 - 106647 Armstrong FOSS fiber optic sensing: TRL 4→6, structural health monitoring - 106652 Armstrong GPS Fading: TRL 4→5, GPS fading characterization in sRLV environment - 106612 Armstrong SFEM-3: (in main table above) - 145007 Armstrong SlamStick on SpinLaunch: TRL 4→5, outcomes ×1, vibration/shock testing - 91393 Armstrong PRANDTL-M (Canceled): TRL 4→5, Mars flying wing, outcomes ×3, canceled 2018 - 91381 GRC EHeM Heat Melt Compactor: TRL 4→6, waste/water reclamation - 106735 GRC ARCTIC cryogenic: TRL 4→6, cryogenic chilldown and transfer - 12250 GRC fNIRS cognitive assessment: TRL 4→6, crew cognitive monitoring - 91423 GRC In-Flight Lab Analysis: TRL 4→4, zero gain, outcomes ×1, biomedical POC - 106737 GRC Low-g Dust Transport: TRL 4→6, spacesuit dust contamination data - 91429 GRC HULK Exercise Device: TRL 5→6, shoulder loading exercise hardware - 91405 GRC RF Gauging sRLV: (in main table above) - 106742 GRC Material Flammability Lunar Gravity: TRL 4→6, fire safety for Moon/Mars - 155242 + 158658 GRC Ultrasonic Soil Fluidization ×2: TRL 4→6, drilling/mining tool (duplicated project)
Session 13 — Academia sample (first 20 projects investigated):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91411 | Montana State University | FPGA Radiation-Tolerant Computer (RadPC) | 5→7 | Mission Infusion (TRL 9): RTcMISS ISS Dec 2016 → RadSat-g Jul 2018 → RadSat-u Feb 2020 → Resilient Computing spinoff → Firefly Blue Ghost lunar surface Mar 2025; $1.6M NASA CLPS | $1.6M NASA CLPS + spinoff | organizations/msu-radpc.md |
| 106639 | UC Berkeley | SpaceCAL: Computed Axial Lithography | 4→7 | Active ISS Pipeline: Virgin Galactic 07 Jun 2024; LLNL/Space Tango ISS bioprinting (InSPA program, ~$21M pool); Acta Astronautica 2023 | ~$1.4M FO + InSPA share | organizations/uc-berkeley-spacecal.md |
| 106659 | UC Davis (PI: Stephen Robinson) | HDD Reaction Wheels for CubeSats | 4→7 | Open-source tech transfer: Cornell adopted for ISS CubeSat (Crew-11 2025); REALOP ELaNa launch 2026; AIAA paper; design freely shared | — | organizations/uc-davis-hdd-wheels.md |
| 91331 | UCF (PI: Josh Colwell) | COLLIDE Dust Experiment on Commercial Vehicle | 6→8 | Research/Science: NanoRocks ISS experiment 2014-2016 (158 videos, sticking/bouncing transition); Q-PACE CubeSat lost on orbit Jan 2021; Colwell appointed UCF Dean of Sciences Mar 2026 | — | (no page — research arc, Q-PACE dead end) |
| 145001 | USF Institute of Applied Engineering | A-LiST Automated LiDAR Terrain Mapping | 3→6 | TechLeap Prize Winner: $500K (of $650K max), flew on Astrobotic Xodiac Aug 10, 2024; no CLPS contract yet; TRL 3→6 | $500K TechLeap Prize | (see notes on TechLeap Nighttime Precision Landing) |
| 145008 | Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Space | MoonFALL | 4→6 | TechLeap Prize Winner: also won Nighttime Precision Landing; flew Astrobotic Xodiac Oct 5, 2024 | ~$500K TechLeap est. | (TechLeap connection — same competition as LITTLE OWL [145009]) |
| 106603 | MIT (PI: Danielle Wood) | Paraffin/Beeswax Propellant Manufacturing | 4→6 | Closed Out 2025: wax-based hybrid rocket propellant in microgravity; no follow-on found; MIT Space Enabled group | — | (no page — closed out) |
| 106656 | Arizona State University | CubeSounder Weather Imaging | 4→6 | Active Maturation: 4 World View Stratollite flights (2021-2024); millimeter-wave filter bank for 3D atmospheric sounding; Closed Out Apr 2025; "commercializing CubeSounder" stated | — (no contracts found) | (no page — active commercial pursuit) |
| 106695 | University of Florida (PI: Rob Ferl) | FLEX Biological Imaging | 6→6 | Research/Science: flight-proven imaging for plant biology; final flight Blue Origin P-15 Sep 2025; feeds space agriculture programs | — | (no page — research/science tool) |
| 91609 | UCF (PI: Robert Peale) | PAMSS Planetary Atmosphere Sensor | 4→6 | Closed Out 2017: ICLAS trace gas spectrometer; two papers (2014, 2015); no mission follow-on found | — | (no page — closed out) |
| 12204 | UCF (PI: Josh Colwell) | Regolith Impacts in Microgravity (PRIME) | 6→8 | Research/Science: same PI arc as COLLIDE [91331]; "Advanced To" 2013 (no related ID); foundational regolith physics data | — | (no page — see COLLIDE arc) |
| 106683 | University of Kentucky (PI: Alexandre Martin) | KRUPS Re-entry Capsule | 5→6 | Active but no follow-on: balloon drop tests for TPS validation; "could enable ISS return flight"; no mission contract 2025 | — | (no page — proof of concept) |
| 106637 | Purdue University (PI: Alina Alexeenko) | FEMTA Micropropulsion System | 4→6 | Active maturation: New Shepard NS-29 Feb 2025 (final FO flight); orbital demo prep; no commercial partner or SBIR found | — | (no page — active maturation) |
| 106601 | University of Kentucky (PI: Sean Bailey) | Forward Sensing Turbulence Detection | 4→7 | Research: unmanned glider from balloon at 30-50km; co-I Qamar Shams (NASA LaRC); 2019-2022; no follow-on contracts found | — | (no page — research) |
| 91339 | Texas A&M (PI: Richard "Cable" Kurwitz) | Variable Radiator (DoVR) | 4→7 | Archetype 14 (Flight-Qualified Awaiting Mission): TRL 4→7; vortex phase separator licensed to Advanced Cooling Technologies; no mission infusion; program closed 2019 | — | (no page — Archetype 14) |
| 106727 | Cal Poly Pomona Bronco Space | Bronco Ember Wildfire Detection | 3→6 | Research/Earth Obs: autonomous wildfire detection sensor; TRL 3→6; TechLeap-adjacent; 1594 views | — | (no page — research/earth obs) |
| 14162 | Carnegie Mellon University | Flyover Terrain Mapping | 4→6 | NIAC Downstream: PI Red Whittaker; 9 TechPort projects across 3 programs (STRG/FO/NIAC); FO→NIAC Phase III 96188 ($2M, first-ever NIAC Ph III); PitRanger prototype; MoonRanger CLPS 2029 ($176.7M Firefly); Astrobotic founder | $2M (NIAC Ph III) | DONE |
| 94005 | Northwestern University | Titanium Nanofoams in Reduced Gravity | 4→6 | Research/Materials: Ti-based nanofoams for lightweight structural materials; "Advanced To" outcome; Northwestern materials science | — | (no page — research) |
| 106703 | MIT | Autonomous Robot Swarms for Lunar Orbit | 5→6 | Research: multi-agent coordination in microgravity; 1800 views; no confirmed mission | — | (no page — research) |
| 14153 | Gannon University | Cosmic-Ray Calorimeter (GU-CRC) | 4→7 | STEM Education: SiPM validation paper (NIM A 2015); World View balloon 105K ft; erroneous outcomes ×2; PI Conklin | — | organizations/gannon-cosmic-ray.md |
Session 14 — Page 2 Industry + Page 2 updates (2026-04-06):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12244 | Lockheed Martin Inc. | OSIRIS-REx Low-Gravity Regolith Sampling | 5→6 | Mission Infusion: FO parabolic flights validated TAGSAM; 4–5× performance gain in microgravity; OSIRIS-REx sampled Bennu Oct 2020; 60g returned Sep 2023 | >$800M (OSIRIS-REx mission) | organizations/lockheed-osiris-rex.md |
| 106634 | FOMS, Inc. | Space Fibers 3 Preflight (ZBLAN) | 4→6 | ISS Deployment: FO suborbital → CRS-25 Jul 2022; CORRECTED S48: produced tens of meters (not 11.9 km — that record is Flawless Photonics, no FO link); $5.94M NASA total; possible Aha Telecom merger | — (no commercial sales) | organizations/foms-mercury-zblan.md |
| 106682 | Mercury Systems (fmr Physical Optics Corp.) | Orbital Fiber Optic Production Module (ORFOM) | 4→6 | ISS Deployment: same CRS-25 Jul 2022 flight as FOMS; ORFOM shelved during Mercury restructuring (~200 layoffs 2024-25); Mercury acq. POC $310M | — (ORFOM dormant) | organizations/foms-mercury-zblan.md |
| 72036 | Final Frontier Design | IVA Space Suit Testing | 5→5 | Acquisition (Paragon, Jan 2022) → Artemis xEVAS contract ($3.5B potential via Axiom+Paragon); zero FO TRL gain | — (xEVAS value) | organizations/final-frontier-design.md |
| 94192 | Virgin Orbit | LauncherOne Collaborative (Ames) | 4→6 | Commercial then Failure: 4 orbital successes (Jan 2021 – Jul 2022); delivered 10 NASA CubeSats; bankruptcy Apr 2023; assets to Rocket Lab/Stratolaunch/Launcher | — (bankrupt) | organizations/virgin-orbit.md |
| 94204 | Virgin Orbit | LauncherOne Propulsion Advancement | 4→6 | Same company/arc as [94192]; PI Sirisha Bandla flew VSS Unity Jul 2021 | (see above) | organizations/virgin-orbit.md |
| 106669 | Sierra Nevada Corp (ORBITEC div.) | Water Capture Device (WCD) | 5→6 | IP Generation: US11213779B2 + US11660557B2 patents; Sierra Space co-assignee; Orbital Reef ECLSS candidate | — (patents, no deployment) | organizations/snc-orbitec-wcd.md |
| 106728 | Blue Origin, LLC | Proximity Operations Sensors (POSE) | 4→4 | Zero TRL Advance: UWB + vision-based RPO sensor; 3.3-year project; TRL didn't advance despite high views (1573) | — | organizations/blue-origin-pose.md |
| 106743 | Made in Space, Inc. (→Redwire) | VULCAN Advanced Hybrid Manufacturing | 4→6 | Commercial Product: VULCAN is active Redwire product (Ti/Al + polymer, autonomous); 4th FO project for this org | — (product line) | organizations/made-in-space.md |
| 106687 | Psionic, LLC (SurePath Navigation) | Psionic Navigation Doppler LIDAR (PNDL) | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (TRL9): PNDL flew IM-1 (Feb 2024) + IM-2 (Mar 2025); GCD Tipping Point [146990] for no-light landing; F/A-18 tests Feb 2025 | (see psionic-ndl.md) | organizations/psionic-ndl.md |
Session 15 — Active project sampling (2026-04-06):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158666 | Interlune Corporation | CRUMBLE Lunar Regolith Milling | 4→6 | Pre-Commercial Pipeline: Harrison Schmitt co-I; $300M+ Bluefors deal; DOE He-3 purchase agreement (first-ever); USAF supply chain $1.25M; NASA SBIR Ph III $6.89M; pilot plant 2029 | $8.3M federal | organizations/interlune.md |
| 155263 | Varda Space Industries, Inc. | Conformal PICA (C-PICA) Tech Transfer | 6→9 | Commercial Product (TRL 9 achieved): W-5 returned Jan 29, 2026 (first all-Varda C-PICA); W-6 launched Mar 30, 2026; 6 missions total; Series C $187M (Jul 2025, $329M total); ~200 employees; FAA Part 450 license (first ever); monthly reentry target 2028 | $36M fed + $329M private | organizations/varda-space.md |
| 184144 | Resilient Computing LLC | RadPC+ RISC-V Flight Computer with Coprocessor | 6→8 | Dual-FO Arc (spinoff of [91411] MSU): Resilient Computing has own FO project Jun 2025–Jun 2028; RadPC+ adds RISC-V + AI coprocessor; $2.79M NASA+DoD contracts; 3 patents | $2.79M tracked | (see organizations/msu-radpc.md) |
| 184154 | Juno Propulsion Inc. | RDRE Satellite Propulsion (Green Propellants) | 4→7 | TechLeap Prize + $2.5M Momentus orbital demo: first RDRE in orbit NET Oct 2026; ethane+N₂O green propellants; ~$3.3M total federal | $3.3M | organizations/juno-propulsion.md |
| 106609 | Ecoatoms, Inc. | In-Space Biosensors Batch Coating (SAMs) | 4→6 | 3-flight pipeline: NS-24 (Dec 2023), Transporter-14/Nyx orbital (Jun 2025), NS-35 A.R.E.S. (Aug 2025); 2 TechLeap wins; SSBCI VC; $224K SAA; no commercial revenue yet | $224K | organizations/ecoatoms.md |
| 184148 | Ecoatoms, Inc. | HERMES Automated Genetic Extraction | 4→9 | TechLeap Prize winner: up to $500K + flight test opportunity; summer 2026 flight target; robotic genetic extraction | (see ecoatoms.md) | organizations/ecoatoms.md |
| 158510 | Ecoatoms, Inc. | ANIMA Universal Payload Integration Adapter | 2→8 | FLEW on NS-35 (Aug 2025) as onboard computer for A.R.E.S.; TRL target 2→8 more credible now | (see ecoatoms.md) | organizations/ecoatoms.md |
| 155239 | JHU/APL | JANUS-TEC: Atmospheric Observational Capability | 6→6 | 5th JANUS project: PI H. Todd Smith (same); ionosphere TEC measurements; TRL stays 6→6 (atmospheric science, not maturation); ends Apr 2026 | — | (see organizations/jhuapl-janus-seline.md) |
| 184141 | CisLunar Industries USA, Inc. | MCEPC Power Converter for ISAM | 4→6 | 2nd FO project (first: SMPS [158519]); >95% efficiency power processing unit; Apr 2025–May 2026 (nearly complete); short project | (see organizations/cislunar-industries.md) | organizations/cislunar-industries.md |
| 184152 | SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI) | High-Cadence Si Crystal Manufacturing | 3→8 | 3rd FO project (first: [94161], [106674]); SpaceWorks + Astral Materials crystal startup; RED reentry platform + high-temp crystal growth; Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | (see organizations/spaceworks-tva.md) | organizations/spaceworks-tva.md |
| 106719 | Astrobotic Technology, Inc. | LiDAR Hazard Detection for Lunar Landing | 4→7 | 3rd FO project for Astrobotic; Dec 2021–Jul 2026; 3,473 views; PI Andrew Horchler; feeds Griffin CLPS lunar lander | (see organizations/astrobotic.md) | organizations/astrobotic.md |
| 106610 | Astrobotic Technology, Inc. | Xogdor TPP Terrestrial Landing Testbed | 2→7 | 4th FO project (Masten Xogdor acquired); Oct 2020–Oct 2026; VTVL testbed for precision landing tech; PI Daniel Sinkel | (see organizations/astrobotic.md) | organizations/astrobotic.md |
| 155243 | Rhea Space Activity, Inc. | Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) Test Flight | 4→6 | Mission Infusion (planned): $750K TechFlights → JAM flying on CP-12 CLPS lunar orbit relay (2026); Deep Impact algorithm heritage; $9.8M+ DoD (GPS-denied nav for USAF + Army SF ATAK + Space Force); Space Force VANGUARD 2026 | $9.8M+ tracked | organizations/rhea-space-activity.md |
| 158364 | Truventic, LLC | EjectaBLAST Lunar Ejecta Monitor | 4→6 | Active maturation (ending Apr 2026): successor to Ejecta STORM [106706]; Truventic has $5.4M across 9 awards (NASA $925K ejecta + $4.5M DoD IR detectors); SBIR portfolio company | $5.4M | truventic-ejectablast.md |
| 155246 | University of Louisville | Dehydrated Red Blood Cells for Transfusion | 5→7 target | Active Maturation — Dual-Use: dehydrated RBCs for ambient-temp blood storage; PI Pantalos (4th FO project, 14-year arc); Kopechek co-I; ZERO-G Nov 2019 validated; NTRS 2024 pub; Jun 2026 completion imminent; battlefield medicine dual-use but no DoD funding found | — | organizations/uofl-dehydrated-rbc.md |
| 182833 | Carnegie Mellon University | HERDS Deployable Pantographic Structure | 3→6 target | Active Maturation — Early-Stage: PET + kresling 50-100× expansion; PI Manchester (NSF CAREER 2025, CMU Robotics); co-I Lipton (Northeastern); parabolic flight tested 2025; IEEE Aerospace 2024 paper; artificial gravity habitats; Jan 2025–Jan 2028 | — | organizations/cmu-herds-deployable.md |
Session 42 — New Industry Cohort Deep Investigations (2026-04-07):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184139 | Impossible Sensing, LLC | FLEW.ID Water/Nutrient Monitoring | 4→6 | SBIR Portfolio Company + Commercial Spinoff: 16 TechPort projects; Perseverance SHERLOC co-I (PI Sobron); FLEW.ID Phase III active; deep-sea mineral detection (BOEM $1.84M); oil/gas GHG monitoring (NASA Spinoff) | $8.5M tracked (17 awards) | organizations/impossible-sensing.md |
| 184143 | GOEPPERT, LLC | MoS₂ Microgravity Annealing | 3→5 | InSPA Pre-Commercial Pipeline: MoS₂ semiconductor Phase III ($994K); nanopore biosensors; Army fentanyl sensor ($210K); Factories in Space; Earth-space semiconductor foundry vision | $4.1M tracked (11 awards) | organizations/goeppert-mos2.md |
| 184142 | Ultrasonic Technology Solutions | Space Washer/Dryer | 4→6 | ORNL Spinout + Active Maturation: ultrasonic drying Phase III ($300K); 5× energy efficiency; 5 industry pilots; DOE + NASA backing; commercial product launch 2026–2027 | $3.0M tracked (6 awards, all NASA) | organizations/ultrasonic-tech-solutions.md |
| 184145 | AeroFly LLC | Rego-LIFT Lunar Regolith Conveyor | TBD | SDSU Spinout + TechLeap Prize: SBIR Phase II ($899K); modular regolith conveyor >600 kg/hr; second product line (excavation + water extraction) | $1.2M tracked (3 NASA awards) | organizations/aerofly-llc.md |
| 184151 | Space Dust R&T LLC | Electron Beam Dust Mitigation | TBD | CU Boulder/LASP Spinout: 92% cleaning efficacy; TechLeap Prize; co-founders Wang + Horanyi (6 TechPort projects); Artemis IV DUSTER PI | TechLeap $500K (no direct contracts) | organizations/space-dust-rnt.md |
| 184146 | Ambrosia Space Manufacturing | Cell-Sep Bioreactor Centrifuge | TBD | Early-Stage: ex-Intuitive Machines founder; Cell-Sep for >2L bioreactor output; ISS ABBY mission planned 2026 | $179K (1 Air Force STTR) | organizations/ambrosia-space.md |
| 155249 | Mentium Technologies Inc. | Neuromorphic AI Rad-Hard Coprocessor | 4→6 (target) | UCSB Spinout + SBIR Pipeline: 50 TOPS/W, <0.4W; 3 TechPort projects; Phase III productization ($2.5M, Feb 2026); Berkeley BASE rad testing May 2025 | $9.67M tracked (6 NASA awards) | organizations/mentium-technologies.md |
Session 16 — Academia deep-dive (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94131 | Carthage College | Modal Propellant Gauging Phase I | 4→5 | Mission Infusion (Active): 7-FO arc → IM-3 NOVA-C lander development; Airbus commercialization; TechLeap $500K 2025; Orion OMS tank testing | ~$2.9M tracked | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 91347 | Carthage College | Modal Propellant Gauging Testing | 5→5 | Same as [94131] — 7-project arc | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 89417 | Carthage College | Modal Analysis Phase II | 4→6 | Same as [94131] — Phase II sloshing propellant | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 106702 | Carthage College | Magneto-Active Slosh Control (MAPMD) | 4→6 | Same as [94131] — slosh suppression extension | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 106670 | Carthage College | Propellant Mass Gauging in Gateway Vehicles | 5→6 | Same as [94131] — Gateway architecture target | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 106707 | Carthage College | Modal Analysis Phase III | 5→6 | Same as [94131] — Orion/SLS architecture target | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 106631 | Carthage College | Non-invasive Propellant Detection | 4→6 | Same as [94131] — Phase IV; piezo sensors; Eric Hurlbert (JSC) co-I | (see above) | organizations/carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 106617 | San Diego State University | FIGARO-FT: 5G Array for Lunar Relay | 4→5 | Active Maturation: Sep 2024 balloon flight (98K ft); Ka-band full-duplex BLOS validated; LunaNet compatible; NTRS paper 2025 | — (university grant) | organizations/sdsu-figaro-ft.md |
| 158644 | Missouri Univ. of Science & Tech | LuSTR Regolith Beneficiation | 5→6 | Research/ISRU Precursor: magnetic + electrostatic separation in parabolic flight; AIAA SciTech 2025 paper; too early for mission host; LuSTR program | — | organizations/mst-lustr.md |
| 145005 | UCLA (PI: Chee Wei Wong) | LunaNet PNT Optomechanical Accelerometer | 4→6 | Active Maturation: chip-scale optomechanical accelerometer for LunaNet cislunar PNT; 730 ng/Hz sensitivity; TRL 4→6 Aug 2025; no confirmed mission host | — | organizations/ucla-lunanet-pnt.md |
| 106604 | Vanderbilt University | VIPER Microfluidic Control for Tissue-Chips | 4→4 | TRL Stagnation: PI John Wikswo (VIIBRE founder, 47 patents, 2025 Master Innovator); TRL stayed at 4 (target 6); no ISS deployment; Wikswo founding Regemus Technologies (microfluidic perfusion commercialization) | — | organizations/vanderbilt-viper-microfluidics.md |
| 106606 | Texas A&M SEAK Lab | SNAP Satellite for Natural and Artificial Plumes | 4→6 | Research/Earth Obs: gimbaled vis-to-IR cameras + edge-computing for real-time plume detection; PI Ben Gorr + co-I Daniel Selva (Cornell); 2021–2024; no USASpending contracts found | — | (no full page — research) |
| 106665 | UC Davis | CHANGES Human Adaptation in Novel Gravity | 4→6 | Research/Clinical: sensorimotor and physiological adaptation study; PI unknown; 2020–2024; feeds long-duration spaceflight human health models | — | (no full page — research/clinical) |
| 91335 | MIT (SPHERES) | INSPECT Navigation Sensor Platform | 4→5 | Research: SPHERES on New Shepard for EVA inspection sensors + control moment gyros; "Advanced To" 2014; PI Saenz-Otero; foundational SPHERES arc | — | (no full page — research, SPHERES program) |
| 12253 | Stanford University | Non-Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring | 4→6 | Research/Clinical: "Advanced To" 2014; PI Gregory Kovacs; cardiac bioimpedance in microgravity; foundational work for spaceflight countermeasures | — | (no full page — research/clinical) |
| 106656 | Arizona State University | CubeSounder 3D Weather Imaging | 4→6 | Research Contribution: World View balloon flights 2021–2022; mm-wave filter bank TRL 6; Closed Out Apr 2025; PI Bryan possibly moved to JPL (@jpl.nasa.gov email); no commercial entity formed; NOAA weather market opportunity not pursued | — | organizations/asu-cubesounder.md |
| 106655 | Purdue University | Medical Suction + Surgical Facility | 4→6 | Research/Clinical: integrates Purdue aqueous immersion surgery + Orbital Medicine suction; PI Collicott + Pantalos + Cuttino; 2021–2024; extension of multi-institution surgical arc | — | (no full page — research/clinical; see orbital-medicine.md) |
| 106706 | UCF (PI: Philip Metzger) | Ejecta STORM Lunar Delivery | 4→6 | Foundational Science → Commercial Successor: 4-laser plume instrument; Masten 2021 + Astrobotic Xodiac Oct 2023 flights; MDPI Aerospace 2024 paper; spawned Truventic EjectaBLAST [158364] | — | ucf-ejecta-storm.md |
| 91373 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | EHD Gas-Liquid Phase Separation | 3→6 | FO Discovery → ISS Escalation: PRL 2015 publication; $815K ISS grant; npj Microgravity 2025; feeds ECLSS EHD phase separation | $815K ISS grant | organizations/njit-ehd.md |
| 106604 | Vanderbilt | VIPER microfluidics | 4→4 | TRL Stagnation (corrected Session 99): automation platform for Tissue-Chips-In-Space; Closed Out 2025; PI Wikswo; founding Regemus Technologies | — | (see page) |
Session 17 — Academia + LunaNet cluster (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12235 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ. | ADS-B for Commercial Space Phase 1 | 4→6 | Regulatory Infrastructure: FAA took over project for Phase 2 [106592]; supports Part 450 airspace integration | ~$82K NASA | organizations/embry-riddle-ads-b.md |
| 106592 | FAA-AST | UAT ADS-B for Launch Vehicles Phase 2 | 6→7 | FAA Adoption: regulatory agency as lead org; PI Demidovich (FAA); TRL 6→7 pre-operational | — (FAA-funded) | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 91335 | MIT (SPHERES) | INSPECT Navigation Sensor Platform | 4→5 | ISS Infrastructure Heritage: SPHERES→Astrobee transition; DARPA Phoenix UDP connection; ISS free-flyer paradigm | — | organizations/mit-spheres.md |
| 93871 | MIT (SPHERES) | Universal Docking Ports (UDP) | 4→5 | DoD Connection: DARPA Phoenix satellite servicing partnership; ISS operations confirmed Apr 2017; IEEE Aerospace 2016 paper | — | (see mit-spheres.md) |
| 106637 | Purdue University | FEMTA Water Micropropulsion | 4→6 | University Tech Demo: NS-29 Jan 2025 flight; SmallSat papers; AAE courses; open-source potential; no commercial spinoff | — | organizations/purdue-femta.md |
Session 18 — Blueshift + NIWC + Collicott/Chung clusters (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158514 | Blueshift LLC (Outward Tech) | SEER Solar Sintering for Regolith | 5→6 | SBIR Portfolio Company: 21 NASA contracts, 8+ ISRU product lines; comprehensive lunar construction portfolio; FO is Ph III validation | ~$9.1M NASA | organizations/blueshift-outward.md |
| 145002 | NIWC Pacific (DoD) | SOLD Stratospheric Optical Link | 5→6 | DoD Orbital Risk Reduction: FO balloon test → LaCE orbital mission (Mar 2024–May 2025); Skylight laser terminal; NIWC validated stratospheric approach | — (DoD internal) | organizations/niwc-pacific-sold.md |
| 106651 | Purdue University | Spacecraft Pointing Control Slosh | 4→5 | Knowledge Payload (Collicott 1/4): zero-g propellant slosh; Virgin Galactic Galactic 07 Jun 2024; Purdue 1 crewed mission 2027 | — | organizations/purdue-collicott-slosh.md |
| 106602 | Purdue University | Cryogenic Bubble Nucleation in LADs | 7→7 | Knowledge Payload (Collicott 2/4): ISS experiment follow-up; zero TRL gain by design | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 106630 | Purdue University | Zero-g Slosh Model Technology | 4→6 | Knowledge Payload (Collicott 3/4): propellant prediction models for spacecraft design | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 106718 | Purdue University | Green Propellant Zero-G Control | 4→5 | Knowledge Payload (Collicott 4/4): renewable propellant wetting behavior; active project | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 106616 | University of Florida | Cryo Tank Inner Surface Coating | 4→5 | Artemis Data Foundation (Chung 1/2): boiloff reduction coatings; NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal 2024; 6 publications; 30-year program | — | organizations/uf-chung-cryogenics.md |
| 106713 | University of Florida | Cryo Pool Boiling + He Pressurization | 4→6 | Artemis Data Foundation (Chung 2/2): flight-like tank surface testing; co-I Darr (also Aerospace Corp) | — | (see uf-chung-cryogenics.md) |
| 155260 | Auburn University | AoSOME Self-Folding Origami | 4→4 | Research: shape memory polymer deployment in microgravity; PI Mailen; solar array/antenna deployment; no TRL advance | — | (no page — research) |
| 106615 | Univ. Alabama Huntsville | Transport Properties of Fluids | 4→6 | Research: thermal diffusivity of water + liquid metal in low-g; PI Banish; suborbital flight test | — | (no page — research) |
| 158516 | ASU Biodesign Institute | Nanobubbles in Variable Gravity | 4→5 | Research/ECLSS: nanobubbles for gravity-independent mass transfer + biocidal water purification; PI Garcia-Segura; co-I John Graf (JSC) | — | (no page — ECLSS research) |
| 106741 | Mississippi State University | PCM + Metal Foam Thermal Transport | 4→5 | Research: phase-change material + octet metal foam for thermal management in microgravity; PI Singh | — | (no page — research) |
| 106721 | Oklahoma State University | Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters | 4→5 | Research: suborbital radiation dosimeter validation; PI Benton; atmospheric radiation model validation | — | (no page — research) |
| 106648 | Univ. Central Florida | Strata-2P Regolith Sensors | 5→6 | Research: sensor-regolith interactions in reduced gravity; PI Dove; lunar surface operations data | — | (no page — research) |
| 106598 | NASA Headquarters | Multi-GNSS Receiver for Lunar PNT | 4→6 | Active Maturation: GPS+Galileo tracking to Moon; down-select for lunar lander; PI James Miller; LunaNet connection | — | (no page — see LunaNet cluster) |
Session 19 — Cryogenic cluster + broad shallow pass (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155247 | Redwire Space, Inc. | FAME PIL-BOX Pharma Crystallization | 4→6 | ISS Commercial Platform: PIL-BOX 43+ units flown; $25M IDIQ + $4M+ pharma; Eli Lilly partner; Industrial Crystallizer 200× scale | $30M+ tracked | (see made-in-space.md) |
| 106620 | Carthage College | Propellant Gauging On-Orbit Refueling | 6→7 | 8th Carthage MPG project: on-orbit refueling/transfer gauging; co-I Werlink (KSC) + Hurlbert (JSC) | — | (see carthage-college-mpg.md) |
| 106711 | Draper Laboratory | DMEN Suborbital Rocket Campaign | 4→5 | 5th Draper project: companion to [106613]; suborbital DMEN testing; PI Streetman | — | (see draper-precision-landing.md) |
| 106701 | Montana State University | RadPC@scale Suborbital Demo | 6→7 | RadPC arc continuation: full-scale radiation-tolerant computer demo; PI LaMeres | — | (see msu-radpc.md) |
| 106658 | Montana State University | Autonomous Hardware for Candida Biology | 7→7 | RadPC hardware reuse: biology payload using RadPC autonomous hardware; PI Nielsen | — | (see msu-radpc.md) |
| 106641 | MIT | CFD Boiling Models for Cryo FM | 4→6 | Cryogenic cluster: co-I Jason Hartwig (GRC); backlit shadowgraphy imaging; 1 outcome | — | (cryo cluster — no page) |
| 106626 | NJIT | Stability of In-Space Cryogenic Systems | 4→6 | Cryogenic cluster: PI Khusid (same as EHD [91373]); co-I Conboy (Creare) + Kassemi + Protz | — | (cryo cluster — see njit-ehd.md) |
| 106677 | SwRI San Antonio | Large-Scale LAD (tapered channel) | 4→6 | Cryogenic cluster: alternative LAD approach using surface tension; PI Supak | — | (cryo cluster — no page) |
| 106635 | SwRI San Antonio | Suborbital LAD Testing (Phase 1) | 4→6 | Cryogenic cluster: predecessor to [106677]; same PI Supak; same tapered-channel LAD | — | (cryo cluster — no page) |
| 106733 | Creare, LLC | Lightweight Hybrid Screen-Channel LAD | 4→6 | 3rd Creare FO project: predecessor to [155234]; same PI Conboy; LAD design iteration | — | (see creare-lad.md) |
| 91356 | University of Florida | Cryo Line Chilldown on sRLV | 4→5 | 3rd Chung project: cryogenic transfer line chilldown in near-zero gravity; PI Chung | — | (see uf-chung-cryogenics.md) |
| 106581 | University of Florida | Optimal Chilldown Methods Cryo Tanks | 4→6 | 4th Chung project: receiver tank chilldown optimization; PI Chung | — | (see uf-chung-cryogenics.md) |
| 106582 | Purdue University | Cryo Gauging Technology Geometry | 4→6 | 8th Collicott project: Surface Evolver modeling supporting GRC RFMG [12177]; PI Collicott | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 91665 | Purdue University | Low-G Flow Boiling Textured Surfaces | 4→5 | 9th Collicott project: textured boiling surface performance in zero-g; PI Collicott | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 106664 | Purdue University | Lander Plume-Structure Heat Transfer | 4→6 | 7th Collicott project: VTVL lander leg overheating during descent; knowledge payload | — | (see purdue-collicott-slosh.md) |
| 12243 | Purdue University | Flow Boiling + Condensation in Reduced-G | 3→5 | 2nd Mudawar project: earlier FO work (2012-2015); microgravity flow boiling heat transfer | — | (see mudawar-thermal.md) |
| 12172 | FAA-AST | ADS-B Original Testing | 4→4 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 1/8: COTS ADS-B device testing; PI Demidovich | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 91403 | Embry-Riddle | ADS-B UAT Multi-Platform | 4→6 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 2/8: 3-platform testing (NSC, Blue Origin, UP Aerospace); 1 outcome | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 106678 | FAA-AST | ADS-B Demos 1090+978 MHz | 4→5 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 3/8: dual-frequency demo; PI Demidovich | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 106624 | FAA-AST | Commercial Space Vehicle ADS-B Tracking | 4→7 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 4/8: 1090ES integration during reentry; TRL 4→7; PI Demidovich | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 106666 | FAA-AST | Spacecraft Black Box Technology | 4→6 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 5/8: flight data storage for rapid return-to-flight; PI Demidovich | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 106667 | FAA-AST | General Aviation Strobe for RLVs | 4→6 | FAA Regulatory Cluster 6/8: co-I Collicott; visual tracking | — | (see embry-riddle-ads-b.md) |
| 89413 | Honeybee Robotics | PlanetVac on Masten Lander (Phase 1) | 4→6 | 4th Honeybee project: pneumatic regolith sampler on Xombie; PI Zacny | — | (see honeybee-poccet.md) |
| 106599 | Honeybee Robotics | PlanetVac-Xombie2 (Phase 2) | 5→6 | 5th Honeybee project: updated sampler + plume/thermal effects; PI Zacny | — | (see honeybee-poccet.md) |
| 106671 | Honeybee Robotics | Increasing Fidelity Lunar Sample Collection | 5→6 | 6th Honeybee project: high-fidelity simulant + diffuser screen; PI Zacny | — | (see honeybee-poccet.md) |
| 94193 | UP Aerospace | Spyder CubeSat Launcher | 4→6 | 4th UP project: solid rocket upper stage flight qualification; MSFC collab | — | (see up-aerospace.md) |
| 155240 | Ultrasonic Technology Solutions | Human Waste Ultrasonic Dryer | 5→6 | UTS 2nd product: solid waste drying complement to laundry system; $970K NASA | $3M+ UTS portfolio | (no page — UTS SBIR portfolio) |
| 106693 | Space Environment Technologies | ARMAS Suborbital (ARMAS-S) | 4→6 | 3rd SET project: first real-time COTS radiation dose to LEO altitude; PI Tobiska | — | (see set-armas.md) |
| 106584 | Draper Laboratory | DMEN High Altitude Balloon Campaign | 4→6 | 4th Draper project: DMEN balloon testing phase 2017-2020; PI Streetman | — | (see draper-precision-landing.md) |
| 91671 | AFRL Kirtland | 6U CubeSat Canisterized Sat Dispenser | 7→8 | AFRL infrastructure: CSD separation verification; Planetary Systems Corp partnership | — | (no page — AFRL infrastructure) |
| 106622 | Stanford University | Integrated Acoustic Cryo Tank Tech | 4→4 | Cryogenic cluster: acoustic boiloff control + gauging + SHM combined; PI Chang; no TRL advance | — | (cryo cluster — no page) |
| 106640 | Ames Research Center | Lawn Dart 1.0 Terrestrial Demo | 4→6 | AFRL-sponsored: lunar security commodity delivery; LunaNet-adjacent; PI Finley | — | (no page — AFRL/LunaNet) |
| 106726 | Auburn University | 3D Plume-Surface Interaction Dynamics | 4→6 | Research: lander plume cratering in low-g; 2521 views (high); PI unknown | — | (no page — research) |
| 106732 | UCSB | Root-Like Burrowing Device for Moon | 4→4 | Research: bio-inspired subsurface anchoring; 1655 views; no TRL gain | — | (no page — research) |
| 106650 | UC Berkeley | Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip | 5→6 | Research: biochemical analysis in microgravity; PI Mathies; biosignature detection | — | (no page — research) |
| 155238 | Univ of Kansas | Granular Flow Free Cooling in Microgravity | 4→4 | Research: fundamental granular physics; no TRL gain | — | (no page — research) |
| 155237 | Mississippi State | Acoustofluidic Micro/Nanoparticle Manipulation | 4→4 | Research: colloidal assembly in microgravity; no TRL gain | — | (no page — research) |
| 94156 | MIT | Dual-Spinning CubeSat Bus | 4→6 | Mission Infusion + Commercial Tech Transfer: FO bus → MicroMAS → TROPICS (NASA EVM, 2023) → MIT LL CRADA → Tomorrow.io TMS constellation (13 sats launched, 11 operational, NOAA validated Jan 2026, first commercial microwave sounder data). Tomorrow.io: $35.1M govt contracts + $500M VC ($1B+ valuation). See topic page | ~$30M+ (TROPICS) + $535M+ (Tomorrow.io govt + VC) | organizations/mit-tropics-cubesat.md |
| 106663 | Florida Inst. of Technology | Autonomous Multiple Cycle Farming | 4→6 | Research: robotic farming system for ISS; PI Najafi + Wilde | — | (no page — space agriculture) |
| 106623 | West Virginia University | Particle-Based Foam Spraying in Zero-G | 4→6 | Research: cold spray + 3D printing for in-space manufacturing; PI Sierros | — | (no page — ISM research) |
| 12267 | Univ of Maryland | RINGS Electromagnetic Formation Flight | 4→5 | Research/ISS: SPHERES payload; 1 outcome; PI Sedwick; 2 library items | — | (no page — SPHERES payload) |
| 12176 | Univ of Maryland | Electric Field Pool Boiling | 4→4 | Cryogenic cluster: EHD-enhanced boiling; zero TRL gain; PI Kim; 1 outcome | — | (cryo cluster — no page) |
| 106725 | NASA Ames / Technion | FLUTE (Fluidic Telescope Experiment) | 4→6 | ISS + NIAC transition: 6-project chain across 4 programs; Axiom-1 ISS experiment Apr 2022; NIAC Phase I+II ($600K); 50m liquid mirror telescope concept | $600K (NIAC) | organizations/ames-flute.md |
| 91350 | RPI | Droplet Pinning (RSD) | 4→5 | ISS facility: 4-FO, 8yr arc (91350→94137→106625→106698); RSD ISS National Lab facility Jul 2019; amyloid/pharma research; npj Microgravity 2022 | — | organizations/rpi-ring-sheared-drop.md |
| 94137 | RPI | Protein-Drop Pinning (RSD) | 5→6 | (see 91350 — same RSD arc) | — | organizations/rpi-ring-sheared-drop.md |
| 106625 | RPI | RSD Bioreactor Adaptation | 4→6 | (see 91350 — bioreactor application track) | — | organizations/rpi-ring-sheared-drop.md |
| 106698 | MSFC | RSD D-tube Engineering | 4→5 | (see 91350 — D-tube delivery for ISS RSD) | — | organizations/rpi-ring-sheared-drop.md |
Session 27 additions (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93937 | UT Southwestern | Effects of Microgravity on ICP | 6→7 | SANS countermeasure: 4+ papers (J Physiol, JAMA Ophthalmology); LBNP sleeping bag; terrestrial TBI | — | organizations/ut-southwestern-icp.md |
| 91340 | Northwestern | Freeze-cast Titanium Foams | 5→5 | ISS selected Aug 2016 but SpaceICE CubeSat dead + ISS experiment stalled; FreezeCasting.net dormant; real science (Acta Mat. 2017) but no operational outcome | — | organizations/northwestern-freeze-cast.md |
| 94005 | Northwestern | Ti Nanofoams for Solar Cells | 4→6 | (see 91340 — predecessor in freeze-cast arc) | — | organizations/northwestern-freeze-cast.md |
| 12464 | Wyle Laboratories | OCT in Microgravity | 4→6 | ISS Investigation #1146: standard SANS diagnostic; Mini OCT [157621] for Artemis (TRL 5→9) | — | organizations/wyle-oct-sans.md |
| 91638 | Univ. Puerto Rico | DAAFC Ammonia Fuel Cell | 6→7 | ISS-qualified prototype: AELISS (npj Microgravity 2023); ECLSS water reclamation; PI→UTEP | — | organizations/upr-ammonia-fuel-cell.md |
| 106681 | SwRI | High-Altitude EM Sounding | 2→5 | MISSION INFUSION (Moon): LMS on Blue Ghost Mar 2025; first extraterrestrial magnetotellurics; LITMS follow-on | — | organizations/swri-cluster.md |
| 106679 | SwRI | Box-of-Rocks II | 4→7 | Magnetic asteroid sampler; New Shepard flight Oct 2020; no mission confirmed | — | organizations/swri-cluster.md |
| 91647 | SwRI | Solar Instrument Pointing | 5→6 | Solar pointing for suborbital vehicles; SPARCS-derived | — | organizations/swri-cluster.md |
| 106734 | SwRI | Commercial Vehicle Collaboration | 8→8 | FO infrastructure; Alan Stern PI; active through 2026 | — | organizations/swri-cluster.md |
Session 28 additions (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106697 | Sandia Nat'l Labs | Balloon-borne Aeroseismometer | 4→6 | Venus Seismology Precursor: 5+ papers (JASA 2022, GRL 2023, Nature Comms 2025); cross-institutional (Sandia+JPL+SwRI); Venus mission concept | — | organizations/sandia-balloon-aeroseismometer.md |
| 91620 | CU Boulder | Janus Starshade Formation Flying Sensor | 4→7 | Archetype 14 (HWO): PI Webster Cash invented starshade (Nature 2006); FO sensor validates alignment; starshade studied for HWO; longest time-horizon FO tech (25-30yr) | — | organizations/cu-boulder-starshade.md |
| 12257 | MIT | STACER Antenna Deployment | 4→7 | Dead End: TERSat (AFRL UNP-7) never launched; PI Cahoy (same as TROPICS [94156]); deployment validated but satellite stalled | — | (see mit-tropics-cubesat.md) |
| 12182 | Univ. of Florida | Telemetric Biological Imaging | 4→7 | Research Arc: predecessor to FLEX [106695]; PI Ferl flew to space Blue Origin Aug 2024; NSS Pioneer Award 2025; 11 orbital + 5 suborbital experiments | — | (see FLEX [106695]) |
Session 29 additions (2026-04-06):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Outcome | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106695 | Univ. of Florida | FLEX Biological Imaging | 6→6 | Research/Science Infrastructure: FLEX imaging platform; 2,863 views; final flight Blue Origin P-15 Sep 2025 | — | organizations/uf-ferl-paul-space-plants.md |
| 106579 | Univ. of Florida | Suborbital Genomics (Human Tended) | 6→6 | Research/Science Infrastructure: Ferl NS-25 crewed flight Aug 2024; first human-tended suborbital gene expression; active through Jun 2026 | — | organizations/uf-ferl-paul-space-plants.md |
Session 29 — Remaining low-signal completed projects (brief assessments):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106594 | Teachers in Space, Inc. | Stratospheric STEM Experiments | 4→5 | Educational outreach non-profit; 3D-printed experiment frames; no tech transfer |
| 106712 | IMEC USA | Silicon Microfluidic Blood Test | 4→5 | 3rd IMEC project (investigated S86): miDiagnostics nFP spin-off product; parabolic flight ~2021; €14M commercial raise during FO; no publication ~48mo post-close; see imec-usa-neuropixels.md |
| 12239 | SETI Institute | Particle Dispersion System | 4→5 | PI John Marshall; particulate/regolith physics in microgravity; fundamental science |
| 106588 | Ames Research Center | Reusable Radiation Nose Payload | 4→6 | Radiation-detecting capacitor sensor ("r-nose"); PI Meyyappan; FO infrastructure |
| 12472 | Univ. of Maryland | Flow Boiling Heat Exchanger Design | 4→6 | PI Jungho Kim; UMD/Kim cluster 1/3; earliest two-phase boiling project |
| 12240 | NM Institute of Mining & Tech | Structural Health Monitoring | 4→5 | PI Zagrai; wireless SHM "black box" for space vehicles; connects to FAA cluster |
| 12242 | Univ. of Puerto Rico | Nanoscale Mixing Electrochemistry | 5→6 | PI Cabrera Martinez — same as [91638] DAAFC; "Advanced To" outcome; ECLSS water processor |
| 12206 | Univ. of Washington | Activity Monitoring Parabolic Flight | 5→7 | PI Cavanagh; bone health monitoring via daily load stimulus; NSBRI-funded |
| 12207 | Univ. Alabama Huntsville | UAH CubeSat Testing | 4→6 | Student CubeSat; 2 "Advanced To" outcomes; ChargerSat launched on Minotaur rocket 2013 |
| 12249 | Boston University | BUSAT Deployable Solar/Antenna | 4→6 | Student nanosatellite; "Advanced To" outcome; deployed on ELaNa CubeSat launch |
| 12265 | Stanford University | Drag-Free Satellite Caging System | 4→6 | PI Robert Byer; gravitational reference sensor for drag-free satellites; arxiv paper; LISA-related |
| 12275 | NM Space Grant | Student Groups SL-7 | 4→5 | Educational; no description; student payloads on sounding rocket |
| 12454 | UT Arlington | Wireless Strain Sensing System | 4→5 | PI Haiying Huang; structural health monitoring for space vehicles; 893 views |
| 14155 | UCF | Accretion in Space Environments | 4→6 | PI Josh Colwell; 6th+ UCF regolith project; particle sticking/accretion; "Advanced To" |
| 14824 | Stanford University | Non-Invasive Hemodynamics Phase II | 4→6 | PI Gregory Kovacs; BCG-based pulse wave velocity; "Advanced To"; 3 publications (IEEE EMBC) |
| 93893 | UCF | CubeSat Attitude Control Testing | 5→6 | PI E. Todd Bradley; magnetic attitude control; published IEEE TAES 2020 |
| 93970 | UCF | Strata-S1 Regolith Testbed | 6→6 | PI Adrienne Dove; complements ISS experiment; Colwell/Brisset co-Is; knowledge payload |
| 94115 | University of Oxford | Tissue Oxygen Saturation Monitor | 4→6 | PI Thomas Smith; UK institution; bone loss from reduced tissue O₂; international FO participation |
| 94143 | Univ. of Maryland | DYMAFLEX Robotic Manipulator | 4→6 | Session 39: PI David Akin (SSL); FO→DymaFlight next-gen→TRAVELS lunar rover (2022 BIG Idea finalist); satellite servicing heritage; OSAM-1 cancelled but commercial OSAM growing; research archetype |
| 12475 | (unknown) | Fine Water Mist Fire Extinguisher (T0010-P) | 0→0 | Likely ADA Technologies [12180] duplicate/support project |
| 106623 | West Virginia University | Particle-Based Foam Spraying | 4→6 | PI Sierros; cold spray + 3D printing for ISM; 1,529 views; no follow-on |
| 106663 | Florida Institute of Technology | Autonomous Multiple Cycle Farming | 4→6 | PI Najafi + Wilde; robotic farming system for ISS; 904 views |
| 12276 | NM Space Grant | Student Groups SL-8 (Canceled) | 4→5 | Canceled; educational student payloads |
Tracker data correction (Session 29): Line 583 previously listed [94137] as "Texas A&M Electrolysis-Based O₂ Generation" — this is incorrect. Project 94137 is RPI "Protein-Drop Pinning in Microgravity" (already in DONE as part of RSD arc). The erroneous entry has been removed.
Priority Tier 1 — High Signal, Not Yet Investigated¶
P1-Industry-Outcomes (remaining after Session 4):
All P1-Industry-Outcomes projects have now been investigated. (145009, 106654, 91608, 12457, 106746, 106590, 91634, 91328 moved to DONE in Session 4; 12196 moved to DONE in Session 3)
P1-Industry-HighGain (remaining after Session 4):
All P1-Industry-HighGain projects have now been investigated. (93962, 184148 moved to DONE in Session 4)
All P1 targets completed as of Session 4. Moving to P2 targets.
Priority Tier 2 — Medium Signal (82 projects)¶
72 Industry-led Completed with no outcomes and TRL gain <3.
10 Non-Profit/FFRDC Completed with outcome records.
Key entries to investigate next: - 145009 Falcon ExoDynamics LITTLE OWL — landing hazard detection, 2025 completion, outcome record - 106654 Mango Materials ISRU — gas fermentation for bioplastics in space, 2024 completion - 91608 Silicon Valley Space Center — atmospheric/mesosphere science
(12187, 93857, 91351 now in DONE — investigated in Session 3)
Priority Tier 3 — Low Signal Completed (244 projects)¶
Academia and NASA Center-led completed projects with no outcomes.
Session 44 — Tier 3 Batch Scan (2026-04-07):
Deep-investigated 9 highest-signal remaining Tier 3 projects. Results:
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Assessment | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94143 | UMD | DYMAFLEX Satellite Servicing | 4→6 | Academic Maturation: FO parabolic → AFRL UNP → Dymaflight 7-DOF TRL 6 via RockSat-X (2018-2019) → TRAVELS lunar rover concept (BIG Idea finalist 2022). No commercial spinoff. | umd-dymaflex.md |
| 91340 | Northwestern | Freeze-Cast Ti Foams | 5→5 | ISS Selection + CubeSat (stalled): selected for ISS Aug 2016; SpaceICE CubeSat never launched (202x); FreezeCasting.net database. 4-program arc (STRG→FO→SBIR→GCD). | northwestern-freeze-cast.md |
| 91620 | CU Boulder | Precision Formation Flying | 4→7 | Research: PI Webster Cash starshade formation flying sensor. +3 TRL gain. Connected to HWO (Habitable Worlds Observatory) concept. No near-term mission. | |
| 106697 | Sandia (→PNNL) | Balloon Aeroseismometer | 4→6 | Venus Science Precursor: PI Bowman (now PNNL) + JPL (Krishnamoorthy). Balloon infrasound for Venus seismology. Nature Comms Earth & Env 2025. "Still decades from mission." | |
| 91323 | Aerfil LLC | ECLSS Air Filtration | 4→6 | ECLSS R&D: co-I Juan Agui (GRC) has 2 patents for regenerable filters. 2 NTRS papers. Zero USASpending contracts for Aerfil. Small Disadvantaged Business. | |
| 106607 | Rocky Mountain Servo | LaserComm Fiber Positioning | 4→6 | Dead End: no description, no library items, zero USASpending. | |
| 91638 | UPR-Rio Piedras | Direct Ammonia Fuel Cell | 6→7 | Research: continuation of T0040-P. Nanocatalyst DAAFC. "Advanced To" outcome (2013). NTRS paper. No follow-on contracts. | |
| 12182 | Univ. of Florida | Telemetric Bio Imaging | 4→7 | Research: PI Ferl (same as FLEX [106695]). +3 TRL gain. "Advanced From" outcome. Part of UF space biology cluster. | |
| 12207 | UAH | CubeSat Parabolic Flight | 4→6 | Student Project: ChargerSat. 2 "Advanced To" outcomes are generic pipeline markers. PI Wessling. Standard student CubeSat. |
Session 44 Lint findings:
- 0 orphan pages, 0 contradictions — KB is structurally sound
- 4 broken links to non-existent /programs/ and /topics/ stubs — low severity, intentional stubs
- 65 files updated before Session 30 — 11 extremely stale (Session < 10); recommend selective refresh
- 3 time-sensitive claims verified/updated: Draper CP-12 delayed to 2027 (engine change); Griffin-1 still NET Jul 2026 (Astrolab FLEX replaces VIPER); SpaceWorks RED Q2 2026 on track
Priority Tier 4 — Active Projects (51 projects)¶
Cannot assess outcomes yet. Notable active industry projects: - 106719: Astrobotic LiDAR Hazard Detection (2021–2026, TRL4→7) - 184148: Ecoatoms HERMES genetic extraction (2025–2027, TRL4→9) - 184149: Guinn Partners IMPRESS Mars penetrator (2025–2027, TRL2→6) — DONE S74 — page; 40+ person Austin product eng firm (ex-DJI CEO), ALFA Mars nonprofit connection, $3K/probe - 184152: SpaceWorks SEI (2025–2027, TRL3→8) — aggressive TRL claim
Session 20 — Launch vehicle cluster + final batch triage (2026-04-06):
121 remaining uninvestigated projects. Organized by category.
Launch Vehicle Cluster (new topic page: topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Outcome Category | Downstream $ | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94195 | Dynetics, Inc. | H₂O₂/Kerosene Engine Development | 4→6 | Acq by Leidos $1.65B (Jan 2020); SLV never launched | $0 FO-specific | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
| 94194 | Vector Space Systems | 3D-Printed LOX/Propylene Injector | 4→6 | Bankrupt Dec 2019; assets to Lockheed ($4.25M) + Phantom Space | $0 | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
| 94191 | Generation Orbit (SpaceWorks sub.) | Air-Launched Liquid Rocket | 4→6 | X-60A dead; SpaceWorks "Past Project"; AFRL $30.9M | $35.2M (mostly AFRL) | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
| 94203 | Relativity Space, Inc. | 3D-Printed Propulsion at SSC | 3→4 | Terran R H2 2026; Terran 1 partial Mar 2023; $4.2B+ valuation | $120K NASA | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
| 94200 | HRL Laboratories, LLC | Ceramic Rocket Engine Components (AM) | 4→6 | Materials R&D; Science 2016 paper; Vector subcontractor (disrupted) | $2.66M NASA | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
| 94199 | Northrop Grumman | CNT-Infused Launch Vehicle Structures | 4→6 | Large contractor integration; 30× damping improvement; Minotaur IV | — | topics/launch-vehicle-cluster.md |
New connections to existing arcs:
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Connection | KB Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184147 | Carthage College | MUTT Acoustic Ullage Trapping | 0→0 | 9th Carthage/Crosby project; Romero-Calvo co-I; active | carthage-college-mpg.md |
| 145006 | Creare, LLC | Two-Phase Pumped Loop Tech | 4→6 | 4th Creare/Conboy project; active TRL 4→6; 1182 views | creare-lad.md |
| 91322 | Draper Laboratory | Autonomous Flight Manager (Canceled) | 4→4 | 6th Draper project; HiL simulation; canceled | draper-precision-landing.md |
| 91324 | Draper Laboratory | TRNDI Descent Imager (Canceled) | 4→4 | 7th Draper project; terrain-relative nav camera; canceled | draper-precision-landing.md |
| 91354 | NJIT | EHD Two-Phase Heat Transfer (Canceled) | 3→3 | 3rd NJIT/Khusid project; canceled early; see [91373] + [106626] | njit-ehd.md |
| 91333 | Near Space Corporation | Low-Cost sRLV Surrogate | 4→4 | 3rd NSC project; sRLV balloon surrogate; zero TRL gain | near-space-corporation.md |
| 106578 | Univ. of Maryland | Flow Boiling TSP (ISS prep) | 4→6 | UMD/Kim cluster 2/3; see [12176] (zero gain); 560 views | (cryo cluster) |
| 89349 | Univ. of Maryland | Flow Boiling in Microgravity I | 4→6 | UMD/Kim cluster 3/3; ISS FBCE experiment prep; 517 views | (cryo cluster) |
| 71940 | University of Central Florida | SPACE-2 Particle Aggregation | 4→6 | 5th+ UCF/Colwell project; Brisset/Dove co-Is; 1018 views | (see COLLIDE [91331] arc) |
| 106579 | University of Florida | Suborbital Genomics (Human Tended) | 6→6 | 2nd UF/Ferl project; active (2018–2026); 1250 views; no TRL gain | (see FLEX [106695]) |
| 106638 | Purdue University | Cryo Two-Phase Heat Transfer | 4→6 | 3rd Mudawar project (or separate PI?); co-I Hartwig (GRC); 1698 views | mudawar-thermal.md |
| 155235 | Purdue University | Spray Heat Transfer Cryo Transfer | 4→4 | 4th Mudawar project; active; co-I Hartwig (GRC); 2174 views | mudawar-thermal.md |
| 158460 | Georgia Tech | Thermomagnetic Propellant Positioning | 4→4 | Cryo cluster adjacent; Romero-Calvo PI; Crosby co-I; 2720 views | (cryo cluster) |
| 106716 | JHU/APL | Chip-Scale Satellites (ChipSat) | 6→6 | 7th APL project; Earth sci; Peck co-I (Cornell); active; 1278 views | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) |
| 91432 | JHU/APL | Graphene Ion Membranes | 3→3 | 8th APL project; active (since 2017!); no TRL gain; 973 views | (see jhuapl-janus-seline.md) |
| 12464 | Wyle Laboratories | OCT in Microgravity | 4→6 | Upgraded Session 26: ISS Deployment (Investigation #1146); see DONE section |
SwRI cluster (4 projects, new):
| ID | Title | TRL | Category | Views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91647 | Solar Instrument Pointing System | 5→6 | Research: sun-pointing platform | 783 |
| 106681 | High-Altitude EM Sounding | 2→5 | Research: +3 TRL gain; 3 lib items | 725 |
| 106679 | Box-of-Rocks II (Asteroid) | 4→7 | Research: +3 TRL gain; asteroid morphology | 611 |
| 106734 | Commercial Suborbital Collaboration | 8→8 | FO Infrastructure: SwRI vehicle coordination; active | 1421 |
AFRL cluster (3 projects, new):
| ID | Title | TRL | Category | Views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12273 | Global Positioning Beacon (GPB) | 4→5 | DoD: GPS tracking for sRLVs | 744 |
| 91326 | Bi-Static RF Imager | 4→5 | DoD: radar imaging test; 1 lib item | 586 |
| 91671 | 6U CubeSat Canisterized Sat Dispenser | 7→8 | (already in Session 19) | — |
Remaining industry completed (not previously triaged):
| ID | Company | Title | TRL | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91323 | Aerfil, LLC | Indexing Media Filtration System | 4→6 | ECLSS air filtration; 4 lib items; 663 views; no downstream found |
| 94141 | The Aerospace Corporation | Rapid Solar Cell Calibration | 4→6 | ~~FFRDC R&D~~ → Upgraded Session 26: Satellite Deployment; see DONE section |
| 106607 | Rocky Mountain Servo | Low-Cost Fiber Positioning for LaserComm | 4→6 | Small company; fiber steering for optical comms; 550 views; no follow-on |
| 106684 | Air Squared, Inc. | Vapor Compression Refrigeration (Cold Food) | 4→6 | Upgraded Session 36: SBIR Portfolio Company; MOXIE Mars scroll compressor; $6.73M+ NASA; see air-squared.md |
| 12475 | Unknown | Fine Water Mist Fire Extinguisher (T0010-P) | 0→0 | Likely ADA Technologies duplicate/support; 638 views |
Remaining academia completed (lower signal):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91620 | CU Boulder | Precision Formation Flying Sensor | 4→7 | +3 TRL; CubeSat proximity ops; 837 views |
| 12257 | MIT | STACER Antenna Deployment | 4→7 | +3 TRL; PI Kerri Cahoy (same as TROPICS [94156]); AFRL TERSat (UNP-7, likely unfown); 2 lib items; 831 views; already documented in mit-tropics-cubesat.md |
| 12182 | Univ. of Florida | Telemetric Biological Imaging | 4→7 | +3 TRL; PI Bhatt; 740 views |
| 91363 | Univ. of Louisville | Hermetic Surgery System | 4→7 | Upgraded Session 26: see DONE section + uofl-aqueous-surgery.md |
| 71954 | Univ. of Louisville | Aqueous Immersion Surgical System | 4→6 | Upgraded Session 26: see DONE section + uofl-aqueous-surgery.md |
| 106697 | Sandia National Labs | Balloon Aeroseismometer | 4→6 | Seismology from balloons (Venus analogue); 797 views |
| 106594 | Teachers in Space, Inc. | Stratospheric STEM Experiments | 4→5 | Educational outreach; 789 views |
| 106712 | IMEC USA | Microfluidic Blood Test | 4→5 | 3rd IMEC project; silicon blood analysis; 679 views |
| 12239 | SETI Institute | Particle Dispersion System | 4→5 | Asteroid analog particle experiments; 672 views |
| 106588 | Ames Research Center | Reusable Radiation Nose Payload | 4→6 | Low-cost nose cone for sRLV payloads; FO infrastructure |
| 12472 | Univ. of Maryland | Flow Boiling ISS Prep | 4→6 | UMD/Kim cluster 1/3; earliest boiling project |
| 12240 | UCF | Granular Mechanics Lab | 4→6 | Colwell group; regolith physics |
| 12242 | MIT | Synchronized Position SPHERES | 4→6 | SPHERES ISS telerobots; PI Miller |
| 12206 | Univ. of Michigan | Facility for Microgravity Research | 4→6 | Facility development; 553 views |
| 12207 | ~~Clarkson University~~ UAH | ~~Electrolytic Treatment ISS Water~~ CubeSat Parabolic Flight Testing | 4→6 | DATA ERROR corrected Session 36: TechPort returns UAH CubeSat (PI Wessling); has 2 "Advanced To" outcomes + 3 lib items |
| 12249 | UCLA | Satellite Formation Sensor Validation | 4→5 | CubeSat proximity sensor |
| 12265 | Iowa State | CubeSat Battery Heater | 4→5 | Thermal management |
| 12275 | UCF | Centrifuge Dust/Ballistic Ejection | 4→5 | Regolith physics; Colwell group |
| 12454 | ~~Stanford~~ UT Arlington | ~~Gecko-Inspired Dry Adhesives~~ Wireless Strain Sensing (SHM) | 4→5 | DATA ERROR corrected Session 36: TechPort returns UT Arlington wireless strain (PI Huang), not Stanford gecko. Only gecko FO project is JPL [91341] |
| 14155 | ~~Stanford~~ UCF | ~~Phase Change Ink Jet Printing~~ Microgravity Accretion (MEASE) | 4→6 | DATA ERROR corrected Session 36: TechPort returns UCF planet formation experiment (PI Colwell/Dove). Part of UCF regolith cluster |
| 14824 | Univ. of Alabama | Magnetohydrodynamics in Microgravity | 4→6 | MHD flow measurement |
| 93893 | Georgia Tech | Fiber-Optic Sensing Balloon | 4→5 | Atmospheric science sensor |
| 93929 | Cal Poly SLO | CubeSat Deployer Dynamics (Canceled) | 4→4 | Dead end; zero TRL; canceled |
| 93937 | UT Southwestern | Effects of Microgravity on ICP | 6→7 | Upgraded Session 26: see DONE section; ~~was misidentified as Purdue Acoustic Cavitation~~ |
| 93970 | Northwestern | Cancer Drug Testing in Microgravity | 4→6 | Drug efficacy 3D tumor spheroids |
| 94115 | LSU | Dust-Plasma Interactions | 4→5 | Fundamental physics |
| ~~94137~~ | ~~Texas A&M~~ | ~~Electrolysis-Based O₂ Generation~~ | ~~4→5~~ | ERROR — corrected Session 29: project 94137 is RPI RSD (see DONE section) |
| 94143 | ~~Rensselaer Polytechnic~~ Univ. of Maryland | ~~Constrained Vapor Bubble~~ DYMAFLEX Satellite Servicing Manipulator | 4→6 | DATA ERROR corrected Session 36: TechPort returns UMD DYMAFLEX (PI David Akin), not RPI CVB. Satellite servicing robotic arm; 2 papers; Dymaflight follow-on in dev |
Remaining active projects (28, too early to assess):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Views | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158460 | Georgia Tech | Thermomagnetic Propellant | 4→4 | 2720 | Cryo cluster (Romero-Calvo + Crosby) |
| 106614 | UCF | Electrostatic Regolith Interactions | 4→7 | 2693 | +3 TRL target; active |
| 155236 | SDSU | Powered Descent Guidance | 4→4 | 2417 | SDSU 2nd FO project (see FIGARO) |
| 158521 | MIT | Surface Boiling Properties | 4→4 | 2402 | Cryo cluster (Bucci) |
| 158562 | Auburn | Dry Printing Electronics | 4→4 | 2378 | In-space manufacturing |
| 158400 | UCLA ELFIN | Software-Defined Payload Interface | 2→2 | 2366 | Industry-labeled but UCLA |
| 155235 | Purdue | Spray Heat Transfer Cryo | 4→4 | 2174 | Cryo cluster (Mudawar 4th) |
| 155253 | Northeastern | GRAMS Antimatter Survey | 3→3 | 1745 | Astrophysics; balloon flight |
| 106638 | Purdue | Cryo Two-Phase HT | 4→6 | 1698 | Cryo cluster (Mudawar 3rd?) |
| 184153 | UT San Antonio | MARS-C Atmospheric Reactor | 4→5 | 1604 | DONE S74 — page; SwRI partnership, 44 pubs, 13 patents, NAI member |
| 184145 | AeroFly LLC | Rego-LIFT Lunar Transporter | 0→0 | 1556 | New company; ISRU logistics |
| 184143 | GOEPPERT, LLC | MoS₂ Radiation Hardening | 0→0 | 1547 | Semiconductor annealing |
| 184139 | Impossible Sensing | Nutrient/Water Monitoring | 0→0 | 1528 | Agriculture sensing |
| 158760 | Aegis Aerospace | EPIIC Payload Carrier | 2→2 | 1513 | Universal payload interface |
| 184150 | Helogen Corporation | CELS Cell Experiment Lab | 3→5 | 1495 | DONE S74 — page; flight heritage 2023, Starlab deal, $2.78M raised, most advanced TechLeap winner |
| 184151 | Space Dust R&T | E-Beam Dust Mitigation | 0→0 | 1432 | Lunar dust charging |
| 106734 | SwRI San Antonio | Commercial Vehicle Collaboration | 8→8 | 1421 | FO infrastructure; active |
| 184146 | Ambrosia Space Mfg | Cell Separation Centrifuge | 0→0 | 1365 | Nutrient production |
| 106645 | UCF | DIMS Dust Manipulation | 4→4 | 1318 | Regolith interactions |
| 184147 | Carthage College | MUTT Ullage Trapping | 0→0 | 1316 | 9th Carthage project |
| 184142 | Ultrasonic Technology Solutions | Ultrasonic Clothes Washer/Dryer | 0→0 | 1311 | UTS 3rd FO project (see [155240]) |
| 106649 | Univ. of Florida | Surface Tension Measurement | 4→4 | 1565 | Novel tensiotensiometry |
| 155249 | Mentium Technologies | Neuromorphic Computing | 4→4 | 1072 | AI chip testing |
| 106716 | JHU/APL | Chip-Scale Satellites | 6→6 | 1278 | ChipSat Earth science |
| 91432 | JHU/APL | Graphene Ion Membranes | 3→3 | 973 | 9-year active project! |
| 158447 | MIT | HI-SPEED Electrospray Explorer | 5→5 | 725 | Deep-space electric propulsion |
| 106579 | Univ. of Florida | Suborbital Genomics | 6→6 | 1250 | Ferl/Paul; 8-year project |
| 145006 | Creare, LLC | Two-Phase Pumped Loop | 4→6 | 1182 | 4th Creare project |
Remaining canceled (12 projects):
| ID | Lead Org | Title | TRL | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91322 | Draper | Autonomous Flight Manager | 4→4 | 6th Draper; HiL immersive simulation |
| 91324 | Draper | TRNDI Descent Imager | 4→4 | 7th Draper; terrain camera |
| 91354 | NJIT | EHD Two-Phase HT | 3→3 | 3rd NJIT/Khusid; predecessor to [91373] |
| 91417 | Aerospace Corp | Hybrid Rocket Motor CubeSat | 4→4 | Green propellant; canceled |
| 91421 | Integrated Spaceflight Svc | Optical Mass Measurement | 4→4 | Double-canceled |
| 91383 | Integrated Spaceflight Svc | PMC Imaging Experiment | 5→5 | Mesosphere observation; canceled |
| 91348 | UAH | ChargerSat-2 | 4→4 | Student CubeSat; canceled |
| 93929 | Cal Poly SLO | CubeSat Deployer Dynamics | 4→4 | Zero TRL; canceled |
| 91406 | Univ. of Arizona | Rhodopsin Plasmon Analysis | 4→4 | Biosensor; canceled |
| 91414 | CU Boulder | Pistonless Pump | 4→4 | Saturated fluid pump; canceled |
| 91639 | ASU | Delta-Doped CCD | 4→4 | UV detector flight; canceled |
| 12276 | NM Space Grant | Student Groups SL-8 | 4→5 | Student payloads; canceled |
Remaining completed (low-signal, not individually listed): Approximately 25 additional completed academia/center projects with low views (<500), standard TRL 4→5/6, no outcomes, and no notable PIs. These are primarily fundamental research payloads: particle physics, materials science, sensor testing. Not individually triaged as they fall below the signal threshold for downstream tracking.
Priority Tier 5 — Canceled Projects (22 projects)¶
Already investigated: Busek (91700), Astrobotic (91338)
Remaining worth investigating: - 91362: Aerojet MPS-120 (Canceled, TRL4→4) — hydrazine CubeSat propulsion; Aerojet is now L3/Aerojet Rocketdyne - 91392: SwRI fine steering (Canceled) — though Eliot Young continued balloon telescope work
Outcome Category Distribution¶
Based on 50 deep-investigated projects (Sessions 1–6):
| Category | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Infusion (NASA/commercial) | 5 | CDI/DSOC (completed Sep 2025), Made in Space/ISS-AMF, Solstar/HALO (paused—Gateway cancelled), NDL→IM-1, SET ARMAS→IM-2 |
| On-Orbit Validation (PTD/demo) | 1 | Nexolve LISA-T → PTD-4 deployed Aug 2024 |
| Commercial Product/Service | 3 | SpaceX Crew Dragon, World View Stratollite, Busek BIT-3 |
| Commercial Launch Company | 1 | Ventions → Astra Space (orbital delivery 2022) |
| Corporate Acquisition | 7 | Made in Space→Redwire, Tyvak→Lockheed ($450M), NSC→Aerostar, Masten→Astrobotic, TMT→Phantom Space, World View→Ondas (Apr 2026), Nexolve→Applied Aerospace & Defense ($500M+ entity, Dec 2025) |
| Commercial Scale-up (terrestrial) | 1 | Mango Materials (BioMADE DoD consortium) |
| Major Contract Win (CLPS) | 1 | Astrobotic ($498M, both missions problematic) |
| Active Maturation / Pre-market | 4 | Eigen Strategies, UP Aerospace, Falcon ExoDynamics, Blue Origin LiDAR |
| Software Pivot (FO hardware not deployed) | 1 | Saber Astronautics (DragEN→Sentinel/WINDU) |
| Technology Absorbed (bankruptcy) | 1 | Masten M10A → Astrobotic Propulsion Dept |
| Clinical/Protocol Impact | 2 | Henry Ford ultrasound, MGH NINscan (Epilepsy Foundation, 4+ papers, BRAIN-SANS 8-modality suite closing out) |
| Ground Maturation Only | 1 | Ad Astra VASIMR (ISS mission cancelled) |
| ISS Candidate (unconfirmed) | 1 | Sierra Nevada ZGMMD |
| DoD Parallel (not causally FO) | 1 | ADA Technologies |
| Proof of Concept Only / No Follow-on | 4 | Orbital Medicine, CAST Bioprinting, Orion Labs QEOBS (TechLeap, no contracts), Aurora EDLS (patent only) |
| Dead End / No TRL Gain | 6 | GAMMA-ALF, MSNW, Techshot Microscopy, SVSC, Rocket Lab ACO, SwRI Solid-State |
| Canceled FO → Commercial Product Anyway | 2 | Busek BIT-3 (Artemis-1 flight), Aerojet MPS-120 (product listed, no flight heritage confirmed) |
| TRL Stagnation — Subsidiary R&D | 2 | Blue Origin LiDAR (4→4), Honeybee POCCET (5→5) |
| Specialist R&D — Program-Level Infusion | 2 | Creare LAD (→Artemis cryo mgmt), NanoRacks centrifuge (→Starlab) |
| Active / Too Early | 1 | Ecoatoms HERMES |
Canceled FO → positive outcome: 2 of 2 canceled projects investigated had major downstream outcomes (Busek BIT-3, Astrobotic CLPS). Cancellation ≠ failure.
New insight from Session 3: Government-led FO projects (NASA LaRC NDL, AFRL IsoTherm) can still produce strong commercial outcomes via technology licensing and acquisition — the commercialization vehicle is the spinoff, not the FO prime.
Health/medical projects show a split: Henry Ford (TRL4→8, ISS protocols adopted, global impact) vs. Orbital Medicine (TRL4→6, proof-of-concept only). Difference appears to be institutional backing and market breadth (ultrasound = global health; chest drainage = niche space medical).
Key Findings — Sessions 1 & 2¶
Session 1 Findings¶
- TechPort outcome coverage is misleading: 22% have outcome records, but relatedProjectId is null for ALL records. The description field is where the story lives.
- FO serves multiple archetypes: Validation service (SpaceX, World View), middle-step maturation (CDI, Made in Space), long-running platform (Eigen Strategies).
- Canceled ≠ dead: Astrobotic (canceled FO) → $498M CLPS; Busek (canceled FO) → BIT-3 on Artemis-1.
- SBIR chain is the backbone: Most successful FO projects have a 2–6 SBIR history in description.
Session 2 Findings¶
- Ventions = Astra Space: FO project 94198 directly funded the electric pump-fed launch vehicle that became Astra's Rocket 3. TRL 4→8, first orbit 2022. This is the most direct FO→commercial launch pathway found.
- Tyvak acquisition chain: FO MicroAMPP → Trestles bus → Terran Orbital → Lockheed Martin (Oct 2024). ~$48.7M government contracts visible. Lockheed paid for the whole company.
- Busek: canceled project, biggest portfolio: $80M+ cross-agency contracts. BIT-3 flew on Artemis-1. FO cancellation was irrelevant — Busek had parallel AF and NASA SBIR support throughout.
- Ad Astra VASIMR: cautionary case. FO cryocooler data (TRL7) was technically sound, but the mission it served (VF-200 ISS) was cancelled. 45+ years of VASIMR development, no flight. Company still alive via small SBIRs.
- Astrobotic's dollar figure is misleading: $498M NASA contracts makes it the largest dollar figure in the portfolio, but the FO project was canceled at TRL5 and the CLPS contracts were independently awarded. Peregrine failed; VIPER cancelled. Not a clean success story.
- ZGMMD: TRL9 gap. TRL9 achieved in parabolic tests, but on-orbit ISS deployment unconfirmed. Reaching TRL9 in a parabolic test doesn't guarantee space deployment.
Investigation Queue — Next Session¶
All P1 targets completed as of Session 4. P2 industry-led batch now complete (Sessions 5–9). All 56 industry-led completed FO projects investigated.
Session 9 complete. All industry-led completed FO projects in TechPort have been investigated (82 total entries in DONE list, covering all 56 industry-led + all canceled + key govt-led).
Session 10 options: 1. P3 sampling: Sample 10–15 academia/FFRDC completed projects — does the pattern of 18-21% genuine positive outcomes hold for non-industry performers? Compare base rates. 2. Synthesis page: Write the FO archetypes synthesis page ("What Makes FO Work?") — consolidate the 9 archetypes documented across sessions. 3. Active projects check: Re-query active projects; some may have completed since the April 4 snapshot. Specifically check [106719] Astrobotic LiDAR (was 2021-2026). 4. Linkages audit: Review linkages-fo.json for completeness — add Session 9 entries (Giner, Aerospace Corp, Mudawar).
Active projects to revisit when closer to completion: - 106719: Astrobotic LiDAR Hazard Detection (2021–2026, TRL4→target 7 — check for library items, project may be complete) - 184149: Guinn Partners IMPRESS Mars penetrator (2025–2027) - 184152: SpaceWorks SEI (2025–2027) — same company as TVA RED product
Coverage Progress¶
| Session | Projects Deep-Investigated | Companies Covered | Cumulative | % of 430 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 (2026-04-05) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1.6% |
| Session 2 (2026-04-05) | 8 new projects | +6 companies | 15 | 3.5% |
| Session 3 (2026-04-05) | 10 new projects | +7 orgs | 25 | 5.8% |
| Session 4 (2026-04-06) | 10 new projects | +6 orgs | 35 | 8.1% |
| Session 5 (2026-04-06) | 7 new projects | +5 orgs | 42 | 9.8% |
| Session 6 (2026-04-06) | 8 new projects | +8 orgs | 50 | 11.6% |
| Session 7 (2026-04-06) | 11 new projects | +8 orgs | 61 | 14.2% |
| Session 8 (2026-04-06) | 9 new projects | +7 orgs | 70 | 16.3% |
| Session 9 (2026-04-06) | 12 new projects | +3 new orgs + 4 page updates + 5 dead ends | 82 | 19.1% |
| Session 10 (2026-04-06) | 11 new projects | +5 new orgs (JPL G-FOLD/FOALS, Draper, JHU APL VACNT, Harvard) + archetypes.md | 93 | 21.6% |
| Session 11 (2026-04-06) | 25 new projects | +4 new orgs (JHU APL JANUS, JPL Gecko, JPL SPARTA, JPL Micro Sun Sensor) | 118 | 27.4% |
| Sessions 12–19 | ~162 projects | +65 orgs/updates | 280 | 65% |
| Session 20 (2026-04-06) | 121 new (final batch) | +6 launch vehicle + ~25 arc connections + ~90 low-signal | ~405 | ~94% |
Note: Remaining ~25 projects are low-signal completed academia (views <500, TRL +1/+2, no outcomes) listed by count only. Effective coverage of projects with any potential downstream impact: 100%.
Session 11 milestone: 100% of JPL FO projects (18/18) and 100% of completed JHU/APL FO projects investigated.
Session 20 milestone: 100% of FO projects triaged. 430/430 projects accounted for in tracker. ~25 low-signal completed projects listed by count only, not individually.
Downstream $ tracked (confirmed + suggestive): - Session 1: ~$45M - Session 2 additions: +$48.7M (Tyvak) + $65M (Busek) + $498M (Astrobotic) + $9.3M (Ad Astra) + $5.2M (NSC) + $2.1M (SNC) - Session 3 additions: +$10.4M (UP Aerospace) + $82M (Masten/CLPS) + $15.6M (Psionic/NDL) + $3.2M (TMT) - Session 4 additions: +$18.8M (Nexolve) + $5.5M (Falcon ExoDynamics Handle) + $4.25M (Mango Materials) + $8.7M (Saber) - Session 5 additions: +$55.9M (NanoRacks NASA) + $217M (Starlab CLD) + $30M (SpaceWorks DoD) + ~$8M (Astrobotic AAS continuation) - Session 6 additions: +$7.9M (SET ARMAS) + $38M (Creare portfolio) + $53M (Rocket Lab launch services, not FO-causal) - Session 7 additions: +$19-20M (Protoinnovations) + $18M (Teledyne, mostly DOE) + $3.8M (Space Lab Technologies) + $2.3M (Space Foundry) + $22M (Creare 2024–2025 new awards, updating to $60M+ total) - Session 8 additions: +$313M (Airborne Systems, mostly pre-existing DoD + Orion) + $30M (Paragon portfolio) + $700M (Sierra Lobo portfolio, pre-existing) + $5M (CisLunar) + $519K (Night Crew Labs) - Session 10 additions: +$56.93M (Draper CP-12) + ~$7M (RAVAN/VACNT mission) - Session 11 additions: +$9M (SELINE est.) + Prox-1 (Air Force funded, no NASA $) - Session 20 additions: +$35.2M (Generation Orbit AFRL) + $2.66M (HRL NASA) + $1.65B (Dynetics→Leidos acq.) + $120K (Relativity NASA) - Total tracked: ~$2.45B+ across all investigated projects (excluding Leidos acquisition as portfolio-level, not FO-causal) - Including Leidos acquisition: ~$4.1B+ - Major caveats: Astrobotic $498M (CLPS not FO-causal), Masten CLPS $66M (cancelled), Starlab $217M (FO attribution indirect), Rocket Lab $53M (launch services not FO), Creare $60M (program-level), Airborne Systems $300M+ (pre-existing JPADS, not FO-caused), Sierra Lobo $700M (pre-existing services contracts). Excluding pre-existing/non-causal: ~$500M across 60 projects.
Session 40 — New FO Projects Added (15 not previously in tracker)¶
These are active FO projects discovered in the 2026-04-04 TechPort snapshot that were not in the previous tracker. Most are new selections starting Jun 2025.
| ID | Company | Title | TRL Target | Period | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184153 | UT San Antonio | MARS-C Mars Atmospheric Reactor | 4→5 | Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | Mars ISRU |
| 184149 | Guinn Partners | IMPRESS Mars Penetrators | 2→6 | Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | Mars EDL |
| 184145 | AeroFly LLC | Rego-LIFT Lunar Regolith Conveyor | 4→5 | Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | Lunar ISRU |
| 184143 | GOEPPERT LLC | MoS₂ Semiconductor Annealing (µg) | 3→5 | Jun 2025–Apr 2028 | Space manufacturing |
| 184142 | Ultrasonic Technology Solutions | Ultrasonic Clothes Washer/Dryer | 4→6 | Sep 2025–Sep 2028 | Habitation |
| 184146 | Ambrosia Space Mfg Corp | Cell Separation Centrifuge | 3→5 | Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | Biomanufacturing |
| 184139 | Impossible Sensing LLC | FLEW.ID LIBS Water Monitoring | 4→6 | Jun 2025–Jun 2028 | ECLSS sensing |
| 184151 | Space Dust R&T LLC | Electron Beam Dust Mitigation | 4→6 | Jun 2025–Jun 2027 | Dust mitigation |
| 158760 | Aegis Aerospace | EPIIC Payload Adapter | 2→4 | Jun 2024–Jun 2027 | FO infrastructure |
| 158400 | UCLA ELFIN | SDPI Software-Defined Payload IF | 2→4 | Jun 2024–Jun 2027 | FO infrastructure |
| 158521 | MIT | Cryogenic Surface Properties (µg) | 4→5 | May 2024–Apr 2026 | Cryogenics |
| 155253 | Northeastern University | GRAMS Gamma-Ray/Antimatter Survey | 3→5 | Jul 2023–Jul 2026 | Astrophysics |
| 158447 | MIT | HiSPEED Electrospray Deep-Space | 5→5 | Jun 2023–Jun 2026 | Propulsion |
| 145006 | Creare LLC | Two-Phase Pumped Loop Thermal Mgmt | 4→6 | Nov 2021–Aug 2026 | Thermal |
| 155249 | Mentium Technologies | Neuromorphic AI on Suborbital | 4→6 | Apr 2023–Apr 2026 | Computing |
Updated portfolio total: 445 FO projects (430 previously tracked + 15 new).
Session 40 notes: - GOEPPERT (184143) is a Philadelphia startup doing MoS₂ 2D semiconductor growth in microgravity. SBIR Phase I ($150K). Vision: "Earth-space foundry" for specialized 2D semiconductors. Fits ODME/Redwire space semiconductor cluster. - Creare (145006) is a 4th Creare FO project — two-phase pumped loop thermal management. Same company as LAD [155234], freeze-tolerant radiator [158702], and lightweight LAD [106733]. Creare is one of the most active FO performers with 4 projects across thermal and cryogenic systems. - MIT (158521) adds a 6th entry to the cryogenic cluster — surface properties impact on boiling/quenching in reduced gravity. Co-I likely Hartwig (GRC). - MIT HiSPEED (158447) has TRL target 5→5 (no advance planned) — possibly a characterization-only project.
Session 41 notes: - Artemis II topic page created — fo-technologies-artemis-ii.md. Traced FO contributions to Artemis II (launched Apr 1, 2026). Tier 1 hardware: Airborne Systems CPAS parachutes (confirmed) + ADA FWM fire extinguisher (suggestive). Tier 2 data: cryo cluster (Aerospace Corp helium pressurization, UF Chung boiloff, Mudawar pool boiling, Collicott slosh) → ICPS design. - Mission infusion summary updated to 22+ (adding Artemis II CPAS as confirmed deployment). - Creare page updated with 4th FO project [145006] details — two-phase pumped loop technology. Creare covers full thermal management triad. - MARS-C (184153) co-I Kevin Supak is PI on SwRI LAD [106677] — another cryo cluster network link. - Mentium Technologies (155249) — neuromorphic AI inference accelerator, radiation-hardened, 50 TOPS/W at 0.4W. PI Mirko Prezioso (Goleta, CA). Notable company in rad-hard edge AI space. - New industry cohort triage results (ranked by maturity): - Impossible Sensing (184139) — STRONGEST: ~$8.4M across 17 federal awards. PI Pablo Sobron (PhD, ex-SETI). FLEW.ID LIBS already at SBIR Phase III. Perseverance SHERLOC instrument team. Multi-agency (NASA, BOEM). By far the most established new entrant. - GOEPPERT (184143) — STRONG: ~$3.9M across 11 awards. Nanopore physics company at UPenn's Pennovation Works. 7 PhDs. Multi-line (MoS₂ semiconductors, ocean world nanopores, Army fentanyl sensors). NASA SBIR Phase III already ($994K for in-space MoS₂). - Ultrasonic Tech Solutions (184142) — STRONG: ~$3.0M across 6 NASA awards. ORNL spinout (exclusive license). Ultrasonic washer/dryer already at SBIR Phase III ($300K). PI Momen PhD. 5× energy efficiency over conventional dryers. - AeroFly (184145) — EMERGING: ~$1.2M across 3 NASA awards (all 2024+). SDSU spinout. PI Todd Letcher (Assoc. Prof). TechLeap Prize winner (2026 flight). Innovation Center Startup of the Year 2024. - Space Dust R&T (184151) — EARLY: No direct federal contracts as company. CU Boulder spinout. Co-founder Mihaly Horanyi (prominent dust physicist). EBDM 92% cleaning efficacy. TechLeap Prize winner. - Ambrosia Space (184146) — EARLIEST: $179K (1 Air Force STTR). Founded 2023. PI Maggio (ex-Intuitive Machines, ex-Paragon). True early-stage startup.