GEOPLASMA LLC

HUNTSVILLE, AL, 35806

Prime contracting experience

2 records from government sources. Past participation is not evidence of current teaming interest.

Role	Agency	Description	Vehicle	Obligated	Action date	Period
Prime	National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration	THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS (TPS) ARE NEEDED TO PROTECT SPACECRAFT AND CREW FROM HIGH TEMPERATURE PROPELLANT GASES, HEATING FROM SOLAR RADIATION, AND HEATING FROM FRICTION WITH PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES. FOR EXAMPLE, CERAMIC BASED THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS (TBC) ARE BEING APPLIED TO ROCKET ENGINE COMPONENTS SUCH AS COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, INJECTOR FACE PLATES, AND NOZZLE EXTENSIONS TO ALLOW HIGHER TEMPERATURE PROPELLANTS TO BE USED, WHICH RESULTS IN INCREASED PERFORMANCE. IN ADDITION, TBC MATERIALS ARE DESIRED FOR RE-ENTRY AND HYPERSONIC VEHICLES THAT WILL EXPERIENCE BOTH SPACE AND ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS RELY ON THE LOW THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND EMISSIVE PROPERTIES OF THE CERAMIC TOPCOAT TO MINIMIZE HEAT TRANSFER. HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THE THERMAL EXPANSION MISMATCH BETWEEN THE CERAMIC TOPCOAT AND UNDERLYING METALLIC STRUCTURE, SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN DURING JOINING. THE PHASE I RESULTS SHOWED ADVANCED PLASMA SPRAY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE CERAMIC BASED TPS/TBC MATERIALS ON METALLIC SUBSTRATES AND THE ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY MODIFY CRITICAL PROPERTIES SUCH AS REFLECTANCE/EMISSIVITY AND THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY THROUGH RARE EARTH OXIDE ADDITIONS WERE DEMONSTRATED. DURING PHASE II, THE MOST PROMISING TPS MATERIALS WILL BE OPTIMIZED AND EXTENSIVE GROUND BASED TESTING WILL BE PERFORMED. SAMPLES WILL ALSO BE PRODUCED FOR TESTING ON MISSE-13 AND MISSE-14, AND THESE SAMPLES WILL BE COMPARED TO THE GROUND TEST RESULTS TO DETERMINE ANY DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS FROM SPACE EXPOSURE. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PHASE II EFFORT, CRITICAL SPACE EXPOSURE DATA WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A BROAD RANGE OF ADVANCED TPS MATERIALS FOR DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES AND APPLICATIONS, WHICH IS NEEDED FOR THE SAFE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE NASA MISSIONS SUCH AS LONG DURATION SPACE TRAVEL, SPACE STATIONS, LUNAR HABITATS, RE-ENTRY AND HYPERSONIC VEHICLES. 80NSSC19C0212USAspending	—	$749,948	Dec 20, 2023	Jul 11, 2019 – Dec 31, 2024
Prime	National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NASA S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION INCLUDES LONG DURATION HUMAN TRAVEL BEYOND LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) AND SUSTAINED HUMAN PRESENCE ON OTHER PLANETARY SURFACES. FOR THIS VISION TO BE A REALITY, ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IS TO MINIMIZE RADIATION EXPOSURE TO THE CREW AND EQUIPMENT. A MATERIAL BASED SOLUTION TYPICALLY RESULTS IN PAYING A PENALTY DUE TO ADDITIONAL WEIGHT. DURING THIS EFFORT, A MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPOSITE IS BEING DEVELOPED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A SPACECRAFT OR HABITAT TO PROVIDE SHIELDING AGAINST GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS (GCRS) AND SECONDARY PARTICLES, ENHANCED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, AND DURABILITY AGAINST OVERALL SPACE ENVIRONMENT. DURING PHASE 1, INNOVATIVE FABRICATION METHODS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO PRODUCE THE RADIATION SHIELDING COMPOSITE. MECHANICAL TESTING SHOWED THAT COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL AEROSPACE ALUMINUM ALLOYS SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS IN SPECIFIC STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS WERE OBTAINED. DURING PHASE 2, THE COMPOSITE WILL BE OPTIMIZED AND SAMPLES WILL BE PRODUCED FOR TESTING. A PRIMARY TASK WILL BE TO USE THE MISSE-FF FACILITY TO TEST THE COMPOSITE AGAINST THE COMBINED SPACE ENVIRONMENT. SAMPLES TESTED ON GROUND FOR MECHANICAL AND RADIATION PROPERTIES WILL BE COMPARED TO SAMPLES TESTED ON LEO TO UNAMBIGUOUSLY DEMONSTRATE THE MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF THE COMPOSITE. 80NSSC18C0169USAspending	—	$749,975	Nov 28, 2023	Jul 13, 2018 – Sep 30, 2023

Contract vehicles are shown only when present in the source record. Linked award numbers and vehicles open the authoritative record on USAspending.gov.

Agencies supported

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationGov-sourced

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