[meteorite-list] NASA Selects Proposals for Advanced Energy Storage Systems

[Ron Baalke]

August 7, 2014
     
NASA Selects Proposals for Advanced Energy Storage Systems

NASA has selected four proposals for advanced energy storage technologies 
that may be used to power the agency's future space missions.

Development of these new energy storage devices will help enable NASA's 
future robotic and human-exploration missions and aligns with conclusions 
presented in the National Research Council's "NASA Space Technology Roadmaps 
and Priorities," which calls for improved energy generation and storage 
"with reliable power systems that can survive the wide range of 
environments unique to NASA missions." NASA believes these awards will lead 
to such energy breakthroughs.

"NASA's advanced space technology development doesn't stop with hardware and 
instruments for spacecraft," said Michael Gazarik, associate administrator 
for Space Technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "New energy storage 
technology will be critical to our future exploration of deep space -- 
whether missions to an asteroid, Mars or beyond. That's why we're investing 
in this critical mission technology area."

Managed by the Game Changing Development Program within NASA's Space 
Technology Mission Directorate, the four selected technology proposals are:

-- Silicon Anode Based Cells for High Specific Energy Systems, submitted by 
Amprius, Inc, in Sunnyvale, California
-- High Energy Density and Long-Life Li-S Batteries for Aerospace 
Applications, submitted by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena
-- Advanced High Energy Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, submitted by 
Indiana University in Bloomington
-- Garnet Electrolyte Based Safe, Lithium-Sulfur Energy Storage, submitted by 
the University of Maryland, College Park

Phase I awards are approximately $250,000 and provide funding to conduct an 
eight-month component test and analysis phase. Phase II is an engineering 
development unit hardware phase that provides as much as $1 million per award 
for one year, while Phase III consists of the prototype hardware development, 
as much as $2 million per award for 18 months.

Proposals for this solicitation were submitted by NASA centers, federally 
funded research and development centers, universities and industry. NASA's 
Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, manages the Game Changing 
Development program for the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

NASA is working closely with the Department of Energy's Advanced Research 
Projects Agency (ARPA-E) and other partners to propel the development of 
energy storage technology solutions for future human and robotic exploration 
missions. Committed to developing the critical technologies needed for deep 
space exploration, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate will make 
significant investments over the next 18 months to address several 
high-priority challenges in achieving this goal.

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech 

-end-

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz at nasa.gov 

Chris Rink
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-6786
chris.rink at nasa.gov