| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 16.04-7789 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 002212 ) |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Advanced Holographic miniature sun sensor optical system |
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Sigma Research and Engineering holds a provisional patent for a holography based sunsensor, and proposes to build a prototype based on the succesfull proof of concept research carried out in Phase I. A novel concept for high-resolution attitude determination sun sensor, which reduces mass and power of current commercial technology sensors by orders of magnitude, while at the same time providing high resolution and a very wide field of view has been conceived. The sensor is based on a few basic principles and state of the art technology. The wide FOV, high resolution, and compact size are achieved by overlapping fields-of-view onto a single high-resolution detector using holographic technology. Overlapping the fields of small angular sectors in the field of view of a fine sensor permits sharing a single high-resolution focal plane array of a moderate size among sectors. For a given array size it allows to spread the signal in the elevation direction over N times the number of pixels that a sensor with a single sector and the same system field of view would have used. thus creating a system that overcomes the inherent problems of wide field of view systems, namely, low resolution.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Miniature sun sensors for aerospace applications. Customers will include NASA, aerospace commercial companies, and other government agencies. A sensor of this characteristics shall have a market potential in the thousands of units given its applicability to nanosatellites. In fact it is one of the only options for a sun-sensor in a nanosatellite-class ship. The combination of orders of magnitude higher resolution, a tenth of the mass and power, and comparable cost to current sensors give this device a tremendous competitive advantage even for large satellites. The holographic technology developed under this SBIR may have significant impacts in fabrication and performance of next generation filters and multiplexers for WDM systems. Customers will be OEM companies for the telecommunications industry. Sigma has currently market ties to this industry, and given successful development of the components, commercialization would be immediate.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Marzouk Marzouk
Sigma Research and Engineering Corp.
9801 Greenbelt Road, Suite 103
Lanham , MD 20706 - 6204
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Sigma Research and Engineering Corp.
9801 Greenbelt Road, Suite 103
Lanham , MD 20706 - 6204