RHRC AWARDED NASA SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER RESEARCH CONTRACT

April 6, 2006 - Rolling Hills Research Corporation has been selected by NASA for a $600,000 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research contract.  This will be the second phase of the research program, following a highly successful Phase I research program in 2005. 

NASA selected a total of 14 STTR research proposals from small high technology firms in 8 states.  The goals of the program are to stimulate technological innovation, increase the use of small businesses in meeting federal research and development needs and increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federally funded research. The program requires a collaborative research effort between a small business concern and a research institution.

RHRC is teamed with Dr. William Murray and Dr. Thomas Carpenter of California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo to develop a thrust vectoring system for aerospike engines.  Aerospike engines create a free surface on the exterior of the plume that automatically optimizes its shape with altitude.

Aerospike nozzles with optimal thrust vector control will provide added safety and improved capability to the NASA Dryden Aerospike Rocket Test project, as well as economic benefit through the reuse of nozzles. Thrust vectoring and throttling capabilities will provide control of flight regimes (speed, angle of incidence, transients, and other flight conditions). In addition, flights with thrust vector control would have less dispersion and therefore could be confined to a smaller test area, which would improve range safety.  An aerospike nozzle with thrust vector control would be appropriate for future NASA single-stage-to-orbit programs.

Dr. Carpenter will be the Principal Investigator for this research program.