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Precision Ultrasensitive Micromotion Interferometer

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NAS3-03069
Agency Tracking Number: 022643
Amount: $69,993.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2003
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100
Torrance, CA 90501
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Russell Kurtz,
 Principal Investigator
 (310) 320-3088
 sutama@poc.com
Business Contact
 Gordon Drew
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (310) 320-3088
Email: gdrew@poc.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

NASA needs hardware technologies to maintain hyper-precision spacecraft constellations at a level that will make separated spacecraft optical interferometry practical. To address this need, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop and test a novel Precision Ultrasensitive Micromotion Interferometer (PUMI) system based on the company's unique phase conjugate micromotion detection technology, which will measure motion at an accuracy three orders of magnitude greater than current techniques such as Doppler lidar. The illumination will cycle at 4 Hz for each micron per second of motion with respect to the other spacecraft. These cycles are detected to determine spacecraft micromotion. Phase conjugation eliminates optical path difference problems, and phase distortions that are due to any intervening media. In Phase I POC will determine the requirements and expected performance of phase conjugate micromotion detection (PCMD), identify design tradeoffs, and produce a proof-of-principle system to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed PUMI approach for NASA applications. In Phase II the design will be optimized for the intended use, information processing will be added, and an optimized PCMD system applicable to PUMI will be demonstrated.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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