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High Temperature Telemetry Transmitter for Venus Exploration

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNC06CA39C
Agency Tracking Number: 040721
Amount: $559,155.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: S4.02
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2004
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2005-12-02
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-12-02
Small Business Information
6920 Bowman Lane, NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-1576
United States
DUNS: 028456932
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Robert Sternowski
 Principal Investigator
 (319) 431-0314
 bobs@softronicsltd.com
Business Contact
 Robert Sternowski
Title: Business Official
Phone: (319) 431-0314
Email: bobs@softronicsltd.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The proposed S-band telemetry transmitter will operate in the exterior Venusian high pressure, 465?aC ambient atmosphere without being contained in a thermally protective container. The sealed, radiation-hardened, high-reliability, silicon-carbide-based transmitter uses an ambient heatsink to cool its high temperature transistors without the power, volume, and weight of auxiliary cooling. An innovative circuit architecture requires only one SiC semiconductor device per module; other components are ceramic or temperature-compensated machined metal parts. Operating life on Venus is limited only by the external power source; several months is anticipated. The fault-tolerant modular transmitter!|s 150 watt RF output power will support a direct Venus-Earth 8 kbps communications link. This same design solution can also be applied to very cold Titan-like applications as well. The Phase II effort culminates with a 30 day Venus life test simulation of a full scale deliverable prototype.

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

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