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Low-Stored-Volume Wings for a Very High Altitude Aircraft

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: W31P4Q-08-C-0184
Agency Tracking Number: 07SB2-0598
Amount: $98,954.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: SB072-042
Solicitation Number: 2007.2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2007
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2008-01-30
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2008-09-17
Small Business Information
505 5th Ave S Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98104
United States
DUNS: 007942662
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Yes
Principal Investigator
 Dana Andrews
 Chief Technology Officer
 (206) 438-0630
 dandrews@andrews-space.com
Business Contact
 Ginny Taman
Title: Manager of Contracts & Subcontracts
Phone: (206) 438-0681
Email: gtaman@andrews-space.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Andrews Space proposes an inflatable rigidizable wing that can be stored folded or rolled up, and deployed at altitude via an inflation system, and will then cure to form a rigid wing improving the reliability and reducing the risk of an inflatable wing. It will also be much lighter and have a much smaller storage volume than a mechanically folding wing. A high altitude, long endurance aircraft can be delivered to high altitude by either flying it up from the ground or by deploying it at altitude by rocket. For rocket deployment the wings must have a low storage volume, so it can be packaged into a payload fairing. Inflatable wings are ideally suited to this mission since they provide the smallest storage volume possible. An inflatable rigidizable wing has the advantage that once rigid it would no longer need internal pressure to support it, thereby greatly improving the reliability and reducing the risks. Since it will only need internal pressure for a short duration, a small leak will not pose a significant threat to the mission. The longer the intended duration the more important it is to have a rigid wing that doesn’t require internal gas pressure support.

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

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