Research Topics

Space probes and other high reliability systems have a need for power in remote, harsh environments that require novel materials development to meet growing power and thermal management requirements while still maintaining small form factors. Areas of interest include novel architectures that have potential to enable new energy and power systems that achieve extreme performance, ultra-low SWAP, and/or ruggedized operation in harsh environments. Example areas might include:

• Microelectronic coolers and novel MEMS devices
• High temperature thermoelectric power conversion systems
• Novel heat sources and packaging
• Radiation and neutron-based power systems
• Battery development
• Supercapacitors
• Integrated circuits for power conversion

There are many challenges to overcome and technologies to develop to enable continuous operation in VLEO and LEO. These include but are not limited to air-breathing inlets, atomic oxygen resilient and low drag materials, thrusters, accelerated test infrastructure, payloads, avionics, power, guidance navigation and control (GN&C), and position, navigation and timing (PNT). Draper is interested in technologies, modeling, simulation, and testing to enable persistent operations in areas including but not limited to:

• Power
• Materials
• Propulsion
• GN&C and PN&T
• Avionics and Payloads

Draper is looking for enabling technologies to navigate anywhere at any time that are modular, re-usable, and operator centered. Ideal solutions would enable trusted autonomous GN&C at a coordinated constellation level while being able to operate through all environments and faults with known health status. AI/ML based solutions are particularly of interest. Example areas might include:

• Vehicle health monitoring
• Autonomous mission management
• Lunar and other orbit operation optimization
• Visual navigation optimizations leveraging other sensor modalities
• Rendezvous and proximity operations
• Trusted autonomy frameworks including user interface
• High speed radiation hardened integrated circuits (CPUs, AI/ML accelerators, etc.)
• Multi-modal data fusion
• AI/ML (ex. Perception & control, on board sensors optimized for AI/ML algorithms)
• Human performance (ex. cognitive states in a spaceflight relevant operational task, physiological monitoring for space habitation, Non-invasive measure of intercranial pressure for in-situ evaluation during space flight)

Today’s spacecraft face a rapidly increasing set of environments but must execute complex operations with high levels of assurance. These systems need to be trusted sources of truth to ensure data is properly collected, processed, transmitted, and disseminated. Example areas might include:

• Radiation hardening, orbital debris, dust, extreme temperatures, solar storm, atomic oxygen resilience
• Minimizing interference including laser, optical, IR and RF communication
• On-board processing and fault tolerant computing
• Low SWaP systems and devices

The efficient transfer of data through high temperature, high radiation, remote, and/or other harsh environments is critical to ensure sufficient guidance navigation and control and information gathering. Similarly, materials which enable transformative capabilities in sensing and function devices are of interest. Example areas might include:

• Next generation photonic devices
• Non-traditional and quantum sensing
• Sensor outputs designed for optimal AI/ML use
• Enabling communication systems including deployable antennas and structures
• High temperature, rad hard controls, avionics, and electronics
• Dust- and debris-tolerant electronic and PMAD system components
• Novel sealing/bonding technologies for space environments
• Advanced and multifunctional materials, coatings, and systems (ex. high temperature)
• Microthrusters