SBIR Phase II: Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD) Generation for Spacecraft Power

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $993,392 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to provide a new source of power generation using Magneto Hydro Dynamics (MHD) for spacecraft that utilizes the untapped potential energy contained in the solar wind plasma. This new form of power generation will have high power density, resulting in lower-cost access to space-based platforms. In addition, this new form of power generation will reduce the need to rely on rare Earth elements and the resulting toxic byproducts produced when solar panels are manufactured for spacecraft power. The broader impacts also include the superconducting magnets and ion concentration funnel, which are designed and developed as part of this project. These will have benefits and applications in the medical field, potentially supporting advancements in magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. Future spacecraft capability and performance are continually advancing and will require increasingly larger amounts of electrical power to operate. MHD generation will be able to meet this growing need. The number of spacecraft in orbit is rapidly increasing each year with 7,389 satellites in orbit today, with 850 launched in the first six months of 2021 alone. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be a significant advancement in technology for space-based electrical power generation. The intellectual merit of this work lies in the expansion of the knowledge of so

Key facts

NSF award ID
2408916
Awardee
TORRE SPACE AND POWER SYSTEMS, L.L.C. (AR)
SAM.gov UEI
WQ6YV1PZ2NT2
PI
Chris N Torre
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES & INSTRM, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
Estimated total
$993,392
Funds obligated
$0
Transaction type
Cooperative Agreement
Period
08/15/2025 → 07/31/2027