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

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · TORRE SPACE AND POWER SYSTEMS, L.L.C. (AR) · $993,392

## 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 organization:** 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

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2408916

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2408916, SBIR Phase II:  Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD) Generation for Spacecraft Power. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2408916. Licensed CC0.

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