Relative Dynamics is excited to announce that we were selected by the United States Space Development Agency for developing a Ground Optical Communication Array Terminal (GOCArT). The key objective of the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) 2022 Phase 1 award is to demonstrate an optical ground terminal architecture that allows for scaling the aperture size with modular optical elements. Optical arrays can help reduced cost, mitigate atmospheric fading, and eliminate single point failures. High power optical amplifiers are distributed in the array and are combined at the distant receiver. This provides an alternative to costly large single apertures and a single amplifier more prone to optical damage. This award builds on our existing relationship with U.S. Government in developing and advancing technologies here on earth and beyond.
Relative Dynamics Inc. was awarded U.S. Patent No. 11,329,722 for the ground breaking optical communications terminal design for HAP, LEO, MEO, GEO, and deep space. The technology development was spearheaded by lead inventors Kush Patel, founder of Relative Dynamics, and Dr. Michael Krainak, CTO at Relative Dynamics.This technology is a free-space optical communication system for bidirectional communication and navigation. The optical terminal includes a state of the art telescope, an unique gimbal for precision pointing and tracking and scalable modem. Fast, reliable, high bandwidth communication is among the most pressing needs of the space industry. Optical data transfer will be a key component of spacecraft technology because it can provide high volume data at light speed. Relative Dynamics is well positioned to unlock the potential of optical communication for space applications, particularly as they prepare to commercially launch the free-space communication systems covered by the patented technology for a low cost. Relative Dynamics understands that Free-Space Optical Communications technology is not a science problem, but an engineering problem. It is this mindset that makes this patent unique.
The main sources of spacecraft disturbances are mechanical vibrations, sensor, and actuator noises, as well as slew residuals. The most critical disturbance is the jitter. A key idea is to use integrated data-driven feedback control algorithms to reject the repetitive and periodic disturbances. We will use two modeling approaches. NASA awarded Relative Dynamics a Phase I SBIR Award to further research in eliminating these disturbances. The newly awarded NASA Phase 1 SBIR program will enable large telescope image stabilization (e.g., LUVOIR) and other high-precision optical instrument platforms (e.g., LISA and GRACE-2). High-precision pointing control is also important for long-distance optical communication systems. The data-driven, feed-forward, and stochastic control algorithms can be applied to a class of spacecraft control problems. Similarly, the low-cost Koester prism sensor and nano-precision actuators can be used for low-cost fine guidance of small spacecraft. It will also enable similar platform stabilization for commercial satellites. Precision fused sensors and the associated control algorithms are important for robotic assembly, autonomous driving, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile munitions, and many other applications. These innovations benefit all industries that rely on precision metrology for absolute measurements.Relative Dynamics is proud and excited to help further NASA’s interest in Guidance, Navigation, and Control for use in future missions. This award builds on our existing relationship with NASA as well as our focus to help advance technologies here on Earth and beyond.
Relative Dynamics is thrilled to announce that we were selected by the United States Air Force for developing a Large Additive Manufactured Smooth Astronomical Mirror (LAMSAM). The key objective of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) 2022 Phase 1 award is to demonstrate the ability to create a telescope mirror not requiring much/any figuring to be usable for observing space objects. Our academic partner is the Rochester Institute of Technology. This award builds on our existing relationship with U.S. Government in developing and advancing technologies here on earth and beyond.
Relative Dynamics is excited to join our large business partners, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Sierra Space, and Nissan, in designing the next Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for space exploration. Let's go on a ride...Read more about the incredible team leading the endeavor:https://lnkd.in/dG-g36sd
NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate in conjunction with NASA GSFC awarded Relative Dynamics a Phase II SBIR Award to further develop the next generation of near-earth and deep space Optical Communication Array Terminal technology. The newly awarded NASA Phase 2 SBIR program will take the SCOUT terminal to the next level of internet-compatible performance- operating with coherent transceivers at 100 Gbps data rates and near-optimum receiver efficiency to realize our goal of enabling worldwide and interplanetary internet access.Relative Dynamics is proud and excited to help further NASA’s deep interest in commercially viable Optical Communication Development and to help fulfill the agency’s vision to leverage industry infrastructure for future communications needs. This award builds on our existing relationship with NASA as well as our focus to help advance technologies here on Earth and beyond.
Our team at Relative Dynamics has worked really hard this past year to reach these milestones. Now, as we enter 2022, we have the opportunity to be a part of the I-Corps Boot Camp Company , where we will learn different ways to improve our business model and expand even further upon our research. This SBIR-based program will include interviews, courses, and webinars that will allow us to become more knowledgeable. At Relative Dynamics, we take pride in going above and beyond to ensure that we achieve the results we envision. We look forward to seeing how things will advance in 2022!
At Relative Dynamics, we value knowledge as a process rather than as an answer. This approach has brought us much success in our research as well as providing our customers the highest quality service. With this success, we are happy to announce that we have won a variety of Small Business Innovative Research Awards in 2020 & 2021. As we move into 2022, we want to take some time to reflect on these innovative awards! NASA Phase 1 & 2 - Optical Communication Terminal: Communications and Navigation for Distributed Small Spacecraft Beyond LEORelative Dynamics, Inc (RDI) has come up with a solution to implement cost-effective high-data-rate communications and navigation knowledge for Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM) and small spacecraft. RDI proposed a Small Spacecraft Optical Communication Terminal called SCOUT that utilizes integrated, modular, and scalable communication for small spacecraft. With this model, the complexity and cost of the system will be significantly lowered with the use of compatible materials that are low-cost, widely available, and readily manufacturable. SCOUT will enable a collaborative configuration of widely distributed NASA small spacecraft, whether it’s in the near-earth region or deep into space. It will also enable NASA mission uplinks and downlinks, providing a cost-effective alternative to DSM that additionally allows science data to effectively return to Earth. In addition to NASA, SCOUT can be potentially used through Google, Facebook, SpaceX, and very large LEO satellite constellations. NASA Phase 1 - Optical Communication Array Transceiver: Long-Range Optical TelecommunicationsTo support NASA Long-Range Optical Telecommunications, RDI came up with an Optical Communication Array Transceiver (OCAT) that will lower costs, improve diffraction-limited performance, slighter gravitational effects, scalability, ease of maintenance, and more. OCAT will enable future data volume returns to and from space missions in multiple domains with a high return data rate as well as distance trade-offs. The innovations in OCAT are designed for both spaceflight and ground systems, additionally enabling navigation services for NASA missions. Optical ground terminals are a lot smaller in size, but have a much larger data volume capacity. NASA Phase1 - Large Space Optics Using System Identification: Advanced Optical Systems and Fabrication/Testing/Control Technologies for EUV/OpticalTemperature control of space optics is a relatively new field. Relative Dynamics, Inc took a unique approach to this solution, deciding on an active thermal control using system identification (ATC-SID). This method would utilize a large mirror that has diffraction limited performance at wavelengths less than 500nm. The total cost of this mirror would be under $100 million, making it a more cost-effective option. This ATC-SID will benefit space missions with large telescopes, particularly ones that operate in the shorter-wavelength region (i.e LUVOIR, HabEx). This model can provide the wavelength stability necessary for these larger missions.
NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate in conjunction with JPL awarded Relative Dynamics a Phase II SBIR Award to further develop the next generation of near-earth and deep space Optical Communication Technology. The newly awarded NASA Phase 2 SBIR program will take the SCOUT terminal to the next level of internet-compatible performance- operating with coherent transceivers at 100 Gbps data rates and near-optimum receiver efficiency to realize our goal of enabling worldwide and interplanetary internet access.Relative Dynamics is proud and excited to help further NASA’s deep interest in commercially viable Optical Communication Development and to help fulfill the agency’s vision to leverage industry infrastructure for future communications needs. This award builds on our existing relationship with NASA as well as our focus to help advance technologies here on Earth and beyond.
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