Description: Space Micro and its partner research institution, the University of Arizona bring together innovations in channelization and network protocol development. Together, these innovations will provide improved hopping radios (with digital, rapidly reconfigurable implementation, wider bandwidth and reduced overhead penalty for hopping) and improved spectrum and link quality sensing. We will demonstrate how these improvements provide the basis for links and networks that rapidly adapt. During phase 1, we will prove the feasibility of our approach and quantify the potential improvements in throughput and robustness of the link. We anticipate that adaptively changing the center frequency, hopping pattern, modulation and data rate will lead to doubling of the energy efficiency of data downlink for nominal conditions by keeping the link margin relatively constant. We anticipate much larger improvements for conditions with severe interference due to increased communications opportunities. Space Micro has already developed unique and critically important technologies that solve many of these challenges. Space Micro's advanced software defined radio, which we call the Agile Space Radio (ASR) is capable of adjusting its transmitter's data rate, modulation type and center frequency on the fly. Moreover, it is capable of advanced spectrum sensing to support its situational awareness over the entire accessible bandwidth, currently configured to the entire STDN band. This software-defined platform is used as a multi-band, multi-waveform transponder. We propose to demonstrate the concepts described in this proposal using the ASR. We propose to market the end product as an ASR feature set, though it may be possible to also use the concepts/end products on other SDRs.

Benefits: Virtually all NASA space programs have a demand for this technology and resulting space qualified product. NASA applications range from science missions, space station, earth sensing missions e.g. (EOS), and deep space missions. This device will enable improved docking, proximity operations, and landing missions. NASA programs/missions that will benefit include new lunar landers and orbiters, Mars missions (MAVEN), solar system exploration e.g. (Titan, Juno, Europa, comet nucleus return, New Discovery, and Living with a Star (LWS). NASA programs which hopefully will continue to be funded by Congress include the next generation heavy launch vehicle called SLS, the Orion Multipurpose Crew Exploration Vehicle, Commercial Crew Development Vehicle (CCDev2) and Commercial Orbiter Transportation Service (COTS) will benefit. Space products evolving from this SBIR , and marketed by Space Micro, would have been enabling for NASA programs such as RBSP, GRAIL, LADEE, IRIS, Dawn, SDO, Aquarius, Kepler, Ocean Vector Winds, and space interferometry (SIR). New future missions which hopefully will be funded include BARREL, CLARREO, GEMS, solar orbiter, Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return mission, Solar Probe Plus, and ILN.

This technology and evolving Space Micro products will also benefit many commercial space platforms, both LEO and GEO telecommunication satellites, such as Intelsat, Direct TV, XM radio, Orbcomm, and Iridium Next telecom constellation replenishment, plus standard industry busses including Lockheed's A2100, SSL LC-1300, ATK200-700, and Boeing's HS-702. Civil earth sensing applications such as weather/metrology applications e.g. (NOAA GOES and Landsat) can also benefit. The large DoD space industry, including USAF, MDA, NRO, and new Army nanosat programs at SMDC will directly benefit. Among these programs are AEHF upgrades, GPS follow-ons, MDA's STSS and PTSS, USAF TacSat family, EAGLE, Plug and Play (PnP) sats, Operationally Responsive Space (ORS), and Army SMDC nanosat family e.g. (Kestrel Eye). The entire CubeSat initiative including NRO's Colony program would benefit. This technology and space product will also address emerging MDA interceptor missile radiation threats. These programs include CKV, AKV, THAAD, AEGIS, MKV, and GMD for Blocks 2018 and beyond. Other military applications may include strategic missiles (Trident D5 and Air Force Minuteman and MX upgrades).