IGF::OT::IGF OUR PHASE I RESULTS INCLUDE A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR AN ADVANCED NANOSAT LAUNCH VEHICLE (NLV)…

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IGF::OT::IGF OUR PHASE I RESULTS INCLUDE A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR AN ADVANCED NANOSAT LAUNCH VEHICLE (NLV) UPPER STAGE THAT FEATURES SEVERAL ADVANCED PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES, AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE EMPIRICAL DATA FROM A SERIES OF PATHFINDING OPERATIONS CONDUCTED AT BOTH THE PACIFIC SPACEPORT COMPLEX - ALASKA ON KODIAK ISLAND AND THE POKER FLAT RESEARCH RANGE. FOR PHASE II, WE ARE TAKING MAJOR STEPS, SUCH AS BUILDING A PROTOTYPE UPPER STAGE, STATIC FIRE TESTING IT, AND CONDUCTING ANOTHER ROUND OF PATHFINDING OPERATIONS AT KODIAK IN PURSUIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO MANIFEST SUCH A PROTOTYPE STAGE ON A SUBORBITAL FLIGHT TEST. KEY TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDE LOX/DENSIFIED PROPYLENE PROPULSION SYSTEM, LIQUID ROCKET ENGINE FEATURING A 3D ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED INJECTOR, PYRO-FREE MECHANISMS, AND USE OF ELEMENTS OF NASA'S AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT TERMINATION UNIT. OUR RI - UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS - WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE EVALUATION OF UAS UTILIZATION FOR RANGE SERVICES LIKE TELEMETRY ACQUISITION.