Cooler for Space-Based Storage of Low-Temperature Cryogens

"The Air Force requires the capability to provide cryogenic cooling of electronics, focal plane arrays, and cryogenic fluids for long term (over five year) space missions. In Phase II, we propose to continue developing enabling technology for long-termspace-based low-temperature (<35K) cooling. We propose to continue developing a compact and lightweight cooler that operates efficiently at cold temperatures. Our cooler will efficiently cool at low temperatures, so the required power input to our coolerwill be small, and the entire system (including solar panels) will be compact and lightweight. In Phase I, we are demonstrating the operation of a breadboard cooler. In Phase II, we will upgrade our Phase I breadboard cooler design, and we will build,test, and deliver to the AFRL an engineering development model (EDM) cooler. We will develop the mechanical cooler, but we will continue to use breadboard electronics. In option tasks and Phase III, we will design, build, and sell our cooler for manyapplications in the Federal Government and the private sector, and we will license our cooler technology to other companies."