TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tulsa-based manufacturing company Infinite Composites Technologies (ICT), in collaboration with Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, was announced as one of 363 proposals selected by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), securing Oklahoma’s only NASA SBIR contract this year.
Small Business Innovative Research grants, also known as SBIRs, are a highly competitive funding source the government uses to advance the country's research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The proposal was awarded under the NASA Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) program. The proposal, titled: MISSE Experiments for Evaluation of Reliability of Cryogenic Tank Systems and Materials, will test ICT’s materials for cryogenic tanks outside the International Space Station (ISS) against the harsh environment of space. The intent of the program is to evaluate the performance, stability, and long-term survivability of materials and components planned for long-duration space missions. ICT will partner with Dr. Eric Benton and Dr. Ranji Vaidyanathan from Oklahoma State University to model the material response to radiation and to test them before and after exposure to galactic cosmic radiation or GCR.
“This grant will serve to validate the ICT composite pressure vessel materials' ability to withstand GCR, which deteriorates many plastics, composites, and coatings,” said Matt Villarreal, ICT’s co-founder, and CEO. “Our goal is to validate the survivability of our materials in harsh space environments, with the ultimate goal to provide light-weight pressure vessels for NASA programs, commercial companies, and the Department of Defense. This research will provide more confidence in our technology to meet missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), synchronous orbit, as well as interplanetary space missions.”
Since its founding in 2010, Infinite Composites has been advancing the abilities of its all-composite pressure vessels through grants from federal, state and private opportunities such as this NASA contract, along with support from angel investment capital, and customers within the space launch and satellite industry.
“The award is a major win for both the company as well as the state of Oklahoma. These SBIR contracts are highly competitive and can lead to major opportunities for advancing technologies as well as sales within the government,” said Michael Tate, co-founder, and Chief Operations Officer.
Infinite Composites Technologies (ICT)
Founded in 2010, Infinite Composites Technologies is the only linerless, composite pressure vessel manufacturer that is AS9100D & ISO 9001:2015 certified to design, develop and manufacture advanced gas storage systems. The company’s simplified all-composite design provides an optimal solution for storing compressed and cryogenic fluids by reducing mass, cost, and lead time versus traditional spacecraft pressure vessels. For more information visit https://infinitecomposites.com or call 918-409-0384.
