Technology Benefits: Program Benefits Overview / Maturations
Above : Geographic distribution of benefits from the astrophysics technology development.
Signal types addressed by current projects include electromagnetic waves across the spectrum from X-rays to sub-mm. Since future exoplanet observatories are expected to observe across the UV/Optical/IR (UVOIR) spectrum, exoplanet-science-driven projects are deemed here to address that broad band. Projects affecting more than one signal type are assigned to the signal type most affected.
Technology areas funded include detectors, coronagraphs, optics, electronics, optical coatings, starshades, and more with over 73% of projects pursuing detectors, coronagraphs, and optics.
Nearly all current projects support at least one strategic mission *, and many support several; therefore the total of mission-support lines is higher than 53.
* Strategic astrophysics missions are usually large, multi-purpose observatories that NASA Astrophysics is developing, participating in, or interested in, to respond to high-priority science questions or mandates. These missions are generally assigned to a NASA center to implement, with science instruments and platform components selected through open competition.
The SAT program matures technologies across the mid-TRL gap, so they can be infused into strategic missions and/or enable international collaboration on projects relevant to Program goals. These technologies are also available for infusion into Explorers, suborbital missions, and ground-based experiments.
Most PIs leverage SAT funding to generate matching internal R&D funding; fellowships; contributed labor, parts, and/or infrastructure funding; industry contracts; Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants; and/or funded parallel efforts on related projects.
Most of our technology development PIs hire students and postdocs, on average three or four per project, totaling over 150 to date. This helps train the future astrophysics workforce. As can be seen in the quotes, the Program is making a deep impact on these future technologists, and through them promotes astrophysics missions over many decades to come.
Above : Students and post-doctoral fellows involved in SAT projects, in their own words.
