WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded contracts to 382 small business proposals that address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The awards are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program, known as SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, known as STTR.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

The SBIR program selected 350 proposals for negotiation of phase 1 contracts, and the STTR program chose 32 proposals for negotiation of phase 1 contract awards. The selected SBIR projects have a combined value of approximately $35 million. The selected STTR projects have a combined value of approximately $3.2 million.

The SBIR contracts will be awarded to 242 small, high technology firms in 38 states. The STTR contracts will be awarded to 29 small high technology firms in 14 states. As part of the STTR program, the firms will partner with 24 universities and research institutions in 16 states.

The SBIR and STTR programs are managed by the Innovative Partnerships Program Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington, which works with U.S. industry to infuse pioneering technologies into NASA missions and transition them into commercially available products and services.

Results from the program have benefited several NASA efforts, including air traffic control systems, Earth observing spacecraft, the International Space Station and the development of spacecraft for exploring the solar system.

A few of the exciting research areas among this group of selected proposals include:

Aeronautics

* Innovative technologies to improve noise prediction, measurement methods and control for subsonic and supersonic vehicles.

Exploration

* Development of higher performance Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials and integrated entry systems architectures for future exploration missions.

Science

* Development of reusable flight software with common core components and library modules that can be used repeatedly for multiple small satellite missions.

Space Operations

* Technologies and analysis to support the navigation capabilities for planetary spacewalks, manned rovers and lunar surface space suits.

The SBIR program is a highly competitive, three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses - including women-owned and disadvantaged firms - with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government.

The criteria used to choose these winning proposals included technical merit and feasibility; experience, qualifications and facilities; effectiveness of the work plan; and commercial potential and feasibility.

NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., manages the program for the Innovative Partnership Program office. NASA's 10 field centers manage individual projects.

For a list of selected companies and more information about the program, visit:

http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/ti_sbir.htm

SOURCE NASA