Advanced Systems Technologies

Mission

The mission of the Advanced Systems Technologies Area is to develop broad classes of technologies within the "system" context. These include multifunctional materials systems for aerospace vehicles, munitions, and projectiles including energetic composites and reactive metal matrix composites, biomimetic sensors, collaborative robotics, advanced antennas, and alternative energy generation for power and propulsion.

Space Active Modular Materials Experiments (SAMMES) instrumentation, consists of several modular sensors and compact, low-power sensor/electronics modules that measure various components of the space/spacecraft environment.

Core Competencies

Core Competencies include chemistry of propellants and explosives, formulation and testing of energetic materials, spacecraft bus technologies, space systems design, electro-magnetics, optical systems design, biomimetic optical sensors and processing.

Current Research Thrusts Include:

  • New Ionic Salts for Green, Insensitive Propellants:

  • - Sponsor: ARL

    - Objective: Develop new class of energetic ingredients for insensitive, green explosives and propellants.

  • Composite Cases for Solid Rocket Insensitive Munitions

  • - Sponsor: MDA

    - Objective: Develop reactive composite materials to mitigate slow cook-off of solid rocket motors used in missiles, munitions, and projectiles.

  • On-orbit Assembly of a Universally Interlocking Modular Spacecraft

  • - Sponsor: NASA MSFC

    - Objective: Develop intelligent interconnect for assembly of autonomous systems in space.

  • Rapid Road Edge Detection Based on Biomimetic Image Processing

  • - Sponsor: TARDEC

    - Objective: Develop automated road edge detection and roll-over prevention system for army vehicles.

  • Advanced Antenna Systems

  • - Sponsors: NSF, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy

    - Objective: Develop compact broadband antennas for various applications.

Area Leadership

The Advanced Systems Technology Area is led by Dr. Prakash B. Joshi who has over 25 years of experience in aerodynamics, space technologies, space instrumentation development, space experiments, and multifunctional composites.

Prakash Joshi

Dr. Prakash Joshi



Contact

Prakash B. Joshi
Physical Sciences Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077

Telephone: (978) 689-0003
Fax: (978) 689-3232
joshi@psicorp.com