This topic area focuses on the ground segment and how to reduce costs while improving operability. This includes advanced and/or low-cost range concepts. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to include:

• Data collection technologies,
• Air & launch traffic control,
• Sensors for vehicle tracking and characterization,
• Clean pad concepts,
• Vertical versus horizontal integration,
• Innovative ground test methods,
• Technologies that will reduce cost per launch (or re-entry), turn-around time, and overall life cycle cost,
• FAA commercial launch license and (experimental) permit process issues,
• Range utilization of autonomy/automation and/or artificial intelligence to streamline and reduce ground operation costs or timelines, and
• Developments/initiatives to minimize impact of launch (orbital and sub-orbital) and re-entry on other National Airspace (NAS) users.

This topic area addresses emerging materials innovations at lower TRL level (1-3), encompassing both materials science and process development. Topic areas include next generation materials with improved properties, novel materials processing, and integrated computational materials engineering.

• Next Generation Materials – This area focuses on the development of new materials that provide unique combinations of properties and/or demonstrate property retention in extreme environments. This includes multifunctional materials, ceramics, UHTCs, metal alloys, shape memory alloys, composites, high temperature fiber development, power transmission, thermoelectrics, innovative thermal protection materials (ablative and non-ablative), sensor and nanomaterials.
• Novel Materials Processing – This area focuses on novel materials processing methods to improve material properties. Special focus areas include electronic, optical, and structural metamaterials, flash sintering, microwave sintering, and spark plasma sintering (SPS).
• Integrated Computational Materials Engineering – This area focuses on novel approaches to computationally driven materials design, as well as verification of predicted structure/property relationships models to accelerate materials development and lower materials development costs.

This topic covers emerging concepts to permit safe, low-cost, efficient recovery of on-orbit payloads. The emphasis will be on mission need, system description, uniqueness, and roadmap towards developing the capability. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to:

• Reusable upper stages,
• Fairing recovery,
• Unique CONOPS approaches,
• Emerging methods for disposal of on-orbit assets, and
• Recent or near-term flight test activities.

This topic area addresses industry and government propulsion development programs that can support future responsive space access needs. Recommended technology roadmaps and demonstrations are also encouraged. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to:

• Traditional rocket engines and emerging technologies to develop lower cost propulsion solutions for small (<1k lb), medium (1k - 10k lb), and large (10k+ lb) orbital payloads,
• Rocket engines and propulsion technologies that can be used in support of next generation National Security Space Launch (NSSL),
• Reusable boost system architectures,
• Low-cost expendable engines (experimental demonstrators and emerging operational systems),
• Inter-planetary propulsion,
• Emerging nuclear technologies, and
• Propellant development.

This topic area focuses on the development and utilization of ground and flight test capabilities to support material, component, and system development. The renewed interest in hypersonics, as well as space access has resulted in the identification of gaps in the available test and evaluation infrastructure, as well as work force attrition. The Aerospace Community has recognized these gaps and invested funding to improve the test capability and capacity supporting flight and space system development. These investments are focused on risk reduction to ensure technology maturation can be adequately accomplished prior to operational fielding. System component T&E capabilities of interest include seekers, nose tips, leading edges, thermal protection systems, control surfaces, and propulsion systems. Topics covered in this session include test and evaluation capability with respect to:

• Test and evaluation infrastructure modernization and work force development within DoD, Industry, and Academia,
• Simulation of environments to address aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, combined thermostructural, electromagnetic and radiation effects, boundary layer transition, space environments, environmental extremes, and weather encounter, and
• Ground and flight test and evaluation methodologies addressing pretest modeling and simulation, test plan development, test fixture design, instrumentation, test diagnostics, and modeling and simulation validation.

This topic area addresses lessons learned and information gathered from recent flight test experiments on high altitude balloons, sub-orbital rockets, and other relevant platforms. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to include:

• Overview of commercial or government high altitude/sub-orbital platforms,
• Lessons learned on test conduct, safety, and mission performance, and
• Capabilities for future test and upgrades.

This topic addresses hypersonic systems and requirements, component testing; leading edges and nose tips; acreage TPS and hot structures; and windows/apertures. Abstracts may cover analysis, materials, processing, manufacturing, and testing.

This topic covers innovative test methodologies and platforms to mature small-sat and vehicle technologies in flight. Emphasis will be on the test and demonstration capabilities of test platforms to improve technology readiness levels (TRLs) of systems and components that may be useful to future satellites, launch vehicles, and upper stages such as guidance, communication, and propulsion in relevant environment. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to:

• Test platform descriptions,
• Payloads preparation and integration methods,
• Results from previous flight tests,
• Payload recovery methods, and
• Approaches to increase flight cadence.

This topic area will address current use and perspectives of IVHM/ISHM as an integral part of space systems. Applications will include, but are not limited to, solid motor, liquid rocket, hypersonic, nuclear, and electric propulsion. Please consider proposing an abstract which addresses one of the following IVHM/ISHM topics:

• Additive manufacturing technologies for enabling IVHM/ISHM,
• Business cases for IVHM/ISHM,
• Recent IVHM/ISHM application success stories,
• Sensor suite optimization for enabling IVHM/ISHM, and
• Solutions for closing IVHM/ISHM requirement gaps.

The topic area is focused on addressing material technology development and transition for Missiles and Missile Defense applications, including the new area of interest in Hypersonic Defense. Topics include characterization of material/component (excluding propellant) performance, properties, analysis, and material producibility; ground- and flight-test materials evaluations; material manufacturing advancements; and innovative techniques. Of interest are program and system overviews with pertinent materials issues, and updates related to current missile programs.

This topic area addresses key materials technologies, requirements, novel designs, or materials innovations for current and future space missions/operations and planetary exploration including:

• Lunar Missions (Commercial Lunar Payload Services, Human Landing Systems): Technology developments in robotics missions, landing and redeployment, space suits, and studies with regolith or simulated environmental hazards,
• In-space assembly of telescopes and satellites,
• Environmental Effects and Sensing: Radiation, atomic oxygen (MISSE), and high and cryogenic temperature testing,
• Contamination Concerns: Outgassing, photopolymerization, effects on thermal and optical properties, and regolith,
• Smallsat and cubesat materials, missions and packaging,
• New developments in flight materials: nanomaterials, additively manufactured hardware and satellite materials,
• Modeling of structural and thermal applications, and
• Laser applications, LIDAR, and associated materials testing.

This topic area will cover concepts and/or progress in developing low cost (or lower cost) subsystems, systems or architectures that will help increase safety and/or flight rate of launch (orbital and sub-orbital), and future “commercial aircraft like” re-entry. Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to:

• Non-toxic propellants/monopropellants,
• Minimization of launch and re-entry noise,
• Improved noise modeling of launch and re-entry operations,
• Subsystem and vehicle integrated health management systems,
• Associated sensors for severe environments,
• Increased reliability and public safety, and
• Safety of crew and other occupants for manned vehicles.

This topic includes existing and emerging platforms for delivering small payloads and experiments into their desired location (high altitude, sub-orbital, or orbital environments). Abstracts are encouraged but not limited to:

• Near term capabilities in development for delivering payloads up to 1000 lbs into the desired environment for less than $5M per launch,
• Requirements and understanding of projected payloads, orbits, and capabilities of emerging systems including associated technical challenges and timelines, and
• Government practices, programs, and technologies which potentially benefit the emerging sub-orbital and small launch industry.

This topic area addresses space access, satellite systems, and propulsion to address system level advancement, and critical materials and processing technologies enabling access to space, including single use or reusable crewed and robotic launch and orbital boost systems. Of particular interest this year, is commercial space development efforts applied to government requirements and needs with a focus on modularity and agility. Additional topics of interest include innovative vehicle concepts and designs, structures and designs, materials and processes, and manufacturing fabrication concepts for:

• Launch vehicle and in-space propulsion system structures,
• Engine systems,
• Solid and liquid rocket boosters,
• Nuclear thermal/electric propulsion,
• Propellant tanks,
• Thermal management/protection systems, and
• Pressure gain propulsion.