On May 6, NUBURU, a leader in high-power, high-brightness industrial blue laser technology, announced that the Company has been awarded an $850,000 Phase II contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") to advance blue laser power delivery technology as a unique solution to dramatically reduce the size and weight of the equipment required for lunar and Martian applications. This contract award is based on NUBURU's successful completion in August 2023 of the Phase I Small Business Innovation Research ("SBIR") program.

NUBURU's Blue Power Transmission technology revolutionizes the way power is transmitted in extreme environments, such as the Moon and Mars, by eliminating the reliance on bulky copper or aluminum wires, making power transmission economical and practical.

This technology not only supports dynamic power distribution for mobile rovers, temporary/permanent camping stations, and remote habitats, but also ensures extremely high electrical transmission efficiency through its unique blue laser architecture that enables a low size, weight, and power (SWaP) design, complemented by clear visibility aids to navigation, highly efficient direct diode technology, and advanced direct bandgap solar cell technology.

The energy of blue light can be concentrated in smaller spots compared to other wavelengths, meaning that blue light lasers can create finer detail.

This technological solution is directly aligned with the mission goals of NASA's Artemis Program, which aims to permanently return humans to the Moon. NASA outlined this need in the Moon to Mars goal in Lunar Infrastructure Goal 1.

In Phase 1, NUBURU has fully demonstrated the scientific, technical and commercial viability of its technology. And in Phase 2, the company plans to further expand the power, range and performance of its blue laser power beam technology, demonstrating it at kilometer ranges with hundreds of watts of power, and plans to extend the range of the technology to tens of kilometers above the lunar surface with next-generation technology.

Brian Knaley, NUBURU's CEO and CFO, said, "This contract award reaffirms the innovative and disruptive nature of NUBURU's blue light power delivery technology. We are on track to revolutionize the power management challenges faced by NASA, other space operators and many commercial enterprises. Our technology is not only applicable to space environments such as the Moon and Mars, but can also be used in a wide range of terrestrial applications such as remote power solutions, disaster relief operations and defense logistics."

He further added, "NUBURU's high-brightness blue laser technology has a wide range of applications in a variety of fields, including industrial, medical, and defense, as well as electric vehicles, consumer electronics, aerospace, and healthcare. We look forward to revolutionizing a wide range of industries with this technology."

NASA's SBIR program is designed to provide financial support for innovative technologies with commercialization potential through three phases of research, development, and demonstration, ultimately leading to the commercialization and deployment of these technologies.NUBURU's award of this Phase II contract is a critical step in the process of commercializing the blue laser power beam technology.

Source: OFweek Laser