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High-performance polarimetric and nonpolarimetric sensing is crucial to upcoming NASA missions, including ACE and CLARREO and the multi-agency VIIRS NPP project. The objective of the proposed project is to use plasmonic/photonic hybrid crystals to develop multiwavelength polarimetric focal plane arrays (FPAs) that exceed performance requirements for ACE and CLARREO, while reducing costs through component integration. Plasmonic/photonic hybrid crystal films are an enabling technology and can be used to develop high spectral resolution, low crosstalk components for other NASA missions, such as GEO-CAPE, as well as transparent metal contacts for high-efficiency sensors and solar cells, Additionally, hybrid crystals eliminate several problems, such as diffraction, light scattering, moving parts, and the need to dice/bond components. This project will use recent discoveries in Plasmonic and Photonic Crystals research that allow for polarimetric control of the flow and super focusing/beaming of light, concepts that have been analytically and experimentally verified. The polarimetric control of the flow of light allows the development of devices that separate polarization components of an incident beam and detect the separate components in the same or different pixels of a FPA. The hybrid crystals can play several roles, including polarization splitter/filters, antireflection coatings, superfocusing elements and electrical contacts.

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In many situations, aerospace structures are subjected to a wide frequency spectrum of mechanical and/or acoustic excitations and therefore, there is a need for the development of numerical modeling techniques that are applicable for the resolution of dynamic response of complex systems spanning the entire frequency spectrum. However, the dynamic behavior of these structures at different frequency range is governed by different phenomena and as a result, a single numerical solution procedure is not suitable for the resolution of the entire frequency spectrum. Thus, on the basis of the numerical modeling techniques, the frequency spectrum is typically divided into three regions; low frequency region, mid-frequency region and high frequency region. The low frequency region is the frequency range where the characteristic dimensions of all component members of a vibroacoustic system are short with respect to wavelengths and these members are also referred to as 'short' members. On the other hand, in the high frequency region, the characteristic dimensions of all component members are long with respect to wavelengths and these members are referred to as 'long' members. There exists a broad mid frequency region in which not only some components are long and others are short with respect to wavelengths The proposal is directed towards the development of an innovative hybrid element method by coupling deterministic, transition and statistical Finite Element Methods to yield a solution system that is applicable for the solution of full frequency spectrum vibroacoustic prediction of nonuniform aerospace structures including metallic/composite configurations, accurately and efficiently.

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Broadband fan noise ? closely tied to turbulent flow on and around the fan blades ? represents a key challenge to the noise reduction community due to the interaction of a highly turbulent flow field with complex, moving geometries. Prediction and high-fidelity simulation of fan noise demands a fundamental innovation in CFD methods due to moving geometries and accuracy requirements. The objective this work is to develop a flexible approach to handling multiple, overset grids for use in simulations of turbomachinery. In Phase 1 we will develop an innovative computational software tool for efficiently managing multiple, overlapping structured meshes in relative motion. This application will be used concurrently with a compressible Navier-Stokes solver and is an enabling technology in enabling high-fidelity simulations of turbulent flows in complex, moving geometries. Phase 1 will demonstrate software feasibility using a simplified model of the NASA Glenn Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) fan at realistic take-off conditions. We propose a simulation that includes a moving "rotor" blade row adjacent to a static blade row. Tailored post-processing of simulation results will provide information on the turbulent flow ? and implied turbulent noise sources ? including unsteady blade surface pressures, acoustic modes, and overall radiated noise. In Phase 2 we focus primarily on broadband turbulent noise sources of modern turbofan engines. By utilizing a realistic NASA SDT fan geometry and take-off flow conditions, we will use our new tools to simulate real-world systems and commercialize our software product.

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Access to space for Small Satellites is enabled by the use of excess launch capacity on existing launch vehicles. A range of sizes, form factors and masses need to be accommodated. An integration process that minimizes programmatic/technical risk to the primary, allows "late flow" integration and predictable cost/schedule for the secondary enables regular and cost-effective access. The integration process proceeds smoothly when the right adapters accommodates the secondary in a seamless way. Design_Net has developed and flown a RideShare Adapter (RSA) for FALCON class vehicles that meets these requirements. We are currently working with United Launch Alliance (ULA) for a broader class of rideshare accommodations, upgrades to capability of the ESPA and development of interfaces that allow late access. Based on this experience Design_Net will continue, via this SBIR, to develop appropriate adapters for other types of secondary payloads on other launch vehicles. Phase 1 will see preliminary design of another adapter for intermediate size small sats (larger than "cubesats" but smaller than ESPA) for a selected launch vehicle. During Phase 2 we will develop and qualify the selected adapter design to TRL 8.

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Radiation-cooled, bipropellant thrusters are being considered for the Ascent Module main engine of the Altair Lunar Lander. Currently, iridium-lined rhenium combustion chambers are the state-of-the-art for radiatively cooled thrusters. To increase the performance of radiation-cooled engines, improved chamber materials are being developed that will allow higher operating temperatures, better resistance to oxidation, and reduce mass. In an effort to increase performance, hafnium oxide thermal barrier coatings and improved iridium liners have been developed, and hot-fire tests of rhenium chambers with these improvements have shown higher operating temperatures, i.e., >200<SUP>o</SUP>C increase, are possible. To reduce engine mass, recent efforts have focused on the development of carbon-carbon composites. Replacement of a rhenium structural wall with carbon-carbon could result in a mass savings of >600%. During this effort, an innovative composite thrust chamber will be developed that will incorporate advanced hafnium oxide and iridium liner techniques as well as replacing the expensive, high density rhenium with a low mass carbon-carbon composite. As a result of this investigation, an advanced composite thrust chamber with improved performance capability and reduced mass will be produced. During Phase II, the fabrication methods will be optimized and a full-size Ascent Module chamber will be produced and hot-fire tested.

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Air-Lock, Incorporated is proposing to design fully sealed shoulder and arm bearings with interchangeable bearing housings. The interchangeable housings shall be utilized in trade studies to determine the optimal bearing profile and weight relative to the shoulder and arm position. It is assumed that the next generation of NASA pressure suits will require the crewmember to utilize their suit in both the pressurized and unpressurized mode. Historic, key design drivers have always been suited comfort in the unpressurized mode and suit mobility in the pressurized mode. As a minimum, bearings will be needed at the shoulder, bicep, and wrist to satisfy pressurized mobility requirements. To placate unpressurized comfort, the optimal bearing design shall be lightweight and low profile; often conflicting characteristics in bearing design. This SBIR proposal will provide NASA with a bearing design that facilitates quick trade studies to determine the optimal bearing profile and weight.

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MARK Resources proposes to develop a method for combining a set of distributed FRPAs into a network that provides high GPS anti-jam/interference capability. Like a CRPA, the number of jammers that the proposed system can suppress is one less than the number of elements. In contrast to a CRPA, the individual elements of the proposed system need not be precisely located relative to one another. The proposed system is compatible with any GPS antennas and receiver hardware, operates on the C/A code, and has a small processing load. The suppression of the jammers and interference creates slightly delayed copies of the code from each satellite. Because the delays are known and small, any degradation in the accuracy of derived antenna positions (relative to that without jamming and interference) should also be small, without any consequence on range safety. The proposed program will quantify the accuracy achievable in individual position measurements, and the utility of combining the measured positions of multiple antennas for purposes of antenna pointing, docking maneuvers, and attitude determination. In order to transition the proposed technology to NASA, the DoD, and commercial markets, we plan to team with The Boeing Company in Phase II and beyond.

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NASA plans to produce cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen to power regenerative fuel cells for lunar surface exploration. The oxygen and hydrogen will be produced by electrolysis of water from In Situ Resource Utilization reactors. The electrolysis products will be warm high-pressure gases, requiring significant cryocooler power to achieve the desired storage conditions. This power can be reduced by expanding the gases adiabatically from the electrolysis pressure to storage pressure. We propose to develop innovative turboalternators to maximize this effect and convert the extracted fluid power into useful electric power. Small flow rates and high fluid densities require turbine rotors that are extremely small and operate at high speeds. Cryogenic gas bearings and miniature rotor fabrication techniques are key features that create high efficiency in our approach. The gas bearings also enable reliable, long-life, maintenance-free operation. The proposed development will leverage decades of Creare experience with cryogenic gas-bearing turbomachines. In Phase I, we will develop optimized turboalternator designs by conducting trade studies, specifying design details, analyzing performance, and demonstrating bearing operation with two-phase rotor flow. During Phase II, we will fabricate a prototype turboalternator and measure its performance at representative operating conditions.

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In support of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NanoSonic would optimize our moisture-resistant aerospace adhesives with in-situ corrosion mitigating surface treatments to improve aviation safety by reducing durability related hazards on subsonic commercial aircraft. NanoSonic specializes in the production of advanced, non-commodity resins as adhesive, sealant, and novel coupling agents. One aspect of our synthetic method involves the systematic replacement of nonpolar groups along well defined polymer backbones with sidechain chemical moieties capable of complexing with metals, hence significantly increasing adhesion to metal or composites relative to nonpolar resins. Synthetically engineered hybrid copolymers allow the inherently hydrophobic backbone to mitigate moisture ingress, while the tailored sidechain moieties offer adhesion orders of magnitude greater than unmodified commodity resins. NanoSonic also tailors the number and type of crosslinking sites available to minimize CTE, while maximizing the mechanical properties and cohesive strength to prevent catastrophic disbonding from aircraft adherend. The specialty adhesives are available in 1-55 gallon drum quantities. Down-selected adhesives and coupling agents shall be tested under harsh thermal (-90:F to 800:F) and environmental conditions and in a wind tunnel (subsonic, Mach <1) along-side state-of-the-art structural aerospace adhesives to increase the TRL from 4 to 6 during Phase I.

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We propose a concentrated photovoltaic electric power system for lunar operations called C-Lite Lunar. The novel technology produces a near-term solar array system that provides substantially improved performance in terms of high specific power (>600 W/kg BOL, 10X lighter than rigid arrays), lightweight, high deployed stiffness (5X stiffer than rigid arrays), high deployed strength, compact stowage volume (>1,000 kW/m3 BOL, 30X more compact stowage than rigid arrays), affordability, and rapid commercial readiness. The proposed effort will provide a disruptively positive performance impact to the end-user, and allow for the rapid insertion of this mission-enabling technology for future applications.

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As NASA designs and develops the next generation of scientific and space exploration vehicles and missions, there is a growing need for a robust, flexible, and easy-to-use software framework that NASA engineers can use to rapidly analyze, design, simulate, and evaluate competing vehicle and mission concepts. This need is particularly acute for small satellite design missions (such as Low-Cost Small Spacecraft and Technologies Missions) and other missions with small budgets and cost margins. In this project, Phoenix Integration will develop a software framework for flexibly meeting these needs. Working within the framework, NASA engineers will be able to flexibly assemble mission simulation models by choosing components from a custom library of reusable analysis modules. Once the system models are created, the framework will be capable of automatically executing these models, seamlessly transferring data from analysis to analysis as required. Mechanisms will be provided in the user interface that will allow engineers to archive important models, designs, data, and meta-data in an "Analysis Library" during the design process. This Analysis Library will be fully indexed and searchable, and will serve as a central information repository for facilitating communication and collaboration between team members, preserving important models, data, and knowledge for future reuse, and helping to capture design knowledge and document the decision making process.

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Busek Co. Inc. proposes to develop/design an integrated propulsion, power, ACS, and separation module for secondary ESPA payloads. The standardized secondary payload orbit maneuvering system (OMS) will have; 1) 200 W or 600 W Hall effect thruster system for primary propulsion, 2) Xe cold gas thrusters for propulsive ACS, 3) solar array, batteries and power conditioning with steady state power of !V230/680W and 4) an integral structure that supports the payload and a LightBand separation mechanism for the ESPA ring. The proposed system architecture is based upon an EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA). Because the ESPA OMS has power, avionics, and propulsion, it is a free flying spacecraft capable of delivering payloads to disparate altitudes and inclinations. In Phase I, Busek will design an OMS to meet NASA mission needs including deploying large numbers of micro satellites and CubeSats. Preliminary analysis suggests the each secondary OMS can provide 780 m/sec delta velocity to a 125 kg payload. A key Phase I activity will be a prototypical orbital deployers adapter for clusters of CubeSat. With this adapter, the system could deliver large numbers of CubeSats to discrete, pre-defined orbits. Phase II products will include a clustering adapter ready to fly in 2010, along with the OMS propulsion system.

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Inherently Stiff Membranes with Shape Memory Project

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This proposal enables development a miniature, low power consumption, fused deep UV Raman and native fluorescence (DUV-RF) stand-off sensor. The proposed fused instrument has the ability to measure the spatial distribution of chemical species containing C, N, H, O, S, Cl, and/or water, ice, and hydrated minerals on a 1-5 mm spatial scale enabled by a novel set of wide aperture, high sensitivity ultraminiature deep UV Raman spectrometers. Raman spectroscopy is a non-contact, non-destructive, method of identifying unknown materials without the need for sample acquisition and processing. This technique is ideal for in situ exploration from extraterrestrial Rovers or landers. There are three main advantages of deep UV Raman methods over near-UV, visible or near-IR counterparts. 1) Rayleigh-law: signal enhancement of 20x at 248nm compared to excitation at 532nm. 2) Resonance: much higher signal enhancements; for water 5 times greater than Rayleigh-law enhancement alone, for a combined effect over 120x between 248 nm and 532 nm. 3) With excitation below 250nm, Raman scattering bands occur in a fluorescence-free region of the spectrum. At longer excitation wavelengths fluorescence from target or surrounding materials overwhelm Raman emissions and require gating with high power lasers with narrow pulse widths leading to sample alteration/damage. When deep UV Raman is combined with native fluorescence, it becomes possible to characterize mineral alterations and detect trapped chemicals with exquisite sensitivity and differentiability. The New Frontiers has placed a South pole-Aitken Basin sample return as a future mission scenario. Using the enhanced detection capabilities of DUV-RF, water, ice and chemical species can be detected and mapped to provide an understanding of their distribution in the lunar regolith.

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Eltron Research & Development proposes the development of a lightweight, battery-powered instrument for accurately and rapidly monitoring the local concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. In our Phase I program, an advanced CO2 analyzer will be developed with a novel optical sensor employing a sample concentrator in conjunction with single-beam, dual-wavelength infrared measurements. The proposed monitor will utilize a thin, IR transparent film to selectively and reversibly concentrate CO2 for enhanced detection. The film's high partitioning coefficient will enable a short pathlength and low power requirements while achieving the accuracy, response time, and detection limits necessary for airborne atmospheric monitoring. Phase I of this project will accomplish evaluation of a breadboard system in the laboratory; we anticipate a TRL of 4 by the end of Phase I. By the end of the Phase II program, a prototype instrument will be built with 10.1 ppm resolution in a background of ca. 385 ppm, <10 s response time, 800 mW power requirements, and 250 g total weight. The CO2 analyzer, which will be of reduced size and significantly more cost-effeective than the current state-of-the-art, will be suitable for use on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and balloon platforms.

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A fiber-based fixed-array laser transmitter can be combined with a fiber-arrayed detector to create the next-generation NASA array LIDAR systems. High speed optical fiber multiplexers allow array LIDAR systems to efficiently share the same laser source. Boston Applied Technologies, Inc. (BATi) propose to develop an electrically switched, OptoCeramic<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <sup>REG</sup> based switch/multiplexer for 200micron core multimode fiber. OptoCeramic<sup>REG</sup> is the state-of-art electro optic material with high electro-optic coefficient, fast response speed and low loss. The innovative optical designs direct the laser into one of many possible output fibers. The main features of proposed high speed fiber multiplexer include ultra-high switching speed, low insertion loss, low power consumption, high power handling capability, compact packaging and scalability.

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Resilient Space-Qualified Non-Destructive Evaluation Miniature System by Microma Project

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Execution and monitoring of command plans are central for spacecraft operations. Diverse execution engines and languages exist to define such command plans. Language dependent development tools have been created for such languages. However, there is not a reusable framework and code base that can be used to create such automation tools even thought there are many commonalties in the functionality and form of such tools. As a consequence, existing automation tools cannot be easily adapted across missions or languages. We proposed the development of an authoring and debugging framework for the definition of spacecraft operation plans. The framework provides a reusable code base that facilitates the creation of authoring and debugging tools tailored to a particular language and particular user type. Traditional text based authoring will be complemented with graphical representations of plans that provide friendly abstractions of a language's low level execution details. Traditional in-line debugging techniques will be enhanced with context-based visual debugging techniques suitable to understand the rationale of why a plan or rule has been applied and the interactions between different plans running in parallel. The Phase I prototype will illustrate the utility of the proposed framework by developing editors and debuggers for PLEXIL and SCL.

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Qualtech Systems Inc. (QSI) proposes to develop a well defined process for integration of distributed diagnostic schemes. The process includes a set of guidelines to build component diagnostic models/schemes that will undergo integration and an automated/semi-automated tool that will assess the diagnostic efficacy of the integrated scheme so as to suggest modification/redesign of the component diagnostic schemes. Parametric and functional dependencies will be the prime criteria in devising the integration process, while measures of diagnosability (e.g., ambiguity, fault masking, etc) will determine the modification/redesign directives.

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Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a silicon whisker and carbon nanofiber composite anode for lithium ion batteries on a Phase I program. This anode provides high capacity, high power, and improved cycle life at a competitive cost. Silicon is low cost and has a theoretical capacity of 4200 mAh/g but it has a limited cycle life. The nanocomposite design provides a synergistic improvement in reversible capacity and electrochemical cycling as a result of the unique silicon architecture and structural reinforcement provided by the nanofibers. In the Phase I program, PSI will demonstrate a technology readiness level of 3 with an anode capacity of greater than 1000 mAh/g for over 100 cycles (100% depth-of-discharge) using 2 mAh cells. These performance goals will result in an overall battery energy density of greater than 300 Wh/kg. In the Phase II program, PSI will increase cell size to 2500 mAh and optimize cell design to further improve cycle life.

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NASA's plans for a lunar habitation outpost call out for process technologies to separate hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide gases from regolith product gas streams. A low-pressure drop separation unit is needed to remove these sulfur compounds from regolith process streams that is compact and lightweight. To this end, Reactive Innovations, LLC proposes to develop an electrochemical reactive-separation unit to selectively bind and remove the sulfur compounds into a separated stream of sulfur-based compounds. During the Phase I program, we will develop and demonstrate an electrochemical reactive-separation platform that binds sulfur compounds via a charge transfer process to a redox carrier that is subsequently transported across a membrane separator releasing the sulfur components. In this effort, we will demonstrate the redox carrier for binding and releasing sulfur components, develop and assess electrodes that are corrosion resistant to the sulfur compounds, and culminate with a prototype reactive-separator unit design and evaluation for removing sulfur components from regolith streams. By the end of the Phase I effort, this lunar regolith reactive-separator unit will be at a Technology Readiness Level of 3 with a Phase II program delivering an operational reactive-separator at a TRL of 4-5.

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The proposed innovation is a static, cathode-fed, 2000 psi, balanced-pressure Advanced Cathode Electrolyzer (ACE) based on PEM electrolysis technology. It electrolyzes water vapor supplied to the hydrogen-evolving electrode and eliminates the need to circulate hydrogen and water on the cathode side of the cell. Innovations include the application of Infinity proprietary cell sealing technology to electrolysis to minimize high-pressure seals and the use of innovative passive current-control techniques to eliminate potential hydrogen gas in feedwater chambers. ACE produces hydrogen and oxygen that is free of liquid water droplets without using dynamic product gas/liquid water phase separation and/or other motorized equipment.

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Flow control is critical to the effective operation of space vehicles where high velocities must be achieved with minimum power consumption. Recent studies at Princeton have demonstrated the utility of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for aerodynamic control. Nanosecond pulse sustained DC driven DBDs are predicted to have much higher flow velocities than conventional control systems. Our initial work in the area discovered that these devices produce charge build-up on pulse sustained DC driven DBDs which has hindered the realization of this prediction. If the charge build-up can be minimized, the DC driven DBDs have the potential for higher flow control efficiency than previously attainable with either AC or DC driven DBDs in laboratory experiments. The proposed research will develop integrated surface structures that simultaneously optimize the DBD performance to take advantage of the pulse or RF sustained DC bias approach while suppressing the surface charge build up. This success of this project will be critical for the development of a practical DBD actuator that can be implemented as a control device.

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Modern aircraft increasingly rely on composite components, due to their excellent material properties. However, fastening/joining and design methodologies in current use are artifacts of metallic aircraft component use and are not yet optimized for use with composites. Furthermore, limitations in our current ability to observe manufacturing quality and in-service damage evolution of composite structures may prevent designers from realizing their full potential. Current NDE practices are incapable of overcoming these limitations. Thus, a new framework and methodology is needed for high resolution imaging and tracking of manufacturing quality and damage evolution. The goal of this program is to enable assessment of the matrix, fiber, and bonding conditions for composites using a combination of detailed physics based models, high resolution imaging, and controlled loading sources to isolate the composite characteristic of interest. In Phase I we will focus on magnetic field sensing (i.e., eddy-current) methods that can be combined with structural analysis to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of these NDE methods. JENTEK and MR&D are well-positioned to deliver this methodology in the form of commercial software and NDE equipment. We will also work with a major aircraft OEM to maintain our focus on practical solutions to high priority needs.

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This project will develop a practical method for predicting pattern roughness onset and quantitative effects on heat and mass transfer rates for heatshield materials such as Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) and environments such as those anticipated for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Surface roughness patterns (e.g., scallops, crosshatching) form on many materials ablating under turbulent flow conditions. Equivalent sand grain roughness models are inaccurate and inappropriate for calculating Stanton numbers. In Phase I, we will develop a near-term method based on pattern roughness data, observations, and models from diverse fields. This method may predict Stanton number increases directly from material and aerothermal environment information instead of sequentially predicting pattern dimensions, equivalent roughness height, and Stanton number effects. We will also plan a more rigorous longer-term model and validation tests to be implemented in Phase II.