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TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Air Buoyant Vacuum Vessel
Contact and place of performance
Satya Srinivasan
Los Alamos, NM 87545
USA
Aerostat technology is highly sought after by military and law enforcement to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and enhance network communications capabilities in land and sea platforms. Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have developed ultra-strong, ultra-lightweight aerogels to be used in an air-buoyant vacuum vessel (aka a vacuum balloon). This Lab-developed vessel float...
View moreHow it Works:
The Lab’s vacuum vessel technology is based on the surprising discovery that ultra-light weight aerogel and cryogel materials composed mostly of empty space (98% or more) are able to isolate vacuum from atmosphere. This discovery led to the development of high-strength aerogel materials that could be formed into geometries necessary for the construction of vacuum vessels. Vacuum vessels have been produced and tested, demonstrating that they can be manufactured from thin-walled shells of these materials with a variety of geometries (i.e., spherical, cylindrical, torus, close-ended tubulation).
Key Advantages:
Market Applications:
US Patent 11,027,816
LA-UR-25-28003
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact [email protected].
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/tech-and-capability-search
The Department of Energy, through its contractor Triad at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), is offering a technology licensing opportunity for an air-buoyant vacuum vessel under solicitation number S-133529. This special notice seeks to commercialize patented aerogel technology used to create buoyant structures that utilize a vacuum instead of helium or hydrogen. The laboratory intends to move these inventions to the commercial sector through exclusive or non-exclusive licensing agreements or collaborative research. This opportunity is classified under NAICS 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), and PSC AJ13, GENERAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY R&D SVCS; GENERAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT. There is no set-aside (NONE) for this notice.
The vacuum vessel technology is based on high-strength aerogel and cryogel materials composed of 98% or more empty space, allowing them to isolate a vacuum from the atmosphere while withstanding crushing pressure. This material enables the construction of various hollow geometries, including spherical and cylindrical shells, that function as vacuum balloons for weather, blimp, and aerostat applications. By replacing helium, the technology addresses the increasing scarcity and cost of that resource while eliminating the safety risks associated with hydrogen. Key advantages include variable altitude control for weather resilience, reduced operating costs, and a scalable manufacturing process for large-scale airships and persistent surveillance systems.
Performance is located in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the response deadline for interested parties is September 8, 2025. Satya Srinivasan is the designated point of contact for this notice. The technology is intended for use in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, as well as enhancing network communications capabilities on land and sea platforms. This announcement is for the licensing of existing technology and is not a request for external development services.
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