Purdue University¶
SST org page for Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Single-PI institution: all SST and FO projects led by Alina Alexeenko.
Last updated: 2026-04-14 (session 18)
SST Footprint¶
| Project | Period | TRL | Lead Org | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91370 FEMTA — Film-Evaporation MEMS Propulsion | 2013–2016 | 3→5 | GSFC (Alexeenko PI) | no-visible-outcome |
| 91591 MEMS Picosat RCS beyond LEO | 2015–2017 | 4→6 | Purdue | no-visible-outcome |
| 95540 Distributed Attitude Control for Deep Space | 2018–2020 | 5→6 | Purdue | no-visible-outcome |
Three consecutive SST awards over 7 years, all advancing the same FEMTA water-propulsion concept. Each builds on the last: [91370] proved the concept at GSFC (TRL 3→5), [91591] integrated into a 1U CubeSat prototype (TRL 4→6), [95540] extended to deep-space attitude/thermal control (TRL 5→6). Monotonic TRL climb: 3→5→6→6.
The Technology: FEMTA¶
Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array — a micropropulsion system using deionized water as propellant.
- Mechanism: Thermally controlled microcapillaries (~10 µm diameter) exploit surface tension to hold water in place; heaters create vapor thrust. Under 0.1 W power. Less than 0.1U total volume.
- Performance: 230 µN/W thrust-to-power ratio. 180° rotation in under 1 minute at <0.25 W.
- Dual-purpose: Both propulsion (attitude control) and thermal management (10 W cooling per unit).
- Manufacturing: Batch-fabricated on silicon wafers. Each thruster chip: 1 cm × 1 cm × 0.3 mm.
- Safety: Water propellant (green, non-toxic). Key advantage over hydrazine for academic/student missions.
- Integration test: Four FEMTA thrusters integrated into 1U CubeSat prototype (2.8 kg), tested in Purdue High Vacuum Facility for single-axis control.
Program Transition: SST → Flight Opportunities¶
| Project | Program | Period | TRL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106637 FEMTA Suborbital Flight Test | FO | 2019–2025 | 4→6 | Completed |
Alexeenko secured a Flight Opportunities award for a Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital flight test. The payload was mounted on the exterior of the launch vehicle to test FEMTA in real spaceflight conditions (vacuum + microgravity). Co-I: Steven Collicott (Purdue).
FO project awarded 2018/2019, with flight originally planned for 2021 on New Shepard. The FO project completed January 2025, confirming the test campaign concluded. Student teams (VIP 479, AAE 490) designed, built, and tested the flight payload across multiple semesters (2022–2023 courses documented).
This is the SST→FO pipeline working as designed: SST matured the core technology (TRL 3→6), FO provided the flight environment validation. Confidence: confirmed (TechPort FO record [106637], Purdue course listings, NASA FO program documentation).
Alina Alexeenko — People Chain Assessment¶
4 TechPort projects across 2 programs (3 SST + 1 FO) over 12 years (2013–2025). All advancing the same FEMTA technology.
Trajectory¶
- Purdue AAE faculty, MEMS/microfluidics specialist
- GSFC collaboration via SmallSat Technology Partnership (FEMTA inception 2013)
- 7+ years of SST funding (3 consecutive awards)
- FO suborbital flight test (2019–2025)
- Student pipeline: VIP courses, AAE courses, ISC conference awards (2019 "best team presentation")
Assessment¶
Alexeenko represents the sustained academic developer pattern — persistent year-over-year funding advancing one core technology through progressively higher TRL. Her 12-year FEMTA thread (TRL 3→6 + suborbital flight) is the longest single-PI technology thread in the SST university portfolio.
However: No commercial product. No company spinout. No orbital flight. No known follow-on contracts beyond NASA SST/FO. FEMTA remains an academic technology. The TRL ceiling pattern holds — despite 4 projects and 12 years, FEMTA has not crossed the valley of death to commercial adoption.
Contrast with GPDM: FEMTA (university-only) vs. GPDM (multi-SBIR convergence, Archetype #13). Both are multi-year propulsion development programs. GPDM is heading to orbit; FEMTA reached suborbital. The difference: GPDM drew from mature SBIR supply chains (Rubicon, Espace) with existing hardware, while FEMTA was a single-lab effort with no industrial partners.
Publications¶
- SmallSat Conference (2017): "Quad-Thruster FEMTA Micropropulsion System for CubeSat 1-Axis Control"
- NTRS 20180007381: "Distributed Attitude Control and Maneuvering for Deep Space SmallSats" (2018)
- Purdue press releases: "New CubeSat propulsion system uses water as propellant" (2017, widely covered: Phys.org, ScienceDaily, E&T Magazine)
- ISC 2019: Student team "best team presentation" award
Cross-References¶
- Smallsat Propulsion — FEMTA in the water-propulsion cluster (compare TUI HYDROS, also water-based)
- GSFC — FEMTA originated as GSFC-led SST project
- Archetypes — Academic TRL ceiling pattern (#7)
- Marshall SFC — GPDM comparison (multi-SBIR vs. university-only)
- University & Academic Outcomes — sustained developer pattern
Key Takeaway¶
Purdue/Alexeenko is the SST portfolio's most persistent university technology thread — 4 projects, 2 programs, 12 years, one technology. FEMTA successfully transitioned from SST to Flight Opportunities (the pipeline working as designed), but has not crossed to commercial adoption or orbital flight. The 230 µN/W water-propellant system is technically impressive and student-mission friendly, but the single-lab, no-industrial-partner model limits its infusion pathway. FEMTA's story is a case study in the difference between TRL advancement and market adoption.