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University of California, Irvine

SST org page for UC Irvine (UCI), Irvine, CA. Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and AANAPISI.

Last updated: 2026-04-14 (session 18)

SST Footprint

Project PI Period TRL Outcome
106835 Variable Specific Impulse Electrospray Manuel Gamero-Castaño 2020–2022 5→7 commercialized (CISGAM spinout)
90670 ISOC — Omnidirectional Optical Communicator Ozdal Boyraz 2016–2018 2→3 no-visible-outcome

Two independent PIs, two unrelated technologies. Gamero-Castaño's electrospray project produced the portfolio's first university commercialization (CISGAM). Boyraz's ISOC was early-stage academic work that did not advance beyond TRL 3.

Manuel Gamero-Castaño — Electrospray Propulsion

The 25-Year Thread

Gamero-Castaño has one of the longest personal technology threads in the SST ecosystem — spanning 25+ years across four institutions and converging back to the same core technology (electrospray/colloid propulsion):

Period Institution Role Technology
1999–2004 Busek Co. Inc. Research Scientist → Colloid Program Director Developed and directed Busek's colloid thruster program
2004–~2010 Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Engineer ST-7/DRS and LISA Pathfinder colloid technology
2010s–present UC Irvine Professor, MAE Electrospray thruster research and CISGAM
2017–2021 UCI (STRG) PI, 92047 Electrospray cone-jet modeling (TRL 2→4)
2020–2022 UCI (SST) PI, 106835 Variable Isp electrospray thruster (TRL 5→7)
2023–present JPL (SAT) Co-I, 157593 Colloid thruster 8,000-hr life test for exoplanet pointing

Busek Connection

Gamero-Castaño directed Busek's colloid thruster program from 1999–2004. Busek has 2 SST projects: 106808 (1U Green Propulsion, BGT product) and 106807 (Iodine RF Ion → BIT-3 → Artemis 1). The same company where Gamero-Castaño started his electrospray career went on to produce two of SST's most successful commercial outcomes. His departure to JPL didn't end the thread — Busek continued both colloid and ion propulsion independently.

TechPort Footprint: 3 Projects, 3 Programs

  1. STRG 92047: Electrospray cone-jet modeling (2017–2021, TRL 2→4). Developed computational tools for electrospray design. Outcome: "Transitioned To → JPL" — the modeling work was picked up by JPL for their colloid thruster program. Published in Physical Review Fluids (2021) and Physical Review E (2019).

  2. SST 106835: Variable specific impulse electrospray thruster (2020–2022, TRL 5→7). Demonstrated a MEMS-fabricated array of thousands of electrospray emitters for primary propulsion of a 12U SmallSat. Co-Is: Richard Wirz (UCLA), Kenneth Mease (UCI), John Bellardo (Cal Poly SLO). Built CDR package for CubeSat platform.

  3. SAT 157593 (Active, JPL-led): Colloid thruster 8,000-hour life test for exoplanet mission pointing precision (2023–2026, TRL 4→5). PI: Colleen Marrese-Reading (JPL). Gamero-Castaño is Co-I alongside Busek's Nathaniel Demmons. This project reunites Gamero-Castaño with Busek — his former employer, now a co-investigator on the same team — 20+ years after he left.

CISGAM — University Spinout

CISGAM is an electrospray propulsion startup founded by Gamero-Castaño: - NSF I-Corps regional cohort at UCI (June 2023) — market validation for SmallSat propulsion - UCI Beall Applied Innovation Proof of Product grant: $64K (March 2024) - cisgam.com — active website - MEMS-fabricated arrays of thousands of electrospray emitters. Scalable thrust from solar power.

CISGAM is the first and only university spinout from the SST portfolio (as of session 18). Previous finding (session 12): zero university commercializations. Session 14 reclassified [106835] to "commercialized" based on CISGAM's existence.

Confidence: suggestive. Company exists, I-Corps completed, PoP funded, website active. But no products shipped, no revenue confirmed, no known customers. Early stage.

Ozdal Boyraz — ISOC Omnidirectional Optical Communicator

The Technology

A dodecahedron-shaped array of MEMS gimbal-less scanning mirrors for omnidirectional inter-satellite laser communications: - Full spherical field of view coverage - Multiple simultaneous links - 850 nm laser diodes, 1W each, with MEMS mirrors providing ±12° steering - Angle-of-arrival (AOA) algorithms for signal acquisition - Target: 1 Gbps at 200 km in free space

Assessment

TRL 2→3 in 2 years. Published at SmallSat Conference (2017, 2018, 2019) and NTRS factsheet (20180002972). The concept is architecturally interesting (omnidirectional vs. DORA's lax-pointing vs. CLICK's precision-pointing), but remained at very early TRL. No flight, no follow-on funding found, no commercial downstream. Confidence: confirmed (no visible outcome).

Lineage Map

Busek colloid program (1999-2004)
  → Gamero-Castaño directs
     → JPL ST-7 / LISA Pathfinder (2004-2010s)
        → UCI faculty
           → STRG [92047] modeling (2017) ──→ "Transitioned to JPL"
           → SST [106835] thruster (2020) ──→ CISGAM spinout (2023)
                                           └─→ JPL SAT [157593] life test (2023, Co-I)
                                                (reunites with Busek's Demmons)

Busek (independent track):
  → SST [106808] green propulsion (2014) → BGT product line
  → SST [106807] iodine RF ion (2014) → BIT-3 → Artemis 1 CubeSats

Publications

  • Physical Review Fluids (2021): "Electrosprays of highly conducting liquids" (Gamero-Castaño, from STRG [92047])
  • Physical Review E (2019): "Dissipation in cone-jet electrosprays" (Gamero-Castaño, from STRG [92047])
  • SmallSat Conference (2017, 2018, 2019): ISOC papers (Boyraz)
  • NTRS 20180002972: ISOC factsheet
  • NTRS 20210015481: ISOC factsheet (2021 update)
  • SPIE, IEEE publications by Boyraz on optical systems

Cross-References

Key Takeaway

UC Irvine produced the SST portfolio's first university spinout (CISGAM) and its most deeply rooted people chain. Gamero-Castaño's 25-year electrospray thread — Busek → JPL → UCI → CISGAM + back to JPL as SAT Co-I — is unique in its length and the way it circles back. His STRG modeling work officially transitioned to JPL; his SST thruster work spawned a company; and his current SAT Co-I role reunites him with his former Busek colleague. The Busek connection (Gamero-Castaño alumnus; Busek has 2 separate SST commercialized outcomes) suggests electrospray propulsion's commercial success has deep personal roots. ISOC (Boyraz) is a separate, early-stage academic effort with no downstream.