Lockheed Martin, CU To Give Grad Students Real World Experience

BOULDER (CBS4) - A special partnership has opened the door to more long-term research in Colorado.

Lockheed Martin and the University of Colorado Boulder on Tuesday signed an agreement that allows funding for collaboration and development for future generations. Grad students will get more real-world experience, and Lockheed Martin will work to develop new technology.

"It really it sets a foundation for a long term relationship. Research projects don't turn on and off, they often go on for years as they develop new advanced capabilities," Lockheed Martin spokesman Keoki Jackson said.

The new funding will give a boost to four projects starting next month. CU officials described those as follows:

- Improving spacecraft, aircraft and ship power systems: Developing new techniques to improve broadband, linear radio frequency (RF) power amplifier efficiency for power constrained systems for space, airborne and shipborne applications.

- Increasing mission capability: Efficiently converting infrared (IR) radiation to DC power to recharge unmanned aerial vehicle batteries remotely.

- Increasing capability of satellites while reducing weight: Advancing technology related to Simultaneous Transmit And Receive Systems (STARS) to reduce the number of antennas on a communications satellite or to double their signal throughput.

- Improving power management for commercial and national security applications: Developing novel architectures and control techniques to substantially cut the losses and reduce the size of power management in RF, digital and analog electronic systems for satellites, missiles, and other commercial and defense applications.