Luna Selected as a NASA Partner for Moon and Mars Technologies

(ROANOKE, VA, October 29, 2019) – Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA), a global leader in advanced fiber optic-based technology, today shared that it has been selected as one of only 14 companies to partner with NASA in the agency’s “Moon to Mars” exploration studies.  With a $2 million award from NASA’s fourth competitive “Tipping Point solicitation,” Luna’s fiber optic sensors will be embedded within inflatable space habitats to monitor their structural health and safety.

Inflatable habitats are designed to be used both in orbit as well as on the surface of other worlds.  For sustained exploration of the Moon and Mars, inflatable habitats are a leading solution to reduce the weight of space structures as well as to enable future long-term missions and planetary habitation.  There is a real need to accurately and safely monitor the structural health and integrity of these habitats, since many traditional methods don’t work well with the soft, flexible materials used.  Luna’s fiber optic sensors are highly accurate, nearly weightless and minimally invasive, so the sensors can be embedded in materials during the manufacturing process.  The accuracy of Luna’s sensors allows for identification and localization of the effects of impact damage, pressure loading, and structural anomalies on the inflatable habitat.

“It is an honor to be a part of NASA’s Moon to Mars project, and to be able to contribute to the future of Mars and lunar exploration,” Scott Graeff, President and CEO of Luna Innovations, said. “Data obtained by our embedded fiber optic sensors will help identify and localize the effects of impact damage and structural anomalies on inflatable habitats, significantly enhancing space habitat safety and reliability.”

The project will begin with a two-month test period, using a scaled inflatable habitat with embedded Luna fiber optic sensors and subjected to a representative environment. During this initial phase, data will be gathered and compared to other external measurements and, along with system integration studies, used to evaluate optimal methods for integrating Luna’s sensors in future inflatable habitat designs.

Read more about the Tipping Point solicitation in NASA’s recent press release. 

About Luna

Luna Innovations Incorporated (www.lunainc.com) is a leader in optical technology, providing unique capabilities in high-performance, fiber optic-based, test products for the telecommunications industry and distributed fiber optic-based sensing for the aerospace and automotive industries. Luna is organized into two business segments, which work closely together to turn ideas into products: a Technology Development segment and a Products and Licensing segment. Luna’s business model is designed to accelerate the process of bringing new and innovative technologies to market.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this release that are not historical facts constitute “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties.  These statements include Luna’s expectations regarding sensor accuracy and potential effectiveness in improving habitat safety and reliability.  Management cautions the reader that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to a number of both known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and actual results, performance, and/or achievements of Luna may differ materially from the future results, performance, and/or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. These factors include, without limitation, technological challenges, the future of the project and other risks and uncertainties set forth in Luna’s periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Such filings are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on Luna’s website at www.lunainc.com. The statements made in this release are based on information available to Luna as of the date of this release and Luna undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Investor Contacts:
Jane Bomba                                                                                       Sally J. Curley
Luna Innovations Incorporated                                                 Luna Innovations Incorporated
Phone: 303-829-1211                                                                  614-530-3002
Email: [email protected]                                                               [email protected]

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