SE Valley Times

Abril Ramos, a chemical engineering student at Arizona State University (ASU), is playing a significant role in developing technology for NASA's Artemis moon mission. As an intern at SwiftCoat, an ASU spinout company, Ramos has been instrumental in creating an anti-fog coating for spacesuit helmets. This innovation addresses the issue of condensation inside helmets during space missions.

Ramos' journey began with a competitive spirit to surpass her brother, who also graduated from ASU with a chemical engineering degree. Her determination led her to apply for an internship at SwiftCoat during her sophomore year. The company, co-founded by Peter Firth and Zachary Holman, focuses on technological solutions derived from research at ASU.

SwiftCoat was selected as one of two companies funded by NASA to develop the new anti-fog coating under the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR). Mark Kelly, U.S. senator and former astronaut, highlighted the importance of such innovations: "Spacesuits protect us from the hazards of space, but not being able to see outside one could be life-threatening."

Ramos' work involves managing baseline processes for SwiftCoat's Aerosol Impact Driven Assembly (AIDA) technology. Her efforts have significantly improved the consistency of the coating process. "One thing she has done a really good job at over the last year or so is taking it from a point where 50% of the time we ran a process it was in spec, to 90% of the time now," Firth said.

The SBIR program required SwiftCoat to deliver consistent coatings within six months—a task they accomplished with Ramos' help. The company successfully provided NASA with larger coated substrates than initially requested, boosting confidence in their capabilities.

SwiftCoat is now advancing into Phase II of SBIR awards with $900,000 in funding over two years. Their goal is to further refine their coating technology for potential use in space missions and other commercial applications.

Ramos plans to continue working with SwiftCoat while pursuing an accelerated master's degree in chemical engineering at ASU. Reflecting on her experience and future opportunities, she said: "I know there’s a lot of good that can come from this."