Champaign, IL — Inprentus, an Illinois-based manufacturer specializing in ultra-precision optics, has been awarded a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract to manufacture high-precision spherical diffraction gratings for the ESIS‑II solar physics mission. The award reflects the critical role advanced manufacturing plays in supporting space exploration and scientific discovery.
Under the Phase III contract, Inprentus will produce spherical gratings used in the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph Imaging System (ESIS‑II), an instrument designed to capture high‑resolution images of the Sun’s atmosphere. These components require exceptional surface accuracy and manufacturing consistency to meet the demanding performance standards of space‑based instrumentation.
The award builds on Inprentus’ previous success in NASA’s SBIR program and demonstrates the value of transitioning research‑driven innovation into scalable manufacturing solutions. SBIR Phase III contracts focus on commercialization and deployment, signaling NASA’s confidence in Inprentus’ ability to deliver production‑ready components for mission‑critical applications.
Inprentus is known for its proprietary fabrication processes that enable complex optical geometries with nanometer‑level precision. These capabilities support not only aerospace and defense applications, but also advanced manufacturing sectors including scientific instrumentation, semiconductor equipment, and photonics.
The ESIS‑II mission will expand scientists’ understanding of how energy moves through the Sun’s atmosphere and contributes to solar events that can impact satellites, communications systems, and power grids on Earth. Precision‑manufactured optical components are essential to achieving the mission’s scientific objectives.
This announcement highlights the strength of Illinois’ manufacturing ecosystem and the importance of investing in small and mid‑sized manufacturers with specialized technical capabilities. Programs such as SBIR play a key role in helping manufacturers bridge the gap between innovation and production, ensuring that advanced technologies can be reliably manufactured at scale.
IMEC supports manufacturers across Illinois as they adopt advanced technologies, strengthen technical capabilities, and compete in high‑growth markets such as aerospace, defense, and space systems. Success stories like Inprentus underscore how innovation, precision manufacturing, and commercialization pathways can drive both business growth and national competitiveness.
For more information about Inprentus, visit www.inprentus.com.
To learn how IMEC supports advanced manufacturing and innovation across Illinois, visit www.imec.org.
