Technology development
Evidence earns the next step.
A hypothesis, qualified apparatus and operational technology represent different achievements. Development gates make the required evidence explicit.
THE DECISION
REFWhat new evidence justifies the next commitment?
Methods & definitions
↗SBIR/STTR Program Definitions: Technology Readiness Levels
NASA distinguishes basic principles, formulated concepts, analytical and experimental proof of concept, laboratory validation, and progressively more relevant environment demonstrations. These definitions support publishing separate maturity labels for a mathematical hypothesis, a force-measurement fixture, a component, and a complete propulsion system.