The Air Force and Creare, a small, New Hampshire-based business, developed a two-stage turbo-Brayton cryocooler that is expected to enhance operation of space-based infrared detectors. The resulting technology responds to Air Force requirements for improvements in performance of electro-optical space payloads by improving components of the cryocooling system.Managed by personnel at the Air Force Research Laboratory, the multi-phase Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program resulted in turbo-machine-based Brayton cryocoolers, which are ideal candidates for space-based infrared detectors because they are highly efficient, lightweight, vibration-free, multi-stage compatible and have long maintenance-free lifetimes.