CHARACTERIZATION OF STRUCTURAL HEALTH WITH WIRED, SURFACE MOUNTED STRAIN SENSORS IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING. TO REDUCE COSTS AND ENABLE RAPID CHARACTERIZATION OF MECHANICAL STRAIN OF COMPOSITES WITH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING BASED, POLYMERIC COMPONENTS FOR SPACE SYSTEMS, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IS CURRENTLY COLLABORATING WITH DR. PATRICK HULL FROM THE MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER MSFC TO DESIGN AND FABRICATE A NOVEL CLASS OF WIRELESS STRAIN SENSORS THROUGH A MSFC TECHNICAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM TIP SPONSORED PROJECT. THE TARGET OUTCOME IS AN EMBEDDABLE SENSING TECHNOLOGY FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING THAT GETS INCORPORATED DURING FABRICATION, LAYUP OF COMPOSITES, AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AM BASED PRINTING. THE TIP PROJECT IS COMBINING NASAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH INSTRUMENTATION FOR MEASURING MECHANICAL STRAIN ON SPACE STRUCTURES, FABRICATION OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURES, AND TESTING OF LOW POWER WIRELESS ANTENNAS WITH NEW UNIVERSITY BASED MODELING, ANALYSIS, AND DESIGN. THE RESULTING TECHNOLOGY WITH PASSIVE DEVICES AND CAPABILITIES FOR DIRECT INCORPORATION INTO COMPONENTS DURING MANUFACTURE WILL PROVIDE A MARKETABLE ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT COMMERCIAL WIRELESS SENSORS COMPONENTS. THE NEW WORK IN THIS PROPOSAL FOCUSES ON THE ENGINEERING SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE MULTIPLE DETECTORS/COILS HOUSED IN A READER TO PROVIDE ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS OF WIRELESS, BATTERY LESS SENSORS EMBEDDED OR MOUNTED ON STRUCTURES. THE CURRENT PROGRESS ON THE TIP INDICATES THAT THE RELATIVE POSITION BETWEEN THE SENSOR AND THE READER HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE MEASUREMENTS GATHERED BY THE SENSOR.