When most people consider NASA’s achievements, they think of destinations like the Moon, Mars, or the most distant galaxies in the universe. But you don’t have to look that far to appreciate the benefits of space exploration: commercialized NASA technology— known as NASA spinoffs—can be found in your phone, furniture, and car. They have improved nearly every semitrailer truck on the road, airplane in the sky, and tractor working the fields. Indeed, the spinoff benefits from NASA research in space and aeronautics are everywhere and continually accruing.
Meanwhile, the Space Agency continues to pursue a slate of ambitious missions that, in addition to their exciting scientific value, promise even more public-benefiting spinoffs now and in the future.
Perhaps the most fruitful areas of technology development and commercial spinoffs, though, are NASA’s efforts in human exploration. The Apollo, Shuttle, and International Space Station programs have given us many of the most ubiquitous commercialized NASA technologies.
Commercial product developers, consumer product developers and engineers, corporate new product developers and analysts, financial investors in new innovation, high school through university level professors, instructors and curriculum developers.
5 Foreword
7 Introduction
8 Executive Summary
20 NASA Technologies Benefiting Society
152 Spinoffs of Tomorrow
174 Technology Transfer Program
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
24 Sterilizing Fogger Cleans Ambulances with a Breeze
28 Biometric Sensors Optimize Workouts 30 Optimized Imager Tracks Cancer, Stem Cells in Medical Research
32 Weightless "Weight"-Lifting Builds Muscle on Earth
34 Virtual Therapist Offers Out-of-ThisWorld Depression Treatment
36 Compact Spectrometers Unveil Clues to Diagnose Cancer TRANSPORTATION
40 Innovative Design Propels Small Jet Faster, Farther with Less Fuel
43 Design Software Transforms How Commercial Jetliners Are Built
46 Original Cryogenic Engine Still Powers Exploration, Defense, Industry
50 Time-Triggered Ethernet Slims Down Critical Data Systems
52 Simplified Aircraft Modeling Packs Weeks of Analysis into Minutes
PUBLIC SAFETY
56 Radar Device Detects Heartbeats Trapped under Wreckage
60 Surveillance System Captures, Maps Lightning Strikes
64 Virtual Reality Platform Helps Pilots Land in the Sky
66 Autonomous Robots Take On Dangerous Warehouse Jobs
68 Drone Traffic Forecasts Show Commercial Skies of the Future
70 Offshore Oil Workers Learn Survival Skills in Astronaut Training Pool
CONSUMER GOODS
74 Apollo 11 History Archive Helps Virtual Reality Program Come to Life
77 Light-Induced Oxidation Cleans Air, Surfaces, Clothes
80 Ferrofluid Technology Becomes a Magnet for Pioneering Artists
82 The Martian Garden Recreates Red Planet’s Surface
84 Aerogel Insulation Makes Thinner, Warmer Outerwear
86 Space-Grade Insulation Keeps Beer Colder on Earth
88 High-Efficiency LEDs Grow Crops, Stimulate Alertness
92 Paired Sleep Tracker, Light Therapy Tools Retrain Circadian Rhythms
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
96 Organic Compound Turns Toxic Waste into Harmless Byproducts
99 LED Lighting Improves Efficiency, Imaging, Cuts Maintenance
102 Plant Food for Space Grows Crops on Earth
104 Remote Sensing Technology Fights Forest Fires Smarter
106 Earth Images Enable Near-Perfect Crop Predictions
108 Micronutrient Formula Strengthens Plants, Increasing Yields
110 Chemical Simulation Software Predicts Climate Change, Air Quality
112 NASA Kite Invention Spurs Ever-Growing Educational Program
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
116 Planet-Navigating AI "Brain" Helps Drones and Cars Avoid Collisions
118 Early NASA “Dream Computer Program” Still Optimizes Designs
122 2D Analysis Software Clarifies Medical, Weather, Intelligence Images
126 Quake Hunter Maps a Century of Quakes Worldwide
128 Free Aerodynamic Simulation Code Supports Industry, Education
130 Software Models Atmosphere for Spacecraft 131 Software Takes Cost Estimating to the Stars
132 Communication Devices Ease Contact with Commercial Spacecraft
134 Mission Control Software Manages Commercial Satellite Fleets
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIVITY
138 High-Speed Cameras Test Material Performances on Impact
141 External Platform Enables Space Research
142 All-in-One Lab Device Gets New Instruments via Software Update
144 Gold Coating Keeps Oscars Bright
146 3D Printer Aims to Accelerate Materials Development
148 Silicon Diode Sensor Tracks Extreme Temperatures
150 Tunable Filter Grabs Particles and Cells Using Only Light
Product Details
- Technology Transfer
