In the 1960s, the newly formed NASA began issuing single-sheet reports on the commercially significant technologies the agency was developing in the course of R&D being conducted for the space program – a mandate from Congress. In 1976, NASA turned those single-sheet reports into a magazine format called NASA Tech Briefs.

In 1985, Associated Business Publications International (now Tech Briefs Media Group) began publishing the magazine through a Space Act Agreement with NASA. In March 2016, NASA Tech Briefs is celebrating its 40th Anniversary.

To help celebrate our birthday, we invited our readers to join the party and asked how they have benefited over the years from reading NASA Tech Briefs. Here is what they had to say.

Starting with our Grand-Prize Winner —

Pang-Jen Kung
Director
Nanobuster, Inc.
Cary, NC
Years as a Reader: 15+

What has impressed me about NASA Tech Briefs is that it consistently delivers cutting-edge research updates and technical solutions. When I developed Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) proposals, I often referred to it so I could assess whether or not my exploration would meet the interest of government funding agencies. When I had to deal with technology transfer issues, I could find the contact information to ask for advice or request a Technical Support Package (TSP). In some cases, I used New on the Market and Product Spotlight to prepare budget reports as well as material, part, and equipment lists for various experiments.

Early in my career, I was devoted to high-temperature superconductors and perovskite oxides, from which my colleague and I developed bolometers, memory chips, and solid-state sensors. We definitely leveraged what was reported in the Sensors section to accelerate our development cycles. Later, I co-founded a company to offer contract prototyping services in microfluidic chips and systems, and my team served as a liaison between researchers and end users, and simultaneously took into account manufacturability and cost-effectiveness. Again, we learned a great deal from the Manufacturing & Prototyping section, and executed strategies that resulted from it.

NASA Tech Briefs has played a significant role in my R&D career, and perhaps yours. In addition to reports on technological applications, I am often inspired by its feature stories. NASA Tech Briefs has made a difference in many of our lives. Its journey will continue and go beyond!


Elena Shembel
Chairman and CEO
Enerize Corporation
Coral Springs, FL
Years as a Reader: 10+

NASA Tech Briefs has been a great help based on the synergistic effect of the information, reviewing, and analysis presented in the magazine in accordance with materials, technologies, and devices in the area of renewable energy. This includes achievements, current and future requirements, market, competitors, and potential strategic partners.


Subramaniam Sundaresh
DRDO Distinguished Fellow
DRDO
Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
Years as a Reader: 1+

I have greatly benefited from the technical information provided in NASA Tech Briefs. It helps me understand and keep myself updated with technology areas of interest. The Webinar Series is also very useful. I would rate NASA Tech Briefs as a very valuable technical information provider.


Yunus Alapan
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Years as a Reader: 1+

As enthusiastic and innovative engineers, our team developed a point-of-care, cost-efficient chip to identify hemoglobin type. We entered the 2014 Create the Future Design Contest with our HemeChip Technology, and won first prize in the Medical Category, which was highlighted and covered in NASA Tech Briefs, Medical Design Briefs, and many other media outlets. The support and recognition we received through this NASA Tech Briefs-sponsored contest motivated us further, renewed our confidence in our technology, and became the first of a chain of competitive institutional and national recognitions, awards, and funding. Currently, we have raised almost half a million dollars for our technology, and filed an international patent application for the HemeChip technology. We are more than grateful and deeply indebted to NASA Tech Briefs for providing the critical stepping stone that elevated our hope, enthusiasm, and confidence in the HemeChip technology, bringing it a step closer to becoming a commercial product that can serve the underserved communities of developing countries.


John Gruske
Teacher/Mechanical Designer
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Years as a Reader: 5+

I have been using NASA Tech Briefs for many years. I used to be a teacher before budget cuts. My area of specialty was Technological Design (Engineering, Architecture, and Drafting). I would use tech briefs, and other design-related articles, as part of the literacy component as mandated by the Ministry of Education. So, while my career hasn't been advanced by NASA Tech Briefs, I would like to hope it has contributed to the future careers of my former students. With that in mind, thank you for your wonderful publication, and here’s to another 40 years of NASA Tech Briefs!


Uba Sani Kibiya
Engineer
National Board for Technology Incubation
Abuja, Kano, Nigeria
Years as a Reader: 1+

I benefit from NASA Tech Briefs in many ways. It supports me during project designs with my students, fabricators, and other professional colleagues. It assisted me and grows my professional standing, and widens my horizon in my chosen career. NASA Tech Briefs simplified my understanding, shortened my learning stage, reduced costs in my designs, and helped me produce products that are always accepted by my customers.


Stephen Blackwelder
Director, Oil & Gas Business Development
HGA Engineers
Ruston, LA
Years as a Reader: 15+

In the late 1990s, my son Kirk picked up my copy of NASA Tech Briefs and began to read an article on shape memory alloys (SMAs). As a high school student, he chose SMAs as a topic for his science fair project, and won both local and state competitions with his SMA-powered robot. Since that time, he graduated from Louisiana Tech University in mechanical engineering. His first job was for a NASA contractor in Houston during the final years of the space shuttle program. He is now in management for Bell Helicopter. NASA Tech Briefs played an instrumental role in his development as a fledgling engineer. Thank you for your contribution to his success.


Carl Finke
EE
Cypress Semiconductor
Northport, NY
Years as a Reader: 10+

I have received NASA Tech Briefs for over 10 years and benefited from reading this great publication. The information provided by NASA Tech Briefs helped bring technology advancement, which led to improved product design and rapid product introduction.


William Hauprich
Manager
Max-q LLC
Pinetop, AZ
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs keeps me aware of the many ways, new and old, we all use aviation.


Nick Cinquino
R&D Chemist
Finish Line Horse Products
Bensenville, IL
Years as a Reader: 15+

I have enjoyed reading NTB for many years. The articles and advertisements have inspired several research projects such as phototherapy, and the advertisements have led to procurement of electronic sensor samples such as Freescale integrated pressure sensors. What I consider one of the greatest benefits of NTB that I have been involved in was as a science/math mentor for a NASA Student Launch Initiative team. The experiences that the student team members received was extremely inspiring. Today, one member is a USAF officer, another is an electrical engineer, and another is an aeronautical engineer. We had fun meetings discussing electronic components and their specifications, and how to integrate them into entire systems. Pressure sensors, selected from NTB, were the cornerstone of their project!


Michael Cosby
EPS II
State of CO
Grand Junction, CO
State: Colorado
Years as a Reader: 20+

In a previous company, I had read in NASA Tech Briefs about how electrical couplings were performed in space within threaded pipe. This included contact brushes in rings that brushed against contact rings on the other piece, all in a conical shape. I figured that if it were good enough for NASA, I could use it in a downhole tool for the oil industry. I no longer work there, but have been told that they still use my adaption of the NASA design today.


Poornima Peiris
Engineer
Cambridge, MA
Years as a Reader: 5+

While I was completing my undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University for Engineering, I was given a NASA Space Grant to engage in a space-related project selected by the Louis Stokes Minority Participation Program. The project was to decide the plausibility of liquid fuels on the Martian atmosphere for the purpose of using atmospheric gases on Mars such as carbon dioxide, and converting it to methanol to be used as a potential fuel source for spacecraft returning back to Earth. The first phase of the project involved a catalyst synthesis phase using nanoparticles. My mentor had advised me to use sonochemical synthesis as well as a batch screening process to obtain these nanocatalysts. These processes were not familiar to me at the time. In order to familiarize myself with these methods and terms, I read NASA Tech Briefs for guidance on previous experiments performed using these methods, and to familiarize myself with different materials that could be used in the experiment. NASA Tech Briefs was especially helpful in providing a great reference for new approaches for my project.


Stephen Griffin
CTO and Founder
InnovaQuartz LLC
Phoenix, AZ
Years as a Reader: 20+

In the summer of 1991, I started my own business. Capital was in short supply – I had $12,000 to build a CO2 laser micromachining system for shaping fused quartz with computer control. The task seemed impossible, but with the help of products advertised primarily in NASA Tech Briefs – motion stages, stepper motors and drivers, software, shutters, optics – and a local high-tech junkyard, I was able to complete the laser system by Christmas, file my first patent application, and secure sales of half a million dollars in 1992. This summer, we will celebrate our 25th anniversary with more than 20 issued patents. While capital is much less of a problem than in 1991, I still use NASA Tech Briefs for inspiration, and search the ads for component and service providers when planning a new R&D or technology transfer project. Thank you, NASA Tech Briefs, and a special thanks to your advertisers for their invaluable advice, support, and products.


Fintan Ryan
Chartered Engineer
Dublin, Ireland
Years as a Reader: 1+

I am a retired airline captain and engineer, but still do a lot of consulting work. This embraces all areas in the aeronautical field, so I really need to keep up to speed on what's happening. Being self-employed, I do not have the resources of a big company behind me, so NASA Tech Briefs is invaluable.


Terry Field
Roxel (UK)
Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs brings a swathe of cutting-edge information to my desktop. If an actual article does not lead to a directly evolved adaptation of something in my immediate world, it invariably leads to a re-think of a similar scenario in something closer to home, stretching my mind beyond technology in one’s current comfort zone.


Michael Hankins
Strategic Product Category Manager
Taco Metals
Miami, FL
Years as a Reader: 30+

My father was with NASA for many years, eventually transferring to a subcontractor. An ongoing familiarity with current technology was a curiosity for me as I grew up on the Space Coast. Since the late 1970s, my father has always shared his copy of NASA Tech Briefs, as he felt the publication brought many items to light that were not only space applications, but also “everyday exciting gadgetry.” During many years in the marine industry, I have looked at articles and the most recent use of information on heat transfer and LED technology finally came to rest in a product we now provide to many of the prominent boat builders in the U.S. Our product, which has won two awards in the marine industry, is a rub rail integrated navigation light. Articles reviewed on several occasions in NASA Tech Briefs on heat transfer materials provided direction for a better design. You never know where technology of one type will carry itself into another realm of application!


Fredrick Bsharah
Dept. Chair, Asst. Professor of Engineering
Cape Cod Community College
Centerville, MA
Years as a Reader: 30+

I often work with students who have no idea about the world of engineering and advanced manufacturing. NASA Tech Briefs is my go-to source for state-of-the-art information. I have benefited by having a consistent source of instructional material, and literally hundreds of students (many first-generation to attend college, low-income, and or academically disadvantaged) have been guided into careers shaped around topics addressed by NASA Tech Briefs.


David Gonzalez Rodriguez
CMC
Madrid, Spain
Years as a Reader: 1+

Given the difficult situation in my country, I lost my job and had to take another job that did not utilize my capabilities. Reading NASA Tech Briefs has helped me to keep going, seeing how far some engineers are flying! Thanks!


Yuval Izhaki
CEO
Circomm Technologies Ltd.
Or-yehuda, Israel
Years as a Reader: 5+

I own a company that has provided R&D design services for the past 13 years. My work is highly technology oriented, and often requires new technologies. NASA Tech Briefs gives me a lot of inspiration, especially in the field of medical product development where innovation is a must. I once developed a new micro respiration system and I read about a high-speed micro motor in NTB. I advised my client to use this type of motor in the new project. My client accepted my advice, and after two years of hard work, we had the world’s first (at the time) micro medical reparation system that is so light and small, a patient can wear it directly on his face all day long.


Bernhard Stuermer
Technician
Linde Hydraulics
Aschaffenburg, Germany
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs has been a very important source of information.


George Ventura
Co-Owner
Ventura Services
Eureka, CA
Years as a Reader: 1+

First, I want to give a resounding “thank you" to Associated Business Publications, which, in partnership with NASA, led me to my success, as well as the success of many others. I am a visual light diffractionist and I have always been intrigued by the various types of light and how we use them. My earliest recollection of questioning how visible light is transformed when projected through a prism or crystal was answered while perusing various trade magazines. One was NASA Tech Briefs and two others were its supplements, Photonics Tech Briefs and Imaging Technology.


Elizabeth Marcks
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Mandeville, LA
Years as a Reader: 10+

NASA Tech Briefs has long been a source of inspiration and information for me, and fueled my career choice and advancement. I started reading it at a young age, becoming enthralled by the possibilities of science, technology, research, and NASA itself. The magazine sparked a goal to someday work at NASA and perhaps develop a new technology worthy of an article in NASA Tech Briefs. I became an honors student in mechanical engineering with minors in mathematics and materials engineering. With confidence, ambition, high grades, and knowledge gained from years of reading NASA Tech Briefs, I applied for and was selected as an intern at NASA Langley. Knowledge of existing technologies and methods allows me to think of other uses, improvements, or even new technologies or processes. I attribute these skills, enhanced by NASA Tech Briefs, to my three consecutive successful NASA internships working on technologies for future Mars missions. Currently, NASA employees are designing a co-op for me, leading into a full-time career. All it took was a dream, continually refueled by an amazing magazine, to start me on an out-of-this-world career path.


Alejandro Ramos de la Peña
CEO & Founder
Human Robotics
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Years as a Reader: 5+

I am an independent inventor specializing in the design of anthropomorphic robots to be applied mainly in the medical field, specifically in surgery and rehabilitation. Despite being the author of several patents, the status of “independent” sometimes limited the attention from some institutions and media. When I subscribed to NASA Tech Briefs, I found out about the Create the Future Design Contest. In 2010, I entered my Robotic Surgical Device. I received an Honorable Mention in the Medical category. This was surprising, and I was filled with great emotion. Anywhere in the world, the word NASA is synonymous with quality, respect, and the highest scientific and technological level. Therefore, this distinction established a radical change in the recognition of my work. Mentioning that I got an honorable mention in a competition of innovation from an official NASA publication immediately gets attention. I am very grateful to NASA Tech Briefs. This magazine contributes to the enhancement of the human spirit through the publication and dissemination of the work of researchers and scientists.


Joseph Angeloni
President
A Design Inc.
Olyphant, PA
Years as a Reader: 30+

In the early days of NASA Tech Briefs, they had a section where they would ask readers for potential solutions to specific problems. In one issue, they were looking for a tool-less fastener to minimize the need for discrete tools. After I retired, I had time to pursue this project. After solving it, I built some models, and applied for and received a US Patent (8,393,841).


Tony Marino
Systems Engineer
Raytheon-SAS
Goleta, CA
Years as a Reader: 30+

I have been reading NASA Tech Briefs since I started working in the defense electronics industry in 1981. The articles are very informative, well written, and are instrumental in keeping me up to date with the latest technologies. I highly recommend NASA Tech Briefs to anyone interested in defense electronics.


Leonard Duffy
Owner
Chittenden Research and Development LLC
Hinesburg, VT
Years as a Reader: 10+

As an independent inventor, I began subscribing to NASA Tech Briefs around 2001. Although then and now much of the content is often far beyond my meager technical understanding, it is still just as fascinating. Intrigued by the variety of concepts seen in the annual Create the Future Design Contest, I decided to enter a simple, low-tech device in 2003. Very unexpectedly, I won the Grand Prize! Although that particular invention has yet to get to market, the experience was life-changing. The NASA Tech Briefs recognition not only validated many long and lonely hours of work, it opened up a wide world of connections, publicity, and helpful criticism, which has kept me going for the last dozen years as my technologies have evolved. NASA Tech Briefs remains an inspiration, and I look forward to every new issue.


Edouard Nesvijski
Senior Scientist
TRS Technologies
State College, PA
Years as a Reader: 5+

I opened Pandora’s Box when I started using COMSOL Multiphysics in my professional job as an acoustician. That brought me to a yearly COMSOL Conference in Boston. There, I had a chance to read NASA Tech Briefs for the first time. Since then, I have become a permanent subscriber and reader of NASA Tech Briefs, which is full of valuable information, helping me to do my work on engineering design better and more efficiently.


Krystal Maughan
Technician
North Hollywood, CA
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs turned me from a wannabe-artist into a wannabe-engineer. I started out interested in lighting design for theatre and film, and started working as an electronics technician for a company that made proprietary lights for the entertainment industry. I became interested in how lights were manufactured around 2010, and in learning about and subscribing to newsletters on LEDs, and learning machining and welding, I stumbled upon NASA Tech Briefs. I became hooked, and it became part of my morning daily reading. Since then, I've continued to learn about engineering, and decided that I'd like to use my creativity to become an engineer. I've also been accepted as part of the NASA Aerospace Scholar program of students who intend to pursue a career in science and technology. I'd like to thank NASA Tech Briefs for showing me the creativity of NASA and how it is used for exploring new worlds away from Earth, and something as relevant on Earth to the average person as my memory foam mattress. You've changed the path of my entire life!


Shahjada Phlovy
Technical Team Leader
Dynax Corporation
Tomakomai, Hikkaido, Japan
Years as a Reader: 1+

From NASA Tech Briefs, I have learned that for a successful R&D researcher, work should be focused on completing jobs faster, reducing downtime, eliminating costly scrap, and that all test data should be accurate, consistent, and reportable. I started thinking about how to implement these points in my R&D of a high-efficiency transmission wet clutch. The model I developed is one of the most environmentally friendly tools that can estimate drag torque characteristics very fast. The whole idea for development of such a tool came after reading NASA Tech Briefs. Thanks for inspiring me.


Wanjun Lei
Product Development Engineer
Ford Motor Company
Ann Arbor, MI
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs always gives me fresh ideas and what technology is available or may be achieved soon. When I was doing vehicle structure and occupant performance analysis, there were some issues related to how to make structure lightweight and efficient. Some information in NASA Tech Briefs gave me a good reference for my structure design and performance optimization.


Dr. John Muth
Electrical Engineering Professor
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC
Years as a Reader: 5+

I enjoy reading NASA Tech Briefs because its stories span a wide range of disciplines, but my NTB story is connected to a student group I mentored. As part of a Product Innovation Lab Class at NC State University, the student team developed a handheld spirometer called Vitalflo that fits in a shirt pocket and communicates with a cellphone. I was very impressed by their project, and suggested they submit it to the 2013 NASA Tech Briefs Create the Future Design Contest. I was very pleased when they received first place in the Medical Category. I give the contest credit for inspiring the students to continue working on Vitalflo. After they improved the concept, they subsequently won $150,000 in the 2014 CIMIT-MGH-APF Primary Healthcare Prize. The technology is being used as part of an NIH grant, and the device is in clinical trials with a hospital. The team has a design that can be manufactured at very low cost, and can help people manage their COPD or asthma.


Terrance Ramsaran
Poonah
Williamsville, Trinidad & Tobago
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs truly gives you insight and innovative knowledge on new developments. It inspires my perspective on and away from my field of study. The more I read, the more I learn and become more educated. I get more out of NASA Tech Briefs than any other magazine. It is truly an extraordinary magazine; one that is worth reading.


Roland Wills
Owner
Wemmco, Inc
Mission Viejo, CA
Years as a Reader: 30+

I became aware of NASA Tech Briefs while doing business at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I was a young engineer at Rockwell eager to learn, and wanted to know all I could about industries and technologies. NTB still is my go-to publication for the largest scope of mixed technologies highlighting new products, and helping me personally try my best to stay ahead of the learning curve. The broad treatment of many disciplines provides fertile ground for ideas and concepts. Now I am partially retired by choice, yet still provide consulting services to the industries I respect. NASA Tech Briefs helps me provide expertise and teaching from what I learned.


Cal Peters
Director of Engineering
Falmat
San Marcos, CA
Years as a Reader: 30+

Forty years ago, I began my career reading NASA Tech Briefs and still read it to this day. This has been a monthly mainstay during my entire career designing, manufacturing, and testing custom wire and cable for unique applications, including several for Alberto Behar at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and his Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe Task. This work made the cover of Discover magazine in 2013 for the Top 100 Stories of 2013, and I attribute a part of our success to reading NASA Tech Briefs, so I will continue as a loyal subscriber to NASA Tech Briefs and hope to again make the cover of another major magazine before my career is over.


Laurence Winn
Senior Engineer/President
SpaceFarers Corporation
Tucson, AZ
Years as a Reader: 30+

NASA Tech Briefs entered publication the same year I embarked on my engineering career. I have used it as input and inspiration ever since, and compiled a lot of what I read in its pages into a database for IR&D at the Garrett Turbine Engine Division in Phoenix. Much has happened since, including my realization that NASA Tech Briefs is about more than technology transfer. It is also a window into the world of terrestrial and extraterrestrial sustainability.


Gopalakrishna Prabhu
Technical Director
Fine Finish Organics Pvt Ltd
Taloja, Maharashtra, India
Years as a Reader: 1+

Every issue of NASA Tech Briefs makes one wonder “why didn’t I think of it earlier?” The scientific innovations start a thought process of how they can be established in our day-to-day life, whether scientific, industrial, or social. The products that are commercially developed and available give knowledge regarding what is available off the shelf, so that our future programs can be based on these. I wish NASA Tech Briefs a long life to continue the quest for more and more scientific knowledge to improve the quality of life of every individual on Earth.


Narasimha Raju Nagaiah
Licensing Associate
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL
Years as a Reader: 1+

As a licensing associate in the Office of Technology Transfer, one of my main responsibilities is to assess university inventions and intellectual property, and protect them and transfer them to the marketplace by licensing to a company or startup. My job requires a tremendous amount of technical knowledge in a wide range of fields, from civil engineering to nanotechnology. I was born in a village in India, and as a child, I was fascinated by airplanes and spacecraft, and always wanted to work for NASA. But because of my visa status, it was difficult to achieve that goal. Today, I have no regrets not working for NASA because NASA Tech Briefs brings NASA and other cutting-edge technologies close to me. The attractive part of this magazine is that it is brief and straight to the point without delving into the technical details. It is helping me to significantly sharpen my knowledge, and advance my career as a Technology Transfer Professional. Honestly, I’m addicted to NASA Tech Briefs. Thank you for this very informative magazine. I hope it will continue to instill knowledge in people like me for many more years.


Sachin Mishra
Nanyang Technological University
O Chhawwala, New Delhi, India
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs was a boon for my Masters project when I was working on micro air vehicles. On one hand, it provided me the technical advancements, and on the other hand, the advertised products helped me to order some of the GPS-based items that I could get nowhere else.


Larry Hagstrom
Business Development Manager
Sidus Solutions
San Diego, CA
Years as a Reader: 5+

Inspiration, motivation, and confidence – that is how NASA Tech Briefs has helped me over the years. I began as a 3D animator only thinking I could make pretty pictures, which evolved into product and architectural design, and finally into engineering and manufacturing. At Sidus Solutions, we develop cameras and lights to go to the most extreme place on earth: the bottom of the sea. I watched with pride when our pan and tilt units were installed in NASA’s own buoyancy pool with our camera attached. In short, NASA Tech Briefs has been inspirational, motivational, and has kept me engrossed in the ever-changing world of science.


Glenn Rosenthal
President
Ulyssix Technologies, Inc.
Frederick, MD
Years as a Reader: 15+

I started an electronic company that designs, develops, and produces telemetry ground support equipment that I targeted for the NASA aerospace market in 2000. NASA Tech Briefs in paper form and then in electronic form has been a major source of new product announcements that has allowed me to continue to advance the technology of my company’s products. NASA Tech Briefs allows me to streamline my search for new technology instead of having to review multiple electronic publications. I have stopped receiving all other electronic publications. I hope NASA Tech Briefs continues for the next 40 years advancing the market’s knowledge of technology related to the NASA aerospace marketplace. Thanks, NASA Tech Briefs.


Tevfik Altan
Mechanical Engineer
Altan Hidrolik Muh.A.S.
Istanbul, Turkey
Years as a Reader: 1+

I just started receiving NASA Tech Briefs in 2015, and I very much enjoy reading it.


Richard Kalian
Chief Engineer
KBR Consulting
North Chelmsford, MA
Years as a Reader: 20+

I was able to find a plastic I needed in NASA Tech Briefs.


Ramona Roush
PDM/CAD Coodinator
Heraeus Electro-Nite
Hartland, WI
Years as a Reader: 20+

I have loved your magazine ever since another drafter introduced me to it back in 1993. The information it contains has been extremely helpful and very interesting. Before we merged with my current company, we were looking for a bonding material that would bond any type of metal to porous material such as cements and ceramics, and withstand high temperatures. After reading one of the issues, I found an adhesive from Master Bond that I thought would fit the bill. I passed this on to my boss, who liked what he saw, contacted the company, and proposed a trial to R&D. It worked and ended up being a cost savings. This finding brought me some needed recognition in our company. Unfortunately, after our merger, our design changed, and we no longer use the adhesive, but I still pass on information!


Peter Langer
Vice President Engineering
LANCIN Technologies, LLC
Macomb, MI
Years as a Reader: 10+

I am a retired automotive electronics engineer and always enjoyed working on the cutting edge of technology to develop innovative vehicle features. Now I continue to read NASA Tech Briefs to stay on top of state-of-the-art developments in science and technology.


Sidney Clouston
CEO
Clouston Energy Research, LLC
Lincoln Park, MI
Years as a Reader: 20+

Nearly 25 years ago, I was made aware of a request by NASA for Architecture for Manned Missions to Mars. It was part of the Space Exploration Initiative. NASA Tech Briefs presented the technology made by Rockwell for NASA called an IPAC. It is a frictionless, magnetic bearing, motor-generator with three-axis attitude control. I integrated two into a design within the preferred geometry of an aerobrake shell.


Mark Schlichting
Metallurgical Process Engineer
Nucor Steel Castrip Indiana
Crawfordsville, IN
Years as a Reader: 20+

I began reading NASA Tech Briefs around 1988, and I’ve been a fan and subscriber ever since. When I first started reading it, I would see patents awarded in various fields. Just reading about new innovations at NASA encouraged me to seek a patent. The work I was doing at the time in vacuum metallurgy was, I thought, fairly creative. I compared this work to developments I read about in NASA Tech Briefs and saw a connection. I consulted with other engineers and management in my company, and with the help of our corporate lawyer, I applied for and was granted a patent. The new vacuum degasser was the central element that allowed the products made by that process to be successful. I thank NASA Tech Briefs for giving us truly insightful work in each edition. Consider the way that sharing this knowledge can inspire others to work hard and develop innovative processes and products in the commercial world.


Steven Greeran
ALT 255
Wrightwood, CA
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs has helped me recall numerous life events, starting this new year from the comfort of my own home. I was immediately brought up to speed on previous FPGA software from National Instruments, and new quantum computer technology from D-wave. It has reminded me of new discoveries like quantum-on-silicon chips.


Frederick Stevens
Owner/R&D Chairperson
Mottainai (Too Good to Waste!)
Rochester, MN
Years as a Reader: 20+

I’m not really sure that I can point to one specific time that NASA Tech Briefs has gotten me out of a jam, so to speak. I will say that the inspiration and thought edification gained from reading the many articles has helped to foster creativity in other sometimes totally unrelated areas where I had been struggling for a breakthrough. I thoroughly appreciate reading every issue even if I am very busy. Taking a break to reflect and stir the imagination is important.


Professor Alan Tratner
Chairman
Green2Gold/Inventors Workshop/California Space Ent
Simi Valley, CA
Years as a Reader: 30+

We have been using the wealth of information presented in NASA Tech Briefs for all of its 40 years for our institutions for the vital variety of values we derive: inspiration and applications from the marvelous research being conducted, and ideas, inventions, innovations, and the astounding array of technologies derived and stimulated by our nation's amazing space program that can help economic growth and create a better future, help the environment, defend our freedoms, and propel us as space explorers and developers. We have mentored and incubated inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses for 45 years, and often share and recommend NTB to our members as a source for technology transfer, licensing, strategic alliances, technical resources, and opportunities. Keep up the great work, and congrats on your history and impact.


Christopher McAleese
Engineering & Technology Teacher
Northeast Middle School
Bristol, CT
Years as a Reader: 1+

I signed up for NASA Tech Briefs hoping I could find something inspirational for my 12- to 14-year-old middle school students. At first glance, I discovered it is more for engineers working with sophisticated technology at a very high level than cute stories about NASA and space. However, I like that the writing is technical and in no way talks down to the reader. And I have found some interesting stories to share with my students. Hopefully, I have burned into them the importance of strong math and logic skills to forge ahead in the technology field. NASA Tech Briefs also allows me to show how one project can demand so much from many people and businesses, how the economy is a web of small businesses reliant on each other and on big programs like NASA's to keep the U.S. moving, and ultimately how one day they will be a part of that movement.


Vitor Goncalves
Engineer
Infraero
Sao Jose Dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Years as a Reader: 1+

When I was 12 years old, I wrote a letter to NASA, in Portuguese, and I received an answer. I kept this correspondence until today. This letter helped me in choosing my profession. Today, in addition to my job, I am developing a search for a new Radar Absorbing Structure at the university where I obtained my Master's degree.NASA Tech Briefs helps me a lot in my research. Through the magazine, I have access to relevant research and current results, mainly in electromagnetics and composite materials, that serve as references, as well as other possible solutions. NASA Tech Briefs also helps by providing texts in my aircraft maintenance classes with my students.


Anthony Trent
Avionics Engineer
NASA (Retired)
League City, TX
Years as a Reader: 30+

You might find it strange that someone who actually works for NASA finds NASA Tech Briefs so useful and necessary. Most of my NASA co-workers read or consult NTB. It often helps to see other NASA centers are working on similar projects, but in slightly different ways. NASA is so big that it is difficult to share all the research among all the centers. NTB does this for us. The most helpful thing to my career was the article I authored for NTB. Several other U.S. Government agencies copied the work from the article – a better use of tax dollars than re-inventing the wheel. Several civilian companies or organizations also copied the work, which is giving back to the public from the funds they support us with – their taxes. What better use than that? Do yourself a favor and subscribe. Even though I retired from NASA two years ago, I still subscribe to NTB and read every issue. This is a great way to keep up with technology, and to see what NASA is up to since I left.


Dennis Jettun
Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineer
Fort Worth, TX
Years as a Reader: 15+

I discovered, at a flight test symposium back in 1999 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that NASA Tech Briefs had a lot of useful information that our space sector had been working with that could be applied or improved upon for our current manufacture of fighter aircraft. Being so fond of these briefs, I thought there must be many projects that go beyond basic aircraft research. After signing up to work on the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) project back in the mid-90s, and working with propulsion applications, I had a chance to sign up for a NASA contract when my employer of 30 years started layoffs in 2007. After joining the Space Shuttle Program in 2008 on special contract to the propulsion problem resolution team, I enjoyed three months before they cancelled the program.


Bonjue Kim
Engineering Manager (retired)
Kearfott
Wayne, NJ
Years as a Reader: 20+

NASA’s technological advances and the new products have encouraged innovations at my engineering endeavor. NASA Tech Briefs has kept me abreast of new ideas in my engineering work in the past 25 years. The proven new ideas, materials, and product knowledge in many aspects of engineering designs were priceless for making sound decisions in developing new products.


Horace Tucker
Assistant QA Manager
Fuji Component Parts
Indianapolis, IN
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs published an article years ago about how NASA overcame the problem of attaching ceramic tile to the shuttle by using several layers of epoxy with varying degrees of thermal expansion, thus creating a gradient between the shuttle and the tile. I used this same solution to attach EPDM to steel by creating a gradient with thin layers of bonding agents, each on with a progressively lower modulus of elasticity. At the time, the literature indicated it was not possible to attach EPDM to steel. Fortunately, I read NTB before the literature.


Isaias Alezones
President
365 Productions Inc.
Miami, FL
Years as a Reader: 5+

After a visit to Kennedy Space Center, I pursued a Master’s Degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, where I was introduced to NASA Tech Briefs and its valuable information. Today, I am a proud holder of a MAS in Aeronautics, and I have my own business. Furthermore, with the additional information on R&D, products, and suppliers available in NASA Tech Briefs, for the past five years I have combined photography and aviation to design and build my own fixed-wing aerial platforms, and continue to experiment with multi-rotors, tethered balloons, and whatever can fly carrying photo/video devices. Thank you NASA Tech Briefs for your valuable information in fluid dynamics, R&D, technology innovations, and suppliers readily available to your readers.


Jerry Gunn
Engineer
Castle Engineering Inc.
Chicago, IL
Years as a Reader: 30+

NASA Tech Briefs has enhanced the world around me by keeping me up to date on technological developments and stimulating my attempts to design new devices. As I browse through the pages, the articles sometimes send me off on interesting tangents and assist in my recall of past design endeavors. When ideas and technology of the past are merged with the latest technologies presented by NASA Tech Briefs, the impossible may just be possible.


Greg Kwan
Sr. Design Engineer
Vectronix, Inc.
Irvine, CA
Years as a Reader: 20+

One of the first professional magazines I subscribed to was NASA Tech Briefs. I had read a few issues in the university library and thought it had interesting information and was worth filing in the subscription form. I later went back to school full-time for a graduate degree. When it came time to find a thesis project, my advisor introduced me to a Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist, and we collaborated with him on a project. Little did I know that the work would eventually lead to an article in NASA Tech Briefs. Since then, I have continued subscribing and looking through the magazine. Not every brief is relevant, but there are usually at least a couple of interesting ideas in each issue.


Melvin Carruth
Director, Test Laboratory
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Alabama
Years as a Reader: 30+

I learned about NASA Tech Briefs early in my career at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a new employee, I was working a research task and looked for a better way to make the measurements I needed. I found it and wrote a paper on the result. I was informed that I needed to file a new technology disclosure, and it would be submitted to NASA Tech Briefs for possible publication. I didn't know about NTB until then. It was published and I've had others over the years. It made me aware of this resource highlighting the latest technologies.


Richard Teichgraeber
Consulting Engineer
Teichgraeber R&D Consultants
Sarasota, FL
Years as a Reader: 20+

My job at Lockheed Aeronautics was applied research – “technology insertion” or integrating technology in the cockpit to aid the pilot of a warfighter. How was I able to do that? It was mainly by keeping up to date on the latest advances in avionics (navigation, GPS), embedded software and languages, computers, cockpit displays, and sensor technology. It was attendance at technical conferences and exhibits that introduced me to NASA Tech Briefs. I believe that NASA Tech Briefs aided me in my job because it exposed me to new methods, insight into applications and uses of equipment, software algorithms, and how engineers used spinoffs from these emerging technologies. Many times, because of articles in NASA Tech Briefs, I was able to understand and speak with knowledge about GPS capabilities, displays, sensor limits, and applications. I contributed a tech brief regarding GPS repeaters in NASA Tech Briefs in 1999, and in 2014, I submitted an entry to the Create the Future Design Contest.


Kaustubh Agrawal
Cosverse
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs has changed my perspective of developments in science, medicine, and technology. The magazine influences me to discover new adventures, and encourages me to get involved in this cutting-edge world.


Gatot Siswanto
Prudential Indonesia
Gresik, East Java, Indonesia
Years as a Reader: 5+

NASA Tech Briefs enables me to stay up to date with the latest technology. It is a very valuable reference to follow what happens in science and technology. It provides deep coverage of design engineering, material technology, and energy conservation, which is one of the hottest issues today. NASA Tech Briefs accelerates my knowledge to stay ahead of my colleagues.


James Mikoda
Technical Director
Bluewater Thermal Solutions
Northlake, Il
Years as a Reader: 30+

I have been getting NASA Tech Briefs at each of the companies I have worked at for the past 30+ years. At each facility, the information has always been interesting and informative. The articles always provide things to keep in the back of your mind while solving problems. I cannot specifically give an instance of applying the information, but it keeps your mind actively looking at new ideas and trends. I am always looking at new things to try out and evaluate as far as what we can do to make our processing better for our customers, and safer for our employees.


Fahad Hussain
Engineer
UET Taxila
Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan
Years as a Reader: 1+

I haven't been a NASA Tech Briefs reader for long – I am a student of Industrial Engineering. The first time I acquired help from NASA Tech Briefs was when I was looking for an article on advanced technology. I had recently secured an online writing job and I had no idea which topics were trending. So I searched the Web and ended up with NASA Tech Briefs articles. I kept reading until I gathered a unique story. I published my first article and it was accepted by my boss. My happiness had no bounds that day. From that day on, Tech Briefs has helped me keep my job and stay up to date on modern technology.


Chris Hanse
Sr. Systems Analyst
Cimarron Software Systems
Houston, TX
Years as a Reader: 15+

I have been in testing for over 25 years. Of all publications, it was always NASA Tech Briefs that helped me think in new ways and stimulate my imagination. It made me remember that childhood feeling of being able to do anything, including spaceflight. Now I actually work in human spaceflight. To my great joy, NASA told me today that my project was excellent. NTB helped me get here. I still get excited when a new issue comes out, and I thank NASA Tech Briefs for helping my dream of keeping spaceflight at a level where no one is ever lost again.


Randy Hanson
VP of R&D
RIE Coatings, Inc.
Eden Valley, MN
Years as a Reader: 20+

Approximately 20 years ago, I came across inorganic zinc rich coatings (IC53) in an issue of NASA Tech Briefs. With this technology, we were able to generate a large amount of business coating bridge hardware and other weldments.


Robert Denton
Owner
Solar Flares
Franklin, TN
Years as a Reader: 5+

I started eight years ago looking for a way to generate electricity for off-grid use. After looking in NASA Tech Briefs, I was moving towards hydrogen generation. No one even considered hydrogen as a way to create power production. The articles helped me create the ideas to build a hydrogen cell. I now have a prototype built that will power a house 365 days a year with no fossil fuels used. I like the idea of using NASA Tech Briefs as a way to see what is going on with future projects at NASA.


Kathy Reid
Associate Engineer
American Pacific Corp.
Cedar City, UT
Years as a Reader: 5+

Reading NASA Tech Briefs has helped me know what is happening in the science community. This knowledge has helped me design different experiments, and has helped me learn different ways I can collect important data from those experiments by connecting me with vendors that I would not otherwise have met. Not only has it increased my knowledge, but it has kept me excited to be in the science field.


Juan Antonio Ramirez Bustos
CEO
Gestion Empresarial Tecnologica SA
Guadalajara, Mexico
Years as a Reader: 1+

NASA Tech Briefs is a useful tool for new developments in prototypes and innovative industrial solutions. For me and my technology consulting company, it is a great treasure to receive technology updates and application tools to facilitate the productive value chain in sectors in which we work, such as automotive. Tech Briefs helps me stay professionally updated on communications technology.


Justin Sinnett
CEO
MNS
Grottoes, VA
Years as a Reader: 1+

Congratulations on turning 40! I just found out about the magazine and have only read four issues. That being said, your magazine is amazing and I have come up with some ideas. Good luck on another 40 years, and keep up the great work!


Carlos Gamez
CFI, Inc.
Lakeland, FL
Years as a Reader: 1+

There are many ways NASA Tech Briefs helped my business and me as an individual. This magazine shows available products to use for almost any industry. Also, it allows businesses and consumers to get an insight on NASA. It delivers exceptional articles on how technology is advancing over time. I commend NASA Tech Briefs for their reports of technology and where we are headed.


Nitin Khedkar
Symbiosis International University
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Years as a Reader: 1+

Being an Associate Professor, I guide technology students in their degree projects. The advances and information from NASA Tech Briefs help me in guiding these students in the right direction. The magazine updates me with inventions in material sciences and technology. Though I am from mechanical engineering, the information I receive through the magazine explores the possibility of doing joint research with other streams of engineering. The free webinars from NASA Tech Briefs help many of the students in their projects. I congratulate NTB for completing 40 years and wish all the very best for the future.


Silvia Antenucci
QMS Manager
Sofiter System Engineering SpA
Turin, Italy
Years as a Reader: 1+

I am not an engineer, and for me it has always been a bit difficult to understand the engineering world in which I have worked since 1989. And in the last three years, NASA Tech Briefs helped me so much and in many different ways. I always send the link to my colleagues who may be interested in it, and in doing so, I have reinforced their esteem towards me and my knowledge of this world, in spite of my different educational background. So they trust in me and we feel part of the same team, able to reach the goals we need to reach. Reading NASA Tech Briefs is also so interesting and fascinating! It provides a great opportunity to dive into the aerospace and technology world and swim through it.


Giorgio Giacaglia
Professor
University of Sao Paulo (retired)
Tremembe, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Years as a Reader: 20+

NASA Tech Briefs has been an open window to advanced science and technology. I achieved my Ph. D. in Astronomy from Yale University, and had the great opportunity of spending a summer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. When I returned to Brazil, I enjoyed many opportunities to keep updated, receiving a wealth of information from NASA Tech Briefs. This was decisive additional knowledge that led me to the position of Dean of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Later on, NASA technology information was a great support in my position of Director of Science and Technology of the Brazilian Space Agency. Reading NASA Tech Briefs was also important in my work as a consultant in space technology with American-based private companies and government institutions such as the US Navy and the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. I prize NASA’s way of disseminating free technology information for the benefit of scientists.


Tom Norton
Designer
Tom Norton Designs
Cambridge, MA
Years as a Reader: 30+

I thought you were older than 40 years! That was only 1976, and I thought that I had been getting those 20-page tan-covered pamphlets before then. It was years later when you introduced the present magazine format with full-color covers and advertisements. One of the best tips I ever got in NASA Tech Briefs was how to smooth out silicone caulking when applied to seams by using a cube of ice. I don't know how many plumbers I have told that to over the years, and many didn't believe me until they tried it.


Topics:
Aerospace