Spinoff: Public Safety

High-Pressure Systems Suppress Fires in Seconds

NASA Technology

Much deserved attention is given to the feats of innovation that allow humans to live in space and robotic explorers to beam never-before- seen images back to...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Alloy-Enhanced Fans Maintain Fresh Air in Tunnels

NASA Technology

The Partnership for Next Generation Vehicles (PNGV) is not a NASA initiative to develop powerful new rockets and spacecraft, even though it may sound like one....

Spinoff: Public Safety

Radiometers Optimize Local Weather Prediction

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

One of the greatest dangers to aircraft—playing a role in numerous destructive and fatal accidents around the world—comes in the form of...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Rocket-Powered Parachutes Rescue Entire Planes

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

When Boris Popov was 8 years old, he took one of his mother’s sheets and some thread, made a parachute, climbed a tree, and jumped. The...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Energy-Efficient Systems Eliminate Icing Danger for UAVs

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

One of the more remarkable developments in aviation in recent years has been the increasing deployment of unmanned aerial...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Technologies Advance UAVs for Science, Military

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Greek mythology tells of the inventor Daedalus using wings of his own fashioning to escape from imprisonment on the island of Crete. In...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Inflatable Antennas Support Emergency Communication

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Space exploration requires reliable and efficient communication technology. One device currently under development is the inflatable...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Smart Sensors Assess Structural Health

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The materials used to make airplanes and space shuttles do not last forever. That is why NASA frequently inspects launch vehicles, fuel tanks, crew...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Hand-Held Devices Detect Explosives and Chemical Agents

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Smaller, with enhanced capabilities. Less expensive, while providing improved performance. Energy efficient, without sacrificing...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Terahertz Tools Advance Imaging for Security, Industry

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

On January 16, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-107. At T plus 82 seconds, with the orbiter rocketing...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Sensors Provide Early Warning of Biological Threats

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are between 4 and 11 million cases of acute gastrointestinal...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Robots Save Soldiers’ Lives Overseas

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

NASA intends to return people to the Moon, but this time to stay. Future plans include living quarters, scientific laboratories, a permanent lunar...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Circuits Enhance Scientific Instruments and Safety Devices

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Since its founding in 1958, NASA has pioneered the use of different frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum—including...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Apollo-Era Life Rafts Save Hundreds of Sailors

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The space shuttle is unique among spacecraft in that it glides back to Earth and lands like an airplane, usually touching ground near where...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Tough Textiles Protect Payloads and Public Safety Officers

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Special textiles have been mission-critical components for successful space missions since the early years of NASA’s first...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Advanced X-Ray Sources Ensure Safe Environments

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Successfully sustaining life in space requires closely monitoring the environment to ensure the health of the crew....

Spinoff: Public Safety

Polymer Fabric Protects Firefighters, Military, and Civilians

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Insulating and protecting astronauts from temperature extremes, from the 3 K (-455 °F) of deep space to the...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Fiber Optic Sensing Monitors Strain and Reduces Costs

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

In applications where stress on a structure may vary widely and have an unknown impact on integrity, a common...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Space Suit Technologies Protect Deep-Sea Divers

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Working on NASA missions allows engineers and scientists to hone their skills. Creating devices for the high-stress rigors...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Plants Clean Air and Water for Indoor Environments

Although one of NASA's goals is to send people to the far reaches of our universe, it is still well known that people need Earth. We understand that humankind's existence relies on its...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Infrared Imaging Sharpens View in Critical Situations

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The Microgravity Combustion Science group at NASA's Glenn Research Center studies how fire and combustible liquids and gasses behave...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Chemical-Sensing Cables Detect Potential Threats

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

As fleets of aircraft age, corrosion of metal parts becomes a very real economic and safety concern. Corrosive agents like moisture, salt,...

Spinoff: Public Safety

A Brighter Choice for Safety

Emergency exit signs can be lifesavers, but only if they remain visible when people need them. All too often, power losses or poor visibility can render the signs ineffective. Luna Technologies...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Images Revealing More Than a Thousand Words

A unique sensor developed by ProVision Technologies, a NASA Commercial Space Center housed by the Institute for Technology Development, produces hyperspectral images with cutting-edge...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Development Of A Digital Image Measurement System

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

An unexpected tragedy took place on April 28, 1988, when the roof of an Aloha Airlines 737 aircraft ripped open at 24,000 feet, killing a...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Forecasting Weather With A Wave Of The Hand

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Cybernet Systems Corporation, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, originally developed its gesture recognition technology for the U.S. Department of...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Sizing Up The Situation

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Hailstorm damage to the Space Shuttle's External Tank inspired a NASA innovation with extensive photography applications. In order to measure the defects caused by...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Leaving A Print On Safety

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Pattern-recognition technologies developed by NASA to identify spacecraft and other objects in space have helped in the development of new, biometrics-based...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Superior Sensor Making Sense In Military, Medicine

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

A fiber-optic voltage sensor developed a decade ago for NASA's aircraft and space power systems has been the building block for a string...

Spinoff: Public Safety

Spreading The Word On Safety

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Beginning with the Apollo Program in the early 1960s, the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has supported every U.S. human exploration space flight...