Spinoff: Industrial Productivity & Manufacturing Technology

Making a Reliable Actuator Faster and More Affordable

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Before any rocket is allowed to fly and be used for a manned mission, it is first test-fired on a static test stand to verify its...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Software of Seismic Proportions Promotes Enjoyable Learning

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

While working for NASA, Jack Sculley and Terry Brooks had a revelation. They wanted to find a novel and unique way to present...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Structural Analysis Made 'NESSUSary'

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Everywhere you look, chances are something that was designed and tested by a computer will be in plain view. Computers are now utilized to design and...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Satellite and Ground System Solutions at Your Fingertips

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

In the summer of 1998, the blockbuster action movie Armageddon captivated audiences with a thrilling doomsday plot about a...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Taking the Risk Out of Risk Assessment

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The ability to understand risks and have the right strategies in place when risky events occur is essential in the workplace. More and more...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Tracking Electromagnetic Energy With SQUIDs

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is a gadget used to measure extremely weak signals, specifically magnetic flux. It can...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Software to Manage the Unmanageable

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

In 1995, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) contracted Redmond, Washington-based Lucidoc Corporation, to design a technology infrastructure to...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Fault-Detection Tool Has Companies Mining Own Business

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

A successful launching of NASA's Space Shuttle hinges heavily on the three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) that power the orbiter....

Spinoff: Computer Technology

A Search Engine That's Aware of Your Needs

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Internet research can be compared to trying to drink from a firehose. Such a wealth of information is available that even the simplest inquiry...

Spinoff: Computer Technology

Celestial Software Scratches More Than the Surface

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

While NASA is preparing to send humans back to the Moon by 2020 and then eventually to Mars, the average person can explore the...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Washing Away the Worries About Germs

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Fresh fruits and vegetables have been in demand by orbiting astronauts since the early days of the Space Shuttle. As one can imagine, however,...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Making the Most of Waste Energy

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The Thermo-Mechanical Systems Branch at NASA's Glenn Research Center is responsible for planning and conducting research efforts to advance thermal systems...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Pesticide-Free Device a Fatal Attraction for Mosquitoes

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Are those pesky mosquitoes getting more entertainment out of your family picnic than you are? If the answer is yes, then it is time...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Remote Sensing for Farmers and Flood Watching

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The Applied Sciences Directorate, part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, makes use of the Agency's remote-sensing capabilities to...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Water and Air Measures That Make PureSense

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Each day, we read about mounting global concerns regarding the ability to sustain supplies of clean water and to reduce air contamination. With...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Harnessing the Power of the Sun

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Alliance was created in 1994 and operated for 9 years as a NASA-sponsored coalition of 28...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Valiant Zero-Valent Effort Restores Contaminated Grounds

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are chemical compounds that can contaminate soil and groundwater to the point of...

Spinoff: Environmental and Agricultural Resources

Then Why Do They Call Earth the Blue Planet?

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

While the most common photographs of Earth taken from space show the planet covered in blue water, NASA has managed to produce detailed color...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Inertial Motion-Tracking Technology for Virtual 3-D

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

In the 1990s, NASA pioneered virtual reality research. The concept was present long before, but, prior to this, the technology did not...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Crystal-Clear Communication a Sweet-Sounding Success

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

On July 20, 1969, millions were glued to their television sets when...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

NASA, the Fisherman's Friend

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Every angler has his secrets, whether it be an old family recipe for stink bait, a midnight worm-hunting ritual, or the most coveted of all, the no-fail...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Experiments With Small Animals Rarely Go This Well

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

In the mid-1950s, a young U.S. Air Force engineer named Clark Beck began work with what is now one of NASA's most prolific spinoffs, the...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

The most recognized and widely used NASA spinoff is at it again. Temper foam, whose origins date back to 1966 when it was developed to...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Bringing Thunder and Lightning Indoors

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and electrical energy into mechanical energy. They generate electrical...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

NASA's Growing Commitment: The Space Garden

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Astronauts cannot live on dehydrated ice cream alone. Like everyone else, they need their vegetables. Enter VEGGIE, the Deployable Vegetable...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Nanoscale Materials Make for Large-Scale Applications

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Since its dawning days, NASA has been at the forefront of developing and improving materials for aerospace applications. In...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Cooking Dinner at Home From the Office

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

It is well past quitting time, but you are still stuck in the office. Your spouse left work over an hour ago, but is caught in bumper-to-bumper...

Spinoff: Consumer, Home, and Recreation

Space Suit Spins

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Space is a hostile environment where astronauts combat extreme temperatures, dangerous radiation, and a near-breathless vacuum. Life support in these unforgiving...

Spinoff: Health and Medicine

Discovering New Drugs on the Cellular Level

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

With the Vision for Space Exploration calling for a sustained human presence in space, astronauts will need to grow plants, while in orbit, for...

Spinoff: Health and Medicine

Lighting the Way for Quicker, Safer Healing

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

Who's to say that a little light can't go a long way? Tiny light-emitting diode (LED) chips used to grow plants in space are lighting the way...