If Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity holds true, then a black hole, born from the cosmically quaking collisions of two massive black holes, should itself "ring" in the aftermath, producing gravitational waves much like a struck bell reverberates sound waves. Einstein predicted that the particular...

A group of researchers in Japan has developed a new type of processor known as PAXEL, a device that can potentially bypass Moore's Law and increase the speed and efficiency of computing. PAXEL, which stands for photonic accelerator, is placed at the front end of a digital computer and optimized to perform...

The technologies NASA develops don’t just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety, increased accuracy in weather forecasting, and the miniature cameras in our cellphones are just...

FACET flexible software helps air traffic control centers improve airline safety and efficiency. It includes programs and databases that implement models of weather, airspace, airports, navigation aids, aircraft performance, and aircraft trajectories.

This technology uses recent advances in Radio Frequency Identification Devices, combined with smart software, to create an electronic firefighter evacuation trail and fire safety information location system. The trail can be followed out of a burning building even if interrupted by changing fire...

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program is a true national asset. It brings together the space agency’s most capable problem-solvers with America’s brightest commercial and entrepreneurial leaders in partnerships that transfer groundbreaking NASA technologies to the public. It provides solutions for challenges in the...

This technology represents a significant improvement over commercial state-of-the-art magnets. These superconducting magnets are very versatile and can be used in a number of applications requiring magnetic fields at low temperature, such as in MRI machines, mass spectrometers, and particle...

This method offers a way of processing and recycling liquids to remove contaminants. The two-step process provides a contaminant treatment pouch, called a “urine cell” or “contaminant cell,” that converts urine or another liquid containing contaminants into a fortified drink, engineered to meet...

Atomic oxygen oxidizes and removes biologically active contaminants, and reduces the contaminant to an inactive ash. Thus, the contaminant is both sterile and biologically inactive. The resulting surface is entirely free of any bacteria, viruses, prions, cells, or any organic matter....

This invention is a system for managing a project that includes multiple tasks and workers. Periodic monthly, task plan, schedule, and budget reports are generated and made available for display or further analysis. When the system receives a description of a skill set needed for a...

This technology provides automated sample handling and movement of coarse-grained powder or other solid materials to enable analysis by a robotic or totally automated computer system. The powder is handled as a fluid, using mechanical vibrations in conjunction with a driving force, and requiring few...

A handheld laser torch was designed for welding and brazing metals to repair hard-to-reach space shuttle engine nozzles. It incorporates various manual controls and changing lenses to allow the operator to adjust the laser’s power output in real time. Applications are likely to be...

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) can be deformed at low temperature and recover their original shape upon heating. New alloys can operate up to ~300 °C, compared to ~80 °C for commercially available alloys. SMAs can be used in adaptive structures, actuators, heat detection devices, medical devices,...

This flexible joint provides two degrees of freedom and a tremendous amount of compliance. The overstrain sensor joint has a passive and restoring force that allows the joint to return to a default position, and is also proportional to the amount of lateral deflection the spring has...