Aerospace

Hybrid Thermoelectric Compound

The material sets the stage for new forms of electric power in the future.

Measuring Moon Dust to Fight Air Pollution

NASA’s need to contain hazardous lunar dust led to technology that senses other pollutants.

Pre-Treatment Solution for Water Recovery

The solution increases water recovery, prevents mineral scaling, and cuts the volume of brines in half.

Data Recorders Aid Earth Dust Mission

The Earth Imaging Spectrometer instrument is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022.

Lighter Radiation Shielding for Electronics

This new technique shields electronics from ionizing radiation in applications such as military and space exploration.

Tension Element Damping (TED) with Hydraulics for Large Displacements

Applications include wind turbines, solar arrays, commercial space mobile launchers, and industrial process stacks and equipment.

Facility Focus: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI supports research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, cybersecurity, and fire safety.

Periodic Wave Disc Brake Rotor

The lightweight brake rotor design with high heat dissipation uses novel surface cooling technology.

UpFront: August 2021 Tech Briefs

NASA's Landslide Reporter, a smarter cement, and a way to track microplastics in the ocean.

NASA CO₂ Removal System Integrates High-Speed Blower

After rigorous ground testing, NASA’s Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber will be installed on the ISS.

Labsphere and ASU to Collaborate on FLARE Technology Development

Labsphere, Inc. announced plans to locate a Field Line of sight Automated Radiance Exposure (FLARE) testing site at Arizona State University's (ASU) Polytechnic campus as part...

Generation of Polystyrene Latex Spheres with Incorporated Fluorescent Dyes

Microspheres are used in wind tunnel experiments to monitor airflow, to stain biological samples, and in time-delayed drug release.

International Space Station Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED)

Terrestrial uses include physical therapy, clinical diagnosis, athletic training and performance, and robust exercise equipment.

High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Monitoring Meteorological Parameters

The system uses infrasonic acoustics for weather monitoring and for drone or UAV activity.

Drones Use Machine Learning to Detect Landmines

Dangerous “butterfly” landmines can be detected using low-cost drones and infrared cameras.

Insect-Sized Agile Drones

These tiny aerial robots can operate in cramped spaces and withstand collisions.

Copolyimide Surface-Modifying Coating

The coating repels insects on aircraft wing surfaces and motor vehicles and reduces surface imperfections on other low-friction or non-stick surfaces.

GPS-Enhanced Onboard Navigation System (GEONS)

The open-architecture flight software package provides solutions for onboard orbit determination.

Taking Out the Trash, NASA-Style

A NASA-developed technology for testing heat shields transforms garbage into reusable chemicals.

Pyroelectric Sandwich Thermal Energy Harvester

The technology harvests electrical energy from waste heat sources.

Winglet with Injected Flow

Injection of air at the trailing edge of a winglet further reduces drag.

Overhang Support Designs for Powder-Based Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)

The supports enable the production of higher-quality, less-expensive parts via additive manufacturing.

Products of Tomorrow

Battery recycling, NASA's water treatment, and a wireless wearable transmitter.

System for In-Situ Defect Detection in Composites During Cure

This system enhances processing via real-time, non-destructive defect tracking.

Facility Focus: Duke University Pratt School of Engineering

Duke Engineering supports clinical ultrasound imaging, restoration of hearing by cochlear implant, megapixel photography, and metamaterials.

Method Detects Onset of Destructive Oscillations in Aircraft Turbines

Early flutter detection will help in the development of safer and more eco-friendly aircraft turbines.

Ultra-Thin, Energy-Efficient Photodetector Integrated with Gorilla Glass

This could lead to the commercial development of smart glass, with applications ranging from imaging to advanced robotics.

How Can the Private Sector Support Space?

A reader asks a Space Force expert about new markets, including data transport, traffic management, and advanced power.

Monolithic Optical Parametric Oscillator for Laser Spectrometer

Applications include remote sensing, laser spectroscopy, and gas analysis.