daniel lockney office of the chief technologist nasa headquarters nasa technology investments yield...
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Daniel LockneyOffice of the Chief Technologist
NASA Headquarters
NASA Technology Investments Yield Benefits
www.nasa.gov
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA R&D yields tangible and economic benefit in addition to meeting mission goals
Continued investment in new technologydevelopment will deliver new benefits
Technology Investment
NASA Technology Transfer
A primary objective noted in the 2011 NASA Strategic Plan: to “drive advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and stewardship of Earth”
The 1958 Aeronautics and Space Act that created NASA mandated that the Agency transfer its technologies “for the benefit of all mankind”
In addition to enabling missions to the stars, NASA R&D produces ancillary benefits to the government, economy, and general public that are visible in our everyday lives, from the grocery store to the hospital
“As we look to the future, the benefits that we will have for example in fields like health are simply unimaginable.”
—Richard Nixon
“What impresses me about the program is the sheer number of spinoffs and their great variety.”
—Gerald Ford
“I have to admire what our efforts in space have produced. Better tools for heart surgery, improved techniques for fighting cancer and many more achievements which can help all of us live longer.”
— Jimmy Carter
“People are not aware of the enormous technological achievements that directly benefit and will continue to benefit all of us, not only in this country but all over the world.”
—Ronald Reagan
Historical Views of Space Technology
Why spend money on NASA at all? Why spend money solving problems in space when we don’t lack for problems to solve here on the ground?…
You and I know this is a false choice….For pennies on the dollar, the Space Program has fueled jobs and entire industries.
—President Barack Obama
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
Health and Medicine
Spinoffs have
occurred in every
market
Information Technology
Consumer Goods
Energy and Environment
Industrial Productivity
Public Safety
Transportation
With over 1,800 recorded NASA spinoffs, NASA technologies influence our lives in a variety of ways—making us safer, healthier, and more efficient.
NASA in Your Life
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/
Educated and Entertained
Enhanced Safety
Saved Lives
Increased Efficiency
Preserved the Environment
Created New
Markets
Improved Economic Competitiveness
Created Jobs
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
NASA has long partnered with ORBITEC to develop rocket and spacecraft propulsion design
ORBITEC created higher-powered, lower-cost, versatile, and even reusable vortex hybrid rocket engines that effectively manage ultra-high pressure (UHP) flows
HMA, a subsidiary of ORBITEC, took the design ideas from these advanced rockets and applied the technology to water delivery systems for firefighting
HMA consistently drew from the advances of the NASA ORBITEC partnership, producing multiple suppression delivery systems, including hoses and vehicles
Spinoff 2011 Public Safety
High-Pressure Systems Suppress Fires in Seconds
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
In one test, HMA put out a fire 80 percent faster than a traditional system while using only 6 percent as
much water
Marshall engineer Frank Nola developed a device for reducing energy waste in small induction motors
By controlling the voltage in accordance with the motor’s load, the Nola device saves energy, translating into savings in cost and resource
The company licensed the technology, made a series of patented improvements, and now markets the NASA-derived technology globally
The commercial device includes a “soft start” functionality that gradually introduces power, eliminating stresses and increasing the motor’s lifetime
Spinoff 2007
Title of photo
Environmental Resources
Voltage Controller Saves Energy, Prolongs Life of Motors
Common applications include mixers, conveyors, elevators, and escalators.The technology is installed at airports, universities, casinos, and department
stores
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
NASA invented VICAR (Video Image Communication and Retrieval) software to analyze images from NASA space missions
One of the inventors wanted to apply the technology for health care diagnosis
Partnering with the University of Southern California, the image-analysis software was successfully used with ultrasound images of arteries to see plaque buildup and arterial wall thickness
Gary F. Thompson obtained an exclusive license for technology and invested money to start Medical Technologies International Inc. (MTI), which now provides ArterioVision
Spinoff 2007 Health and Medicine
Noninvasive Test Detects Cardiovascular Disease
Used across the world, ArterioVision measures the artery
wall to provide an “age” of arteries, which shows a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke; the
technology is in all 50 states
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
NASA launched the first of its inflatable space structures in the form of large, metalized balloons—the Echo satellites, in 1960
ManTech SRS Technologies received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to develop an inflatable solar concentrator; the technology was applicable to inflatable antennas
GATR licensed the technology from SRS and improved it through a Glenn Space Act Agreement
Certified by the Federal Communications Commission, the ground-based inflatable antennas are transported in two portable cases and can be quickly deployed in remote areas
Spinoff 2010 Public Safety
Inflatable Antennas Support Emergency Communication
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
GATR provided communications after
Hurricane Katrina, wildfires in California,
and the 2010 Haiti earthquake
Space suits for the Apollo missions required an outer layer that would be durable, strong, lightweight, flexible, and noncombustible
In exploring fiberglass fabric options for architectural use, Birdair Structures Inc. collaborated with the same private companies that developed the fabric for NASA
Birdair used the PTFE fabric to develop a lightweight, tensile membrane for roofs, skylights, and canopies
Birdair’s roofing covers major transportation hubs, sports facilities, and convention centers, including the Georgia Dome, Denver airport, and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium
Spinoff 2009 Industrial Productivity
Tensile Fabrics Enhance Architecture Around the World
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
Birdair has become a multimillion-dollar
company with nearly 900 landmark tensile structures worldwide
Research and testing by Langley engineer Richard Whitcomb demonstrated the effectiveness of winglets in reducing performance-inhibiting drag
Further flight tests conducted at Dryden validated Whitcomb’s findings
Aviation Partners Inc. and The Boeing Company collaborated to form Aviation Partners Boeing and apply a new form of the NASA-proven technology to Boeing aircraft
The Blended Winglet technology improves winglet aerodynamics
Spinoff 2010 Transportation
Winglets Save Billions of Dollars in Fuel Costs
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
Blended Winglets are now featured on many aircraft,
with an estimated savings of more than 2 billion gallons of jet fuel as of 2010, reducing
costs by $4 billion and carbon dioxide emissions by 21.5
million tons
JPL researchers explored ways to significantly miniaturize cameras on interplanetary spacecraft while maintaining scientific image quality
A team led by Eric Fossum developed an energy-efficient light sensor with all of its components integrated on a single chip
Fossum and other JPL engineers licensed the sensor technology and founded Photobit to pursue commercial applications
The company was acquired and later spun out as Aptina
The NASA-derived sensors are now incorporated into digital cameras, automotive and surveillance cameras, and medical imaging devices
Spinoff 2010 Consumer Goods
Image Sensors Enhance Camera Technologies
One of every three cell phone cameras worldwide features Aptina’s sensors; the company has shipped over 1 billion sensors
The Benefits of NASA Spinoffs
NVision Solutions Inc. of Mississippi: 73 jobs
Mikro Systems Inc. of Virginia: 37 jobs
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation of Virginia: 510 jobs
AlterG Inc. of California: 65 jobs
Martek Biosciences of Maryland: 500+ jobs
Bloom Energy of California: In the process of adding 1,000 jobs
Sierra Lobo Inc. of Ohio: 400 jobs
GATR Technologies of Alabama: 20 jobs
Of the over 14,400 jobs reported due to recent NASA technology transfer efforts (64 companies contributed to this total), the following subset shows some highlights:
Recent Examples of Jobs Created Through NASA Tech Transfer
NASA PREDECISIONAL
NVision Solutions Inc. of Mississippi: $2.5 million
BRS Aerospace of Minnesota: about $20 million for 2010 alone
SpaceForm Inc. of Michigan: $6 million
SpaceMicro of California: grew from a $1 million company to a $8 million company
Martek Biosciences Corporation of Maryland: $450 million per year Recently acquired by DSM Inc. for $1.1 billion, not added to total
Barrett Technology Inc. of Massachusetts: $10 million
LifeWings Partners of Tennessee: $3 million per year
GATR Technologies of Alabama: $8.6 million
Amnis Corporation of Washington: $10 million
Of the over $5 billion in revenue reported due to recent NASA technology transfer efforts (72 companies contributed to this total), the following highlights some of the successes:
Recent Examples of Revenue Generated Through NASA Tech Transfer
Advanced Circulatory Systems Inc. of Minnesota: CPR assist devices provide up to a 57-percent increase in the survival rate of heart attack victims
Givens Marine Survival Company of Rhode Island: Specialized life rafts have saved the lives of 400+ sailors to date
BRS Aerospace of Minnesota: Whole plane parachutes have saved the lives of 266 pilots and passengers to date
LifeWings Partners of Tennessee: Operational training in hospitals has resulted in an almost 50-percent drop in observed to expected deaths
MicroMed Technology Inc. of Texas: 450+ patients have received life-saving heart pumps, accounting for130+ patient years of life
www.nasa.gov
Of the over 440,000 lives saved as a direct result of NASA technology transfer (26 companies contributed to this total), these are but a few examples:
Recent Examples of Lives Saved Through NASA Tech Transfer
www.sti.nasa.gov/spinoff/database
NASA Spinoff http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/
The Spinoff Database
www.nasa.gov/cityNASA Spinoff http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/
NASA @ Home and City
Daniel LockneyTechnology Transfer Program Executive
Office of the Chief TechnologistNASA Headquarters
office: 202-358-2037
cell: 202-341-5006
Twitter.com/NASA_Spinoff
Facebook.com/nasainyourlife
Contact Information
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