Planning space missions is a very involved process, ensuring orbits are lined up and spacecraft have enough fuel is imperative to the long-term survival of orbital assets. Continuum Space Systems Inc. of Pasadena, California, produces a cloud-based platform that gives mission planners everything they need to certify that their space resources can accomplish their goals. … Read more
Airplane manufacturers running noise tests on new aircraft now have a much cheaper option than traditional wired microphone arrays. It’s also sensitive enough to help farmers with pest problems. A commercial wireless microphone array recently created with help from NASA can locate crop-threatening insects by listening for the sounds they make in fields. Since releasing … Read more
What is a NASA Spinoff? Well, to answer that question, we’re going to have to go all the way back to 1958, back to the legislation that originally created the space agency, NASA. So in that legislation, there’s some forward-looking language that says, “Make sure that all the cool stuff you develop for space doesn’t … Read more
The latest edition of NASA’s Spinoff publication, which highlights the successful transfer of agency technology to the commercial sector, is now available online. For nearly 25 years, NASA has supported crew working in low Earth orbit to learn about the space environment and perform research to advance deep space exploration. Astronauts aboard the International Space … Read more
Just as NASA needs to reduce mass on a spacecraft so it can escape Earth’s gravity, automotive manufacturers work to reduce weight to improve vehicle performance. In the case of brake rotors, lighter is better for a vehicle’s acceleration, reliable stopping, and even gas mileage. Orbis Brakes Inc. licensed a NASA-patented technology to accomplish that … Read more
Ground traffic management program saves passengers and airlines time while cutting fuel costs If every commuter drove the same few roads at the same time every day, the traffic would be unbearable. That’s exactly what’s happening in the skies above the nation, known as national airspace (NAS). Multiple flights from different airlines try to use … Read more
NASA researchers helped create an insulation coating that blocks heat and sunlight Without proper insulation, sunlight can make buildings feel like ovens. In the late 1980s, Joseph Pritchett aimed to solve this problem by developing a coating for building insulation. He knew of NASA’s experience with thermal testing, particularly with ceramics, which have several uses … Read more
NASA-funded AI technology enabling autonomous rovers and drones now keeps an eye on conveyor belts Artificial intelligence software initially designed to learn and analyze Martian terrain is now at the heart of a system to monitor assembly lines on Earth. The vision inspection software from Neurala Inc., an artificial intelligence company in Boston, Massachusetts, works … Read more
After 50 years of Landsat, discovery of new commercial and scientific uses is only accelerating The 30-acre pear orchard in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has been in Brett Baker’s family since the end of the Gold Rush. After six generations, though, California’s most precious resource is no longer gold – it’s water. And most … Read more
A valve designed for NASA rover landings enables effective stage separations for commercial spaceflight The Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers continue to provide a wealth of information about the Red Planet. This was made possible in part by the sky crane landing systems that safely lowered them to the planet’s surface. Their successful descent, managed … Read more