Table Of Content

5 0 0 2 n o i t a r t s i n i m d A e c a p S d n a s c i t u a n o r e A l a n o i t a N a r m s a 05 k’s concept of orbiting the sta1 light-years froground, at left, ie foreground is on. 20 Front Cover Image: Artist Lynette CooJupiter-like planet 55 Cancri (about 4Earth). In the backthe star, and in thhypothetical icy mo 8 2 3 9 - 2 0 4 0 2 C eD Officon, t g ng ntinashi PriW3 t P, 6- F nO6 vernmeop: SS6-0752 F U.S. GoMail StBN 0-1 he nts, IS y tme b O e cu alo sD For of t SI) den A n C e t N n ( rin mentmatio Supe m artor a pnf Igr Dee I Pro cs pac d SPnovative Partnerships eveloped byublications and GraphiASA Center for AeroS ational Aeronautics anpace Administration n DPN NS I 5 0 0 2 f f o n pi S 0 2 46802 4680 4 602460468 2 68 0 1 1 11122 2223 3 3444455556 66 7 reword roduction rtnership Benefits Health and Medicine Lighting the Way for Quicker, Safer Healing ........................................... Discovering New Drugs on the Cellular Level .......................................... Transportation Hydrogen Sensors Boost Hybrids; Today’s Models Losing Gas? ...............3-D Highway in the Sky ..........................................................................Popping a Hole in High-Speed Pursuits ...................................................Monitoring Wake Vortices for More Efficient Airports ............................From Rockets to Racecars ........................................................................ Public Safety All-Terrain Intelligent Robot Braves Battlefront to Save Lives ..................Keeping the Air Clean and Safe—An Anthrax Smoke Detector ................Lightning Often Strikes Twice .................................................................Technology That’s Ready and Able to Inspect Those Cables .................... Secure Networks for First Responders and Special Forces ......................... Consumer/Home/Recreation Space Suit Spins ......................................................................................Cooking Dinner at Home—From the Office ...........................................Nanoscale Materials Make for Large-Scale Applications ...........................NASA’s Growing Commitment: The Space Garden ................................Bringing Thunder and Lightning Indoors ................................................Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits ...........................Experiments With Small Animals Rarely Go This Well…........................NASA, the Fisherman’s Friend ................................................................Crystal-Clear Communication a Sweet-Sounding Success ........................Inertial Motion-Tracking Technology for Virtual 3-D ............................. Environment and Resources Management Then Why Do They Call Earth the Blue Planet? ......................................Valiant ‘Zero-Valent’ Effort Restores Contaminated Grounds ................. Harnessing the Power of the Sun ............................................................. o t a F n P I 5 7 8 0 8 2 1 1 6 s t n e t n o s C t n e t n f o C o of e ble l Ta b a T s t n e t n o C of 72 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 11 12 14 18 26 29 36 ble Water and Air Measures That Make ‘PureSense’ ...................................... Remote Sensing for Farmers and Flood Watching .................................... Pesticide-Free Device a Fatal Attraction for Mosquitoes ........................... Making the Most of Waste Energy ........................................................... Washing Away the Worries About Germs ................................................ Computer Technology Celestial Software Scratches More Than the Surface ................................. A Search Engine That’s Aware of Your Needs .......................................... Fault-Detection Tool Has Companies ‘Mining’ Own Business ................ Software to Manage the Unmanageable ................................................... Tracking Electromagnetic Energy With SQUIDs .................................... Taking the Risk Out of Risk Assessment ................................................. Satellite and Ground System Solutions at Your Fingertips ........................ Structural Analysis Made ‘NESSUSary’ ................................................... Software of Seismic Proportions Promotes Enjoyable Learning ..............1 ndustrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology Making a Reliable Actuator Faster and More Affordable ........................1 Cost-Cutting Powdered Lubricant .........................................................1 NASA’s Radio Frequency Bolt Monitor: A Lifetime of Spinoffs .............1 Going End to End to Deliver High-Speed Data .....................................1 Advanced Joining Technology: Simple, Strong, and Secure ....................1 Big Results From a Smaller Gearbox ......................................................1 Low-Pressure Generator Makes Cleanrooms Cleaner .............................1 The Space Laser Business Model ............................................................1 search and Development at NASA Space Operations ..................................................................................1Exploration Systems ............................................................................1Science ...................................................................................................1Aeronautics Research .........................................................................1 ucation News at NASA rtnership Successes chnology Transfer Network and Affiliations Ta I e d a e R E P T 16 40 46 60 1 1 1 1 6 6 4 6 9 1 1 5 0 0 2 f f o n pi S n g o y n e o pinoff developments highlighted in this publication are based on informatiorovided by secondary users of aerospace technology, individuals, and manufacturinoncerns who acknowledge that aerospace technology contributed wholly or in part tevelopment of the product or process described. NASA cannot accept responsibilitr liability for the misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the enclosed informatioy third party use. Publication herein does not constitute NASA endorsement of throduct or process, nor confirmation of manufacturers’ performance claims related the particular spinoff development. Spcdobpt n d o r ti o a w r st e ni or mi F d A e c a p S d n a s c n ti D. GriffiatorAeronau chael ministrtional MiAdNa their kitchen appliances and begin cooking dinner before they get home. • space suit technology used in the production of lighter-than-air vehicles, such as blimps and dirigibles, during pharmaceutical manufacturing and the production of gas masks for military and civilian use. • a prototype of the Mars Exploration Rover that is being used in Afghanistan and Iraq to help U.S. troops clear caves and bunkers, search buildings, cross live antipersonnel mine fields, and deal with the dangers posed by improvised explosive devices. • lightning-detection devices used on NASA’s launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that are now being used to pinpoint lightning strikes at airports. • a powerful lubricant designed for use in turbomachinery that is now being widely used in industry. • a filter designed for use on satellites being used to clean the air breathed by racecar drivers. These innovations demonstrate that a vigorous space exploration program has and will continue to provide the American public with an impressive technological return on investment. Although technological spinoffs are ancillary benefits of NASA’s exploration activities, and not the chief reason for doing what we do, they are tangible and benefit the country. Foreword On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration, giving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) a new and historic focus and clear objectives. The fundamental goal of the Vision is “...to advance U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program.” In issuing this directive, the President committed the Nation to return human explorers to the Moon by the end of the next decade, and to prepare for the exploration of Mars that will follow. NASA is now working hard to develop a new generation of spacecraft and space launch vehicles that will enable the achievement of these goals within the modest expenditure of tax revenues—on average, $55 per year for every American citizen—that our Nation invests in space exploration and research. As we continue to explore the universe, I am confident that NASA’s pioneering exploration activities will keep fueling American creativity, innovation, and technology development. Indeed, throughout the Agency’s history, technologies developed to advance our exploration missions have boosted economic progress and benefited millions of people here on Earth.2005highlights NASA’s work, consistent Spinoff with our Agency’s charter, to “research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies.” Among the beneficial NASA-derived technologies featured in 2005 now utilized in the Spinoff commercial and public sector are: • a bacterial spore-detection unit designed to sterilize Mars-bound spacecraft that can also recognize anthrax and other harmful spore-forming bacteria. • a remote command and control system NASA uses to run experiments on the International Space Station that allows people to use a cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or Internet connection to activate Spinoff 2005 n o ti c u d o r t n I m a r g o r P s p hi s r e e n nziorart McKeDirecttive P Merle Acting Innova information from diverse backgrounds to help transfer the technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace. They are the experts with the technical and business acumen needed to bring these industry partnerships to fruition.When the combination of NASA and industry technology culminates in new uses for technologies, these applications evolve into the jewels that become spinoffs. For example, a Space Shuttle pump component found application in the development of a heart pump; a charge coupled device developed for the Hubble Space Telescope found application in noninvasive breast biopsy procedures; and alternative energy sources pioneered by NASA are leading the way in advances in the use of renewable resources. Developing technologies of interest to NASA and the commercial marketplace is an exciting joint venture. The results form a bond among NASA, industry, and the American public. The outcome of this innovative, entrepreneurial process creates value that is a concrete dividend for America’s investment in the Space Program. captures many of these examples.SpinoffIt is with great pride that we present to you Spinoff2005. Each year, we feature NASA’s most significant technological achievements, made possible not only through the research and development, but also through the many talented individuals behind the scenes. We hope you enjoy reading this year’s edition and learning how space research and exploration have had a positive impact on the economy and on our lives. Introduction As we begin our journey to establish a sustained human presence in the solar system, we continue to be excited by the technical challenges NASA faces today. NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin, put it best when he said, “The President’s directive for the Vision for Space Exploration gave all of us who are privileged to work in this business a challenge bold enough to last a lifetime.”Since 1976, NASA has produced magazine. Spinoff It was created to highlight the Agency’s most significant research and development activities as well as the successful transfer of NASA technology. It shows not only the cutting-edge research being done by the Nation’s top technologists, but also the practical benefits that come back down to Earth in the form of tangible products that make our lives better. The stories in the Partnership Benefits section focus on NASA technologies being used by the public today.How, then, do these spinoffs originate? Each spinoff starts with a NASA mission, which drives the development of new technologies in order to make the mission a success. NASA partners with industry, academia, and other Federal entities to jointly develop technologies, and mature and test the technologies using shared laboratories, test beds, and facilities. Through these partnerships, all sides can leverage one another’s ideas and investments that lead to new capabilities and benefits. One benefit of such partnerships is that the technologies can often be applied outside of a mission in various markets. Many talented people at NASA and its partnering entities are responsible for making these partnerships successful. Those working on behalf of NASA include NASA researchers, engineers, and contractors who create technologies for NASA, plus the Innovative Partnerships Program staff, licensing agents, and legal counsel who make the partnerships work. NASA’s partners are technologists, new business developers, and the business talent who conceive opportunities and create new products. These experts bring with them a wealth of Spinoff 2005 s t i f e n e B P i h s r e n t r a P rships toto NASAmmercials part ofacilitatesf NASA-y. Theseenhance partnepplies to coets. Aency ftion onolog they SA seeks to create industry elop technology that both asion needs and contributes mpetitiveness in global markSA’s statutory charter, the Agtransfer and commercializansored research and techrts not only support NASA,quality of life here on Earth. Avs Ae ooe NdemicoNthspeffth