Science and technology enthusiasts look forward to reading NASA's annual Spinoff magazine, where they showcase interesting innovations that help the economy, protect the planet, and save lives. This year, Spinoff 2022 showcases dozens of technologies that have become part of people's everyday use.
The NASA logo is displayed at the agency's booth during CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 11, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
NASA Working With Commercial Companies
The latest Spinoff magazine was published on Monday, January 24. Scientists and engineers played a role in developing and sharing the new technologies pursuant to the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. It mandates NASA to disseminate the new technologies it developed within the commercial sector and state and local governments.
"Don't just blast all this technology and science into space. Make sure it comes back down to Earth in the form of practical terrestrial benefits," Wired quoted NASA's head of Tech Transfer Program Daniel Lockney.
Currently, the American space agency holds over 1,200 patents of technologies that companies could apply for licenses free of charge for start-ups and a nominal fee for established companies. But Lockney reminds them that they should have a viable path to commercialization.
He explained that the law states that after they check that the technology works, they identify who can use it and how to get the technology to them. He added that they try to give it for free as much as possible since the law does not direct them to generate revenue for the US treasury. Instead, it tells them to simply disseminate their technologies and nothing about making money.
According to Wired, NASA has identified over 2,000 spinoffs since 1976 and has worked with commercial partners for decades to put together the pieces for every mission that does not only apply to rockets and spacecraft, but also to space food, spacesuits, software, and technologies that monitor astronauts' health.
Commercial companies often have ideas for how to use a NASA invention to make their own contribution, such as the VITAL ventilators, Robonaut 2 (R2), which is a humanoid robot that helps astronauts in space missions commercialized by Swedish company Bioservo Technologies, moondust sensor by Lunar Outpost, and many other technologies.
NASA Spinoff 2022 Highlights
According to NASA, the Spinoff 2022 will feature the following technologies:
- NASA's vertical farm
- An apparel insulator that keeps the body warm in the great outdoors
- A technology that improves air quality that reduces airborne transmission of coronavirus and other pathogens.
- The phase-change materials installed in spacesuits for astronauts can now be used to give race car drivers comfort and better performance
- Robotic commercial lunar landers that will deliver science and technology payloads to the Moon in 2022
- A grip-strengthening glove that is based on R2, will help reduce workplace stress injuries
- Space Pen has helped astronauts to take down notes since decades ago
Lockney said that these NASA technologies give companies and entrepreneurs a competitive edge in their industries and help them shape budding industries as well. He emphasized that the space agency is more than rocket launches and astronauts because they also aim to improve the quality of life of all people in the world.
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