Jul 28 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-212
NASA WANTS TO SHARE GREAT IDEAS
WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking information from potential partners who could provide no-cost brokerage services for intellectual property transactions, such as patent brokering, to help transfer NASA-owned technologies into the U.S. marketplace. "Technology transfer always has been an important objective of America's aeronautics and space program, said NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun at NASA Headquarters in Washington. We want to accelerate the agency's efforts to get groundbreaking technologies and innovations from development efforts out into commercial markets. We're asking for information from broker services on how they might help us do this, without any cost to the taxpayer. This call for information builds on a pilot program by several NASA field centers, started in 2008, to commercialize NASA-funded technologies. The request for information is posted on the FedBizOps website. The notice is available at: http://tinyurl.com/26hycpf NASA is looking to industry for input on what form these technology transaction services might take, including ideas such as public auctions, Internet-based agreements or other innovative concepts. Partners would be compensated through a percentage of licensing revenues from any transaction they broker. This approach will add another tool to existing technology transfer efforts, allowing NASA to effectively move its technology into the marketplace. Goals for the project include promoting transparency of NASA patent license transactions while enhancing development of commercial industry. A primary benefit of partnering for no-cost brokerage services is the potential to make intellectual property licensing processes quicker and easier, saving time and resources for small companies that may have interest in NASA technologies and innovations. NASA is a pioneer in federal government use of third-party intellectual property brokerage services. This activity will accelerate the agency's past success in this area. The program will continue efforts to ensure easier access to NASA-patented technology by U.S. private sector organizations while identifying and developing complementary technology efforts across NASA's centers. An example of successfully brokering NASA technology through a no-cost brokerage partnership was the exclusive license for the Hilbert-Huang Transform, composed of 10 U.S. patents and one domestic patent application, which was part of a lot auctioned by Ocean Tomo Federal Services LLC, in October 2008. The agreement with DynaDx Corporation of Mountain View, Calif., licensed the Hilbert-Huang Transform, a NASA technology used to analyze nonlinear, nonstationary signals. The technology was available to the medical community to help in the diagnosis and prediction of syndromes that affect the brain, such as stroke, dementia and traumatic brain injury.
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RELEASE: 10-115
NASA MOVES 'FAST' FOR REDUCED-GRAVITY FLIGHT TESTING TECH PROJECTS
WASHINGTON -- NASA selected 17 technology demonstration projects for reduced-gravity aircraft flights to demonstrate whether emerging technologies can perform as expected in the reduced-gravity environment of the moon and Mars, or the zero-gravity environment of Earth orbit. NASA selected the projects through its Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology program, or FAST. The selected projects are from U.S. companies, universities and NASA laboratories from 10 different states. NASA will begin flying the projects during the last week of September. The program is designed to incorporate new technologies into NASA's flight programs and other commercial aerospace applications. Reduced-gravity conditions can be simulated for periods of 25 seconds in an aircraft flying repeated parabolic trajectories. The FAST program can reduce the risk of using new technologies during space missions by providing an opportunity to prove how they work in a reduced-gravity environment. The flights also can provide insight into why some technologies may fail before deploying them on a costly ride into the unforgiving environment of space. The selected projects will address challenges such as monitoring human health, managing liquid propellants in zero gravity, maneuvering vehicles, assembling structures and manufacturing in space. Other experiments will test components for new types of space propulsion, life support systems and tools for advanced biology research. Several projects deal with methods to process resources on the moon. NASA will provide no cost, reduced-gravity flight time for the project test teams. The teams will be responsible for all other expenses. This is the third year of FAST flights, which will again use a commercial aircraft under NASA's Microgravity Services Contract. The aircraft will fly approximately 40 reduced-gravity parabolas for four days this fall, operating from Ellington Field in Houston. The Reduced Gravity Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will oversee the test operations. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland will provide support to the project teams. For a complete list of the 17 selected projects, their associated leading organizations, partners and information about previous FAST flights, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/innovation_incubator/FAST/index.html
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