Technological Progress: A Function of User Necessity

Abstract

Conducting the myriad of space launch preparations more effectively with specialized tools that improve existing processes or address new issues requires innovative technologies. Although the mission of the Applied Physics Lab at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is to deliver gadgets to support these launch missions and operations, it is the verdict of the end users of these technologies that dictates which ones succeed and are used. There have been over total 40 pieces of hardware developed at the APL to assist the safety, efficiency, and cost of shuttle program operations in the 19 years of the lab's operation.