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A brief summary of a comprehensive state of the art survey is presented. The survey includes five broadly applicable technology areas: flight path management, aircraft control systems, crew station & human factors, integration & interfacing technology, and fundamental technology. In addition the survey included military technologies which have a technology transfer potential to the five broadly applicable technology areas.
A two-year program was conducted to develop and commercially implement selected casting manufacturing technologies to enable significant reductions in the costs of castings, increase the complexity and dimensional accuracy of castings, and reduce the development times for delivery of high quality castings. The industry-led R&D project was cost shared with NASA's Aerospace Industry Technology Program (AITP). The Rocketdyne Division of Boeing North American, Inc. served as the team lead with participation from Lockheed Martin, Ford Motor Company, Howmet Corporation, PCC Airfoils, General Electric, UES, Inc., University of Alabama, Auburn University, Robinson, Inc., Aracor, and NASA-LeRC. The technical effort was organized into four distinct tasks. The accomplishments reported herein. Task 1.0 developed advanced simulation technology for core molding. Ford headed up this task. On this program, a specialized core machine was designed and built. Task 2.0 focused on intelligent process control for precision core molding. Howmet led this effort. The primary focus of these experimental efforts was to characterize the process parameters that have a strong impact on dimensional control issues of injection molded cores during their fabrication. Task 3.0 developed and applied rapid prototyping to produce near net shape castings. Rocketdyne was responsible for this task. CAD files were generated using reverse engineering, rapid prototype patterns were fabricated using SLS and SLA, and castings produced and evaluated. Task 4.0 was aimed at developing technology transfer. Rocketdyne coordinated this task. Casting related technology, explored and evaluated in the first three tasks of this program, was implemented into manufacturing processes.
"Partnership is more than just coordination," stated then-Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Major General Dick Paul (USAF-Ret), at this year's National Space and Missile Materials Symposium. His comment referred to the example of the joint planning and program execution provided by the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT) Materials Working Group (IMWG). Most people agree that fiscal pressures imposed by shrinking budgets have made it extremely difficult to build upon our existing technical capabilities. In times of sufficient budgets, building advanced systems poses no major difficulties. However, with today's budgets, realizing enhanced capabilities and developing advanced systems often comes at an unaffordable cost. Overcoming this problem represents both a challenge and an opportunity to develop new business practices that allow us to develop advanced technologies within the restrictions imposed by current funding levels. Coordination of technology developments between different government agencies and organizations is a valuable tool for technology transfer. However, rarely do the newly developed technologies have direct applicability to other ongoing programs. Technology requirements are typically determined up-front during the program planning stage so that schedule risk can be minimized. The problem with this process is that the costs associated with the technology development are often borne by a single program. Additionally, the potential exists for duplication of technical effort. Changing this paradigm is a difficult process but one that can be extremely worthwhile should the right opportunity arise. The IMWG is one such example where NASA, the DoD, and industry have developed joint requirements that are intended to satisfy multiple program needs. More than mere coordination, the organizations comprising the group come together as partners, sharing information and resources, proceeding from a joint roadmap.
The Earth-Sun system Technology Office (ESTO) works with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to supplement its own technology development program. The SBIR/STTR program is a highly competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential to fulfill technology needs identified by ESTO. SBIR program has three phases. The Phase 1 contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $70,000, and Phase 2 contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $600,000. For Phase 3, the small business must find funding in the private sector or other non-SBIR federal agency funding. During this phase ESTO evaluates Phase 2 graduates and selects those that need to be further developed for airborne or spaceflight demonstration and provides funding. This paper will discuss the all three phases in and role of ESTO in this program.
The conceptual design of a space station Technology Development Mission (TDM) experiment to demonstrate and evaluate cryogenic fluid storage and transfer technologies is presented. The experiment will be deployed on the initial operational capability (IOC) space station for a four-year duration. It is modular in design, consisting of three phases to test the following technologies: passive thermal technologies (phase 1), fluid transfer (phase 2), and active refrigeration (phase 3). Use of existing hardware was a primary consideration throughout the design effort. A conceptual design of the experiment was completed, including configuration sketches, system schematics, equipment specifications, and space station resources and interface requirements. These requirements were entered into the NASA Space Station Mission Data Base. A program plan was developed defining a twelve-year development and flight plan. Program cost estimates are given.
A high-efficiency radioisotope power system was being developed for long-duration NASA space science missions. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) managed a flight contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company to build Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generators (ASRGs), with support from NASA Glenn Research Center. DOE initiated termination of that contract in late 2013, primarily due to budget constraints. Sunpower, Inc., held two parallel contracts to produce Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASCs), one with Lockheed Martin to produce ASC-F flight units, and one with Glenn for the production of ASC-E3 engineering unit "pathfinders" that are built to the flight design. In support of those contracts, Glenn provided testing, materials expertise, Government-furnished equipment, inspection capabilities, and related data products to Lockheed Martin and Sunpower. The technical support included material evaluations, component tests, convertor characterization, and technology transfer. Material evaluations and component tests were performed on various ASC components in order to assess potential life-limiting mechanisms and provide data for reliability models. Convertor level tests were conducted to characterize performance under operating conditions that are representative of various mission conditions. Despite termination of the ASRG flight development contract, NASA continues to recognize the importance of high-efficiency ASC power conversion for Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) and continues investment in the technology, including the continuation of the ASC-E3 contract. This paper describes key Government support for the ASRG project and future tests to be used to provide data for ongoing reliability assessments.
NASA researchers developed the Precision Departure Release Capability (PDRC) concept to improve the tactical departure scheduling process. The PDRC system is comprised of: 1) a surface automation system that computes ready time predictions and departure runway assignments, 2) an en route scheduling automation tool that uses this information to estimate ascent trajectories to the merge point and computes release times and, 3) an interface that provides two-way communication between the two systems. To minimize technology transfer issues and facilitate its adoption by TMCs and Frontline Managers (FLM), NASA developed the PDRC prototype using the Surface Decision Support System (SDSS) for the Tower surface automation tool, a research version of the FAA TMA (RTMA) for en route automation tool and a digital interface between the two DSTs to facilitate coordination.
This paper describes the approach followed in the design of a service robot for health care applications. Under the auspices of the NASA Technology Transfer program, a partnership was established between JPL and RWI, a manufacturer of mobile robots, to design and evaluate a mobile robot for health care assistance to the elderly and the handicapped. The main emphasis of the first phase of the project is on the development on a multi-modal operator interface and its evaluation by health care professionals and users. This paper describes the architecture of the system, the evaluation method used, and some preliminary results of the user evaluation.
The objective of the Research Triangle Institute Technology Transfer Team is to assist NASA in achieving widespread utilization of aerospace technology in terrestrial applications. Widespread utilization implies that the application of NASA technology is to benefit a significant sector of the economy and population of the Nation. This objective is best attained by stimulating the introduction of new or improved commercially available devices incorporating aerospace technology. A methodology is presented for the team's activities as an active transfer agent linking NASA Field Centers, industry associations, user groups, and the medical community. This methodology is designed to: (1) identify priority technology requirements in industry and medicine, (2) identify applicable NASA technology that represents an opportunity for a successful solution and commercial product, (3) obtain the early participation of industry in the transfer process, and (4) successfully develop a new product based on NASA technology.
NASA's Application Systems Verification and Transfer Projects (ASVTs) are deliberate efforts to facilitate the transfer of applications of NASA-developed space technology to users such as federal agencies, state and local governments, regional planning groups, public service institutions, and private industry. This study focused on the role of documentation in facilitating technology transfer both to primary users identified during project planning and to others with similar information needs. It was understood that documentation can be used effectively when it is combined with informal (primarily verbal) communication within each user community and with other formal techniques such as organized demonstrations and training programs. Documentation examples from eight ASVT projects and one potential project were examined to give scope to the investigation.
The results of a focused technology program (FTP), its management structure, the development of the Space Shuttle, and lessons applicable to future space programs such as a space station are discussed. A committee was formed by NASA in 1969 to define the technologies necessary for a reusable spacecraft. Basic and applied research assessments were featured at the beginning of the process. Working groups were established to cover all necessary areas, e.g., Operations, Structures and Materials, Aerothermodynamics, etc., and tasks were distributed to appropriate NASA centers. Funding was drawn from existing budgets. The FTP proceeded successfully because of an understanding of the respective roles of industry and government, the willingness of industry to invest early in a new technology, and the unclassified status of information generated by the program. The in-house design and technology transfer methods that brought the project to a technology demonstration phase are explored, noting the necessity for users to take part in the development within their field.
The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) Partnership Awards Grant to California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) has two primary goals that help to achieve NASA objectives. The overall objectives of the NASA Partnership Awards are to create opportunities for joint University NASA/Government sponsored research and related activities. One of the goals of the grant is to have university faculty researchers participate and contribute to the development of NASA technology that supports NASA goals for research and development (R&D) in Aeronautics and Astronautics. The other goal is technology transfer in the other direction, where NASA developed technology is made available to the general public and more specifically, targeted to industries that can profit from utilization of government developed technology. This years NASA Dryden Partnership Awards grant to CSULA entitled, "Computer Simulation of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Systems", has two major tasks that satisfy overall NASA objectives. The first task conducts basic and applied research that contributes to technology development at the Dryden Flight Research Center. The second part of the grant provides for dissemination of NASA developed technology, by using the teaching environment created in the CSULA classroom. The second task and how this is accomplished is the topic of this paper. The NASA STARS (Structural Analysis Routines) computer simulation program is used at the Dryden center to support flight testing of high-performance experimental aircraft and to conduct research and development of new and advanced Aerospace technology.
Working in concert with the NASA Technology Transfer and Partnership Office, the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center, and Alchemitron Corporation of Elgin, Illinois, the NASA Glenn Research Center has applied nonlinear acoustic principles to industrial applications. High-intensity ultrasonic beam techniques employ the effects of acoustic radiation pressure and acoustic streaming to manipulate the behavior of liquids. This includes propelling liquids, moving bubbles, and ejecting liquids as droplets and fountains. Since these effects can be accomplished without mechanical pumps or moving parts, we are exploring how these techniques could be used to manipulate liquids in space applications. Some of these acoustic techniques could be used both in normal Earth gravity and in the microgravity of space.
Utilization of NASA technology and its application to medicine is discussed. The introduction of new or improved commercially available medical products and incorporation of aerospace technology is outlined. A biopolar donor-recipient model of medical technology transfer is presented to provide a basis for the methodology. The methodology is designed to: (1) identify medical problems and NASA technology that, in combination, constitute opportunities for successful medical products; (2) obtain the early participation of industry in the transfer process; and (3) obtain acceptance by the medical community of new medical products based on NASA technology. Two commercial transfers were completed: the ocular screening device, a system for quick detection of vision problems in preschool children, and Porta-Fib III, a hospital monitoring unit. Two institutional transfers were completed: implant materials testing, the application of NASA fracture control technology to improve reliability of metallic prostheses, and incinerator monitoring, a quadrupole mass spectrometer to monitor combustion products of municipal incinerators. Mobility aids for the blind and ultrasound diagnosis of burn depth are also studied.
Operation of university-based technology and information transfer center
Technology Access for Product Innovation (TAP-IN), the largest technology deployment project funded by TRP, was competitively selected through a national solicitation for proposals. TAP-IN was created to help companies access and apply defense technologies and help defense-dependent companies enter new commercial markets. Defense technologies included technologies developed by DoD, DOE, NASA, and their contractors. TAP-IN was structured to provide region-based technology access services that were able to draw on technology resources nationwide. TAP-IN provided expert assistance in all stages of the commercialization process from concept through prototype design to capital sourcing and marketing strategy. TAP-IN helped companies locate new technology, identify business partners, secure financing, develop ideas for new products, identify new markets, license technology, solve technical problems, and develop company-specific applications of federal technology. TAP-IN leveraged NASA's existing commercial technology network to create an integrated national network of organizations that assisted companies in every state. In addition to NASA's six regional technology transfer centers (RTTCs), TAP-IN included business and technology development organizations in every state, the Industrial Designers Society of America, and the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC).
The NASA New England Outreach Center in Nashua, New Hampshire was established to serve as a catalyst for heightening regional business awareness of NASA procurement, technology and commercialization opportunities. Emphasis is placed on small business participation, with the highest priority given to small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, HUBZone businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. The Center assists firms and organizations to understand NASA requirements and to develop strategies to capture NASA related procurement and technology opportunities. The establishment of the NASA Outreach Center serves to stimulate business in a historically underserved area. NASA direct business awards have traditionally been highly present in the West, Midwest, South, and Southeast areas of the United States. The Center guides and assists businesses and organizations in the northeast to target opportunities within NASA and its prime contractors and capture business and technology opportunities. The Center employs an array of technology access, one-on-one meetings, seminars, site visits, and targeted conferences to acquaint Northeast firms and organizations with representatives from NASA and its prime contractors to learn about and discuss opportunities to do business and access the inventory of NASA technology. This stimulus of interaction also provides firms and organizations the opportunity to propose the use of their developed technology and ideas for current and future requirements at NASA. The Center provides a complement to the NASA Northeast Regional Technology Transfer Center in developing prospects for commercialization of NASA technology. In addition, the Center responds to local requests for assistance and NASA material and documents, and is available to address immediate concerns and needs in assessing opportunities, timely support to interact with NASA Centers on a local level, and develop easy access to information. The Center acts in the manner of a "NASA Center or Field Office" with direction from NASA Headquarters, Code K.
The inability to seamlessly disseminate data securely over a high-integrity, wireless broadband network has been identified as a primary technical barrier to providing an order-of-magnitude increase in aviation capacity and safety. Secure, autonomous communications to and from aircraft will enable advanced, automated, data-intensive air traffic management concepts, increase National Air Space (NAS) capacity, and potentially reduce the overall cost of air travel operations. For the first time ever, secure, mobile, network technology was designed, developed, and demonstrated with state-ofthe- art protocols and applications by a diverse, cooperative Government-industry team led by the NASA Glenn Research Center. This revolutionary technology solution will make fundamentally new airplane system capabilities possible by enabling secure, seamless network connections from platforms in motion (e.g., cars, ships, aircraft, and satellites) to existing terrestrial systems without the need for manual reconfiguration. Called Mobile Router, the new technology autonomously connects and configures networks as they traverse from one operating theater to another. The Mobile Router demonstration aboard the Neah Bay, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel stationed in Cleveland, Ohio, accomplished secure, seamless interoperability of mobile network systems across multiple domains without manual system reconfiguration. The Neah Bay was chosen because of its low cost and communications mission similarity to low-Earth-orbiting satellite platforms. This technology was successfully advanced from technology readiness level (TRL) 2 (concept and/or application formation) to TRL 6 (system model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment). The secure, seamless interoperability offered by the Mobile Router and encryption device will enable several new, vehicle-specific and systemwide technologies to perform such things as remote, autonomous aircraft performance monitoring and early detection and mitigation of potential equipment malfunctions. As an additional benefit, team advancements were incorporated into open standards, ensuring technology transfer. Low-cost, commercial products incorporating the new technology are already available. Furthermore, these products are fully interoperable with legacy network technology equipment currently being used throughout the world.