NASA spinoffs: Bring space technology down to earth

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2003

If you've ever used a laptop computer, had a CAT scan, flown in a commercial airliner, or driven a car, you've benefited from NASA technology. Ideas originally developed for use in space programs from Apollo to the International Space Station have been transferred to the private sector and have found their place on store shelves, in hospitals, and in countless other commercial applications.

In 2002, NASA celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Technology Utilization Program, a congressionally-mandated program designed to promote the transfer of aerospace technology to the public sector. The Technology Transfer Program, as we know it today, has generated thousands of spinoff products and technologies since its inception in 1962.

From noninvasive breast biopsy systems, improved hip and knee replacement joints, and the MicroMed DeBakey heart | pump - which has saved hundreds of patients awaiting heart transplants - to advanced communications satellites, automotive design software, life-saving firefighting apparel, and enhanced digital camera technology, NASA innovations have made our everyday lives easier, safer, and more enjoyable over the past six decades.

Highlighted here are some of the most recent spinoffs resulting from NASA's Technology Transfer Program. Some of these j are technologies originally developed decades ago that continue to be licensed by new companies, allowing older NASA innovations to find new uses in new markets.

Anthrax "Cleaner"

What started as a program to build better greenhouses in space is now a powerful weapon against bioterrorism. KES Science & Technology of Kennesaw, GA, is known for its expertise in preserving perishables. The company's AiroCide TiO^sub 2^ is an air purifier that kills 93.3% of airborne pathogens, including anthrax. It's a spinoff of KES's Bio-KES system used by the produce industry for elhylene gas removal to aid in preserving fruits and vegetables.

The original ethylene gas removal technology was developed through a project sponsored by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Space Product Development Office in Alabama in 1994. It was first used in plantgrowth experiments on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. After the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the company sought to find if the Bio-KES system could be used to combat anthrax spores. Tests proved that it could. It also has a proven record of destroying 98% of other airborne pathogens, including dust mites, molds, fungi, Influenza A, E. coli, and other harmful viruses.

The company's available unit, about the size of a tabletop, is mounted on a ceiling; or wall, and can purify 15,000 cubic feet of air in 24 hours. Uses include mailrooms, hospitals, doctor's offices, and day care centers. A proposed household model would guard against common allergens. (www.kes-pro.com)

Temper Foam

One of the most successful spinoff technologies ever developed by NASA continues to find new applications today. Developed in the 1970s by scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, temper foam was first used in astronaut seats during rocket launches to relieve the pressure of G-forces. After subsequent uses in football helmets, wheelchairs, and airplane seats, the foam was licensed by Tempur-Pedic, Inc., which developed it into Tempur(R) material and the now-famous line of Tempur-Pedic Swedish Sleep System(TM) foam mattresses and pillows.

The material consists of billions of open, spherical-shaped cells that are viscoelastic. The cells are able to shift position and reorganize to conform to body contours, absorbing and distributing a body's weight over its surface, eliminating pressure points. The material recently was licensed by Modellista Footwear in Wellesley Hills, MA, for use in the company's Tempur PRT insoles.

Modellista designed a line of shoes built on a clog-like design that provides comfort and style. While the company provides both consumer and industrial shoe lines, each shoe contains the same amount of Tempur material padding. The industrial shoes also include a stain-resistant leather upper. The shoes are currently available nationwide at Nordstrom stores, at specialty shoe stores, and through a number of mail-order catalogs. The company also is planning to introduce a line of sandals, women's pumps, and men's dress shoes. (www.modellistafootwear.com)

Aircraft Ice Protection System

For the first time in 40 years, a new aircraft ice protection system was approved recently by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use on business jets. Development of the system was supported by NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH, through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Built by Cox & Company of New York, NY, the system combines an anti-icing system with a mechanical deicer called the Electro-Mechanical Expulsion Deicing System (EMEDS) developed by NASA. Using this technology, the company developed the Cox Low Power Ice Protection System. The anti-icing element of the system heats the leading edge of the airfoil, preventing ice from forming. Past the leading edge, EMEDS breaks up and removes ice.