W

Bringing 

Space Technologies Down to Earth

When John Glenn returned to space on October 29, 1998, a 

variety of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center technologies went with him—the

three-dimensional roller locking sprag, a cryogenic turboalternator, and capillary

pumped loop technology. These technologies, like all other Goddard-developed

innovations, may one day be used on Earth as well as in space.

Since its inception, Goddard has pursued a commitment to technology transfer and

commercialization. For every space technology developed, Goddard strives to identify

secondary applications, which can increase our nation’s global competitiveness. These

efforts are based in the Technology Commercialization Office.

The goal of Goddard’s technology transfer and commercialization program is to

provide technology, expertise, and facilities to U.S. companies, universities, and

government agencies. This report presents new and transferred technologies, as well 

as other Technology Commercialization Office activities in 1998.
Table of Contents

Technology Commercialization at Goddard Space Flight Center . . . . . . . . . . 1

1998 Technology Opportunities and Successes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Environmental Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sensors and Detectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Guidance, Navigation, and Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Optics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Thermal and Cryogenics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Information Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1998 Technology Commercialization Office Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

New Technologies Reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Innovator Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Award Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Conferences, Briefings, and Symposia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

How to Reach Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office . . . . . . . . 28
1

Technology Commercialization

at Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s challenging and

technologically demanding Earth Science and Space Science

missions generate a wealth of advanced technology.

Goddard’s inventions, expertise, and facilities are a national

asset that can be used to develop new products and processes

that benefit the U.S. economy. The products and processes

developed by transferring technology to U.S. industry increase

the nation’s competitiveness, create jobs, improve the balance

of trade, and enrich the lives of its citizenry.

Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office seeks out

Goddard research and development that has the potential of

being successfully transferred to meet industry and national

needs. Then, using its technical, legal, business, and marketing

expertise, the office works with researchers and industry to

transfer technologies to the marketplace.
2

Assessing Commercial Viability

Once a new technology is reported, the Technology

Commercialization Office undertakes a technical,

business, and legal assessment to determine

commercial potential. This assessment involves

identifying possible applications and markets,

considering cost and pricing information, and

estimating market size and trends. The technologies

described in this report received a full assessment and

were determined to have commercial viability.

Identifying a Technology

Each year, scientific and technical staff working at

Goddard develop dozens of advanced technologies that

may have the potential for successful transfer to a

variety of areas. Once identified, these technologies

become part of an inventory maintained by the

Technology Commercialization Office. To encourage

researchers to identify these technologies for possible

transfer, the Technology Commercialization Office

operates an extensive inreach program. Inreach program

activities include ongoing consultation with technical

researchers, employee development programs, colloquia,

and new technology recognition programs. Pages 22–24 

list the technologies reported in 1998.
Small Business Outreach 

Extra efforts to involve smaller businesses are made under the auspices

of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The 

SBIR program offers grants to small businesses to meet federal 

research and development needs. A similar program—the Small

Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program—involves teams of

small businesses and research institutions conducting research jointly.

For more information on either of these programs, call the SBIR

program manager at (301) 286-5836.

A new addition to Goddard’s small business outreach effort is the 

Small Business Incubator program. This program was designed 

to nurture start-up enterprises that are undertaking efforts to

commercialize NASA technologies. Under the incubator program,

businesses receive a variety of benefits, including low-cost office 

space, planning assistance, and legal and financial advice.

Building Commercial Interest

Once a technology is determined to have commercial

potential, the Technology Commercialization Office

undertakes a variety of outreach efforts to

communicate its availability and possible

applications. The office publishes various materials,

including one-page descriptions highlighting technologies available for commercial transfer. By hosting and attending commercialization workshops

and trade conferences, the office has the opportunity

to demonstrate available technologies and build

interest among industry and entrepreneurs.

(See page 27.) 

3
4

Selecting a Partner

The Technology Commercialization Office has

devised a series of steps to ensure a fair and

equitable process for selecting a commercial

partner for its technology. After candidate

companies receive information through

Goddard’s various outreach efforts, prospective

partners prepare and submit proposed

commercialization plans. After reviewing the

submissions, the Technology Commercialization

Office selects the best proposal and negotiates a

patent or copyright license and/or a Space Act

Agreement with the selected partner. These

agreements undergo legal review by general 

and patent counsel. More information on these

agreements is provided in the publication Working with

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: The Technology

Commercialization Process, available from the Technology

Commercialization Office.

Success

Through their partnerships with Goddard,

U.S. companies are improving existing

products, developing new products 

and markets, and saving time and

money with improved processes. In

turn, Goddard benefits through 

royalties and partnerships. All of this

aids the U.S. economy through job

creation and helps to improve the

nation’s quality of life.

A Goddard-developed technology is used 

to preserve the Star-Spangled Banner.

A magnified image is shown at right.

(See story on page 15.)
5

1998

Technology Opportunities and

Successes

Goddard scientific and technical staff are

continually discovering technologies to achieve

space mission goals. These technologies—

whether for environmental systems; sensors

and detectors; guidance, navigation, and

control; optics; thermal and cryogenics; or

information systems—may offer benefits

outside the aerospace industry. The technologies summarized here have been determined

to have commercial potential, and some have

achieved commercialization success.
For more information on these

technologies, call the Technology

Commercialization Office’s contact

for environmental systems at 

(301) 286-1098.

6

New Instrument for Measuring 

Cloud Top Height

Goddard is developing an instrument that combines three

techniques to improve cloud top height measurement accuracy.

Cloud height information is essential for studying Earth’s

climate system and thunderstorms as well as for weather

forecasting and aircraft operation. Researchers at Goddard are

developing an instrument to improve cloud top height

measurement accuracy. The new spectrometer/radiometer

combines three techniques—the thermal infrared (IR)

technique, the molecular oxygen A-band technique, and the

technique using the Fraunhofer line filling-in effect. This

unique combination allows each technique to compensate for

the inherent shortcomings of the other two.

A Partnership to

Develop a Low-Cost, 

Easy-to-Use Aerial

Observation System

Goddard’s partnership with a commercial

aerospace company is expected to realize the airborne electric

remote observation system.

In 1998, Goddard partnered with BAI Aerosystems, Inc.,

of Easton, Maryland, to develop a prototype vehicle for the

airborne electric remote observation system (AEROS).

The 6-pound, 8-foot wingspan AEROS includes a

miniature video camera and transmitter to provide 

real-time aerial observation for natural hazard damage

assessment, fire fighting, law enforcement, ranch or farm

patrol, and videography.

Launched from a tethered or free-flying helium balloon,

AEROS requires only a small propulsion system, which

reduces the aircraft’s weight, complexity, and cost.

Constructed of hobby-type wood and fabric,AEROS 

uses small, efficient, quiet, environmentally friendly motors

powered by rechargeable batteries. Operating at an altitude

of 500 feet,AEROS can fly for 10 minutes at 20 miles per

hour. A maximum endurance of 20 minutes may be

possible. During flight, video data are transmitted to a

receiver that provides real-time video images.

Goddard and BAI are working together and sharing costs 

to realize the commercial potential of this technology.

Extensive design efforts took place in 1998, and fabrication

and flight trials are planned for early 1999.

Environmental Systems
7

The single, compact instrument consists of a single-grating

spectrograph that uses three grating orders simultaneously

with bandpass and order sorting filters. The device images

11-μm radiation from the zeroth order of the grating onto

an IR detector with an IR filter and lens assembly. The

bandpass filters separate first-order 750–780 nm radiation

(for the A-band absorption) from second-order 390–400

nm radiation (for the Fraunhofer line filling-in effect).

A proof-of-concept instrument has been built and tested in

Goddard laboratories, and a provisional patent was filed in

September 1998. Goddard seeks partners to further develop

this technology.

Goddard and FEMA to 

Work Together for Public Safety

The two federal agencies formed a partnership to transfer 

space technologies to improve emergency management.

Goddard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) have signed an agreement to facilitate the transfer of

technologies to improve public safety. The agreement links

Goddard’s technology transfer goals with FEMA’s mission to

reduce the impact of a broad spectrum of natural and manmade disasters by improving hazard mitigation, emergency

preparedness, incident response, and disaster recovery.

FEMA currently is interested in Goddard’s Earth Alert system.

Earth Alert combines a new emergency notification system

with an existing communications infrastructure—personal

pagers. The system is designed to feed weather data from

several sources into a centralized emergency response center.

The response center interprets incoming warnings and issues

an alert via cellular communications towers. Earth Alertequipped pagers and fixed receivers located in schools,

hospitals, businesses, churches, and other facilities can receive

the warning message. Integrating the system with a global

positioning system (GPS) and wireless Internet links allows

Earth Alert to provide maps indicating the relative location of

the danger.

As their partnership continues, the two agencies may identify

other Goddard technologies that can enhance FEMA’s ability

to warn citizens of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and

other emergencies.
8

Spotlighting Success

A New Agreement for 

Advances in Satellite Data Analysis

Goddard establishes a new Regional Application Center 

to find practical uses for satellite data.

In 1998, Goddard and the University of Puerto Rico agreed 

to establish a Regional Application Center (RAC) at the

university’s Mayagüez campus. Designed to foster the use of

environmental and Earth resource data from satellites and other

sources, the RAC program allows participating institutions to

receive and manipulate data effectively, inexpensively, and on a

routine basis.

To participate, universities must have adequate computer

systems expertise, remote sensing applications, user constituency,

and supporting equipment. These capabilities are essential for

receiving, cataloguing, storing, and manipulating NASA satellite,

ancillary, and in situ data. As an RAC, the institution supports

the calibration and validation of satellite data, and its research

results are incorporated into shareable global environmental

knowledge bases.

The University of Puerto Rico is prepared to devote portions

of its Laboratory for Applied Remote Sensing and Image

Processing, other facilities, and a multidisciplinary team of

researchers toward accomplishing a variety of objectives. One

goal is the visualization of information by overlaying satellite

data onto images supplied by the university’s commercial

partner, Caribbean Pictometry, Inc. When possible, resulting

applications will be commercialized.

Weather Anywhere 

Goddard is working with commercial partners to further develop a

hand-held weather information device and server system.

Goddard and its commercial partners, Global Science and

Technology, Inc., and Aeptec Microsystems, Inc., have made

considerable progress in developing the Weather Anywhere

technology. Weather Anywhere was designed to provide 

real-time, location-specific weather information via cellular

communications. The technology consists of a hand-held

computer and display system with GPS capabilities. This device

communicates with a weather data acquisition system and 

Web-based server information subsystem.

In 1998, Goddard and its commercial partners tested the 

real-time acquisition of satellite data. Researchers also explored

using neural networks to process temperature sounding data,

which indicate instabilities that can cause severe weather and

wind fields. Neural networks make statistical decisions based on

historical data. By “training” the neural network using infrared

images from the GOES satellite, researchers can obtain

atmospheric profiles for weather forecasting.

To date, the neural network has been verified and trained using

data products from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. A display unit was selected, and testing of the

system design is set to begin in early 1999.

Goddard seeks companies interested in participating in either

transmitting data or forecasting weather products using these

high resolution atmospheric profiles.
Sensors and Detectors

For more information on these technologies, call the Technology

Commercialization Office’s contact for sensors and detectors at

(301) 286-5979.

A Successful Wire Bonding Technique 

for CZT Strip Detectors

Goddard’s advances result in highly reliable, small, light,

thin detectors for a wide variety of applications.

Extensively used in infrared applications, cadmium zinc

telluride (CZT) recently has been used in place of silicon in 

X-ray and gamma-ray devices. Although CZT allows for

higher detection efficiency and thinner detectors, it is more

brittle than silicon, often leading to craters and failures during

wire bonding. Goddard has devised a fabrication technique 

that solves these problems by using ultrasonic and other

semiconductor-based bonding methods to connect the

electrical wires to CZT strips.

Goddard’s highly reliable wire-bonding technique uses an ultrasonic wedge bonder

with soft aluminum wire, low ultrasonic power, a thick (2–3 μm) layer of gold over

the bonding pads, and a large bonding pad area. The innovation allows CZT to be

used successfully in strip detectors, small- and medium-size arrays, and pixellated

detectors.

CZT detectors can be used in a variety of applications. For example, the University

of Arizona plans to use a CZT array to demonstrate novel nuclear medical imaging

techniques. Other uses include nondestructive evaluation, oil well logging, X-ray

astronomy, airport baggage scanners, nuclear weapons surveillance, environmental

monitoring, and geological surveying. Goddard is seeking a partner interested in

furthering the CZT detector manufacturing technology and helping to transfer it 

to commercial applications.

9
10

A Highly Accurate, Low-Frequency, RF-Induced Current Dosimeter

This device improves occupational safety by accurately measuring the body currents created by 

exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic radiation.

Working with Florida International University, Goddard developed a prototype nonferrous electromagnetic

dosimeter technology that can be used to protect workers in a variety of radiofrequency (RF) applications.

The RF dosimeter provides a direct, noninvasive measurement of currents induced in the human body by

nonionizing electromagnetic radiation. These RF-induced currents can result in pain, shocks, and burns.

Because body size, grounding, body orientation, and contact with other

objects greatly affect the current, field strength measurements are not

sufficient for occupational safety. Workmats and stand-on meters

act as antennas and create currents. Wearable ferrous meters

are heavy and offer insufficient accuracy.

Goddard’s nonferrous technology is worn around the

arm or leg. This lightweight device provides accurate

rate readings in any body orientation without

significantly perturbing the field. The device can be

used by occupational safety and health personnel;

systems developers; technicians; and equipment

operations in broadcasting, manufacturing, medicine,

and the military.

In late 1998, the Technology Commercialization Office

held a technology briefing to describe its patented

technology to industry. Commercialization plans have been

accepted, and a decision is pending regarding partnership.

A Differential Current Source

This device produces output current proportional to the input control voltage 

regardless of variations in load impedance and common-mode voltages on the load.

Goddard researchers have devised a voltage-controlled current source circuit with

high-impedance floating differential output that can be maintained even in the

presence of common-mode voltages. The device’s collection of operational amplifiers

and their associated input and feedback resistors work in concert to produce an output

current that depends only on the control input voltage and the resistances in the

circuit.

The first amplifier-resistors set provides the positive-terminal output voltage that 

helps to drive the output current through a load impedance. The second set acts as 

a unity-gain inverter to produce the negative-terminal output voltage. The next two

amplifiers are connected as voltage followers to isolate the reference resistors from the

low impedances of the final amplifier-resistors set. This last set acts as a unity-gain

differential voltage-summing circuit. In situations where low noise is essential, the

connected amplifiers should be low-noise junction field-effect-transistor devices.

Goddard’s innovation is ideal for instrumentation systems where common-mode

voltages can cause errors in precision measurements. Its low-cost design, made with

commercial off-the-shelf components, could improve the accuracy of some instrument

measurements for a relatively small increase in cost.
11

Spotlighting Success

Further Developments to 

Sensors for Remote Sensing 

of Agriculture

Goddard and its commercial partners further

advanced the capabilities of LEISA sensors.

Goddard’s partnerships with Boeing

Commercial Space Company and Resource21

yielded bold advances to the linear etalon

imaging spectral array (LEISA) sensor

technology. Originally developed for a NASA

space mission, the LEISA sensor uses an etalon

wedge filter to create hyperspectral images of

Earth’s atmosphere and surface features.

In 1998, researchers developed a secondgeneration LEISA sensor that uses three 

256-by-256 indium gallium arsenide arrays.

Conceived as a “bolt-on” sensor to perform

atmospheric correction and improve highspatial resolution, multispectral Landsat-type

images, the LEISA/Atmospheric Corrector

(LEISA/AC) will also provide a unique

hyperspectral view of terrestrial processes.

The field of view has been expanded to 15°

(an 185-km swath for a 700-km orbital

altitude), and the wavelength range is now

0.8–1.6 μm. The sensor operates at room

temperature, which is another significant

achievement. LEISA/AC can provide simple,

compact, and robust hyperspectral imaging

capabilities for a wide variety of applications.

The sensor will be flown aboard the Earth

Orbiter-1, scheduled for launch in late 1999.

Goddard and its commercial partners are

working to develop LEISA further in 1999.

In addition, Goddard is considering transferring

LEISA to international governments, which 

could use the technology to monitor coastal

erosion, volcanoes, forest fires, or other surface

features.
12

Partnership Sought for Integrated Reaction Wheel Assembly

This flywheel technology was explained to potential partners at a 1998 technology briefing.

Goddard is continuing its efforts to commercialize its Integrated Reaction Wheel

Assembly (IRWA). This device provides attitude control to spacecraft. Adding or

removing energy from the flywheel applies torque to a single axis of the

spacecraft, causing it to rotate (reaction). Maintaining flywheel rotation

(momentum) stabilizes a single axis of the spacecraft. IRWA can be

operated with a current (torque) controller or speed

(momentum) controller.

Originally developed for the Small Explorer (SMEX)

program, IRWA’s design offers many benefits. The

flywheel, motor, and all required electronics are housed

in one small, easily mounted package. Its unsealed

design reduces the weight and cost associated with

complex o-ring seal designs. Hybrid ceramic ball/

conventional race bearings provide long life, low

noise, and low vibration. Its modular interface

enables the use of various communication standards.

In 1998, Goddard hosted a technology briefing to

review IRWA’s design and capabilities with prospective partners. License applications are due within

60 days of performance testing, which will be completed in early 1999. Readers interested in obtaining the performance testing results or more information on IRWA are encouraged to call Goddard’s

Technology Commercialization Office.

Guidance, Navigation,and Control

For more information on these technologies, call the Technology

Commercialization Office’s contact for guidance, navigation, and

control at (301)-286-2198.

Cover

Flywheel and

Tachometer Magnets

Upper Bearing

Retainer

Tachometer

Reference

Motor Cover

Test Connector

Lower Bearing Retainer

Lower Bearing 

Base

Electronics Card

Stator

Upper Bearing

Rotor

Spring

Power and Interface

Connectors

View Port

Upper Nut

Lower Nut
A New Technique for 

Autonomous Spacecraft Orbit Determination

This innovation uses magnetic field and attitude information 

to determine a spacecraft’s orbit up to 1,000 km above Earth.

In an effort to reduce recurring operations costs by having spacecraft

autonomously determine their own orbit, Goddard researchers

developed a device that calculates spacecraft navigational data in 

real time. The position-finding magnetometer processes data from 

a three-axis magnetometer and star tracker/sun sensor to determine

attitude and orbit.

The magnetometer’s algorithm relies on the spherical harmonic

nature of the core geomagnetic field. It begins by making a first

guess and then corrects it with a combination of successive

substitutions and Newton-Raphson iterative schemes. The

magnetometer minimizes computing requirements, allowing orbit

solutions to be provided in roughly 5 seconds, with accuracy of

better than 50 km. More accurate solutions can be obtained—to

about 1 km—at locations sufficiently far (in latitude) from the

geomagnetic field equator and the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Although the technology’s accuracy is not sufficient for most groundobserving satellites, the invention can benefit missions that do not require

precise fixing accuracy, such as solar and stellar observers. In addition to its

applications in space, the magnetometer can be used on aircraft, balloons,

ships, submarines, and land-based vehicles.

Spotlighting Success

Company Licenses GPS Enhanced Orbit 

Determination Experiment Software

By licensing GEODE software, Goddard enhances a U.S. company’s global economic

competitiveness and obtains valuable data for further technology improvements.

Goddard successfully negotiated a license agreement with Orbital Sciences Corp.

(OSC) for the use of Goddard’s GPS Enhanced Orbit Determination Experiment

(GEODE) software. Headquartered outside of Washington, D.C., and with operations

across the country, OSC offers a variety of space and ground infrastructure systems,

satellite access products, and satellite services.

Designed to be hosted on either the GPS receiver’s digital receiver/processor unit or

the primary spacecraft computer, GEODE’s navigation algorithms provide real-time

spacecraft position and velocity data. These data are sufficiently accurate to meet the

high-precision instrument pointing and state prediction requirements of future

spacecraft. Accuracy levels are better than 20 m/sec for total position and 0.03 m/sec

for total velocity at an altitude of 520 km. GEODE’s navigational performance is 

not dependent on continuous visibility and can withstand loss of contact with the

GPS space vehicles for several hours without undergoing a significant degradation 

in accuracy.

The arrangement with OSC includes a flight performance data clause, which allows

Goddard to obtain the data from future OSC flight missions. With these data, Goddard

will be able to perform validation analyses of GEODE and verify its capabilities.

13
14

Optics

For more information on these technologies, call

the Technology Commercialization Office’s contact

for optics at (301) 286-2642.

Optical Fiber Cable Chemical Stripping Fixture

Goddard’s fixture provides a highly reliable, repeatable, and accurate

method for stripping coatings from optical fibers.

Researchers have developed a device for safely and effectively

stripping the coatings off of optical fibers. Goddard’s

chemical fiber stripping device is used in combination with

a chemical bath to remove a predetermined length of

coating from a fiber prior to component assembly. The

stripping fixture ensures that the optical fiber is stripped

to a precisely controlled length (within 0.01 inches).

The remaining fiber coating has a sharp, well-defined

interface with the stripped region. This versatile fixture

can use a variety of chemical solutions on many types

of coatings and optical fibers.

This innovation is an excellent alternative to traditional

stripping methods that can weaken or damage the

optical fiber. For example, mechanical stripping can

damage fibers by nicking or scratching the glass. With the

appropriate chemical solution, Goddard’s fixture can safely

and reliably strip away polyimide, acrylate, or other coatings

without damaging the fiber. The technology is ideal for

fiber-optic assemblies used in the telecommunication, cable

television, military, and aerospace industries. It is particularly

well-suited to high-reliability applications.

Goddard is in the process of negotiating a license agreement with a

fiber-optic component supplier. Other fiber-optic component suppliers

who would like more information about the stripping fixture are encouraged

to contact Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office.
Spotlighting Success

When Francis Scott Key awoke that September morning in 1814

to find the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry after a

night of battle, he was prompted to write the poem that became

our national anthem. But decades of exposure to light, air

pollution, and temperature fluctuations have taken a toll on the

artifact. So Smithsonian researchers have begun a three-year

project to preserve the historic flag.

In this preservation effort, the acousto-optic imaging spectrometer

(AImS), originally developed at Goddard to explore Mars played 

a key role. Unlike thermal infrared cameras, which make images

based on differences in radiated heat, AImS uses reflected infrared

light. A team of researchers from Goddard, the University of

Tennessee at Knoxville, and New Mexico State University 

used the camera to make 72 image sets comprising 35 infrared

wavelengths. These image sets formed a mosaic of the massive flag,

revealing deteriorated and soiled areas not visible to the naked eye.

AImS can be used in examining other works of art and prehistoric

cave paintings. Goddard also has a cooperative agreement with

Swales and Associates, Inc., and Georgetown University Medical

Center to explore the use of AImS in skin cancer research.

NASA Helps Preserve the Star-Spangled Banner 

An infrared camera originally developed to explore Mars is helping preserve a national treasure.

Using a Space Technology to Help Diabetics

Goddard is establishing a commercial partnership with a medical research company to 

develop a noninvasive blood glucose monitor using Goddard’s laser diode-based

spectrometer technology.

Recognizing a common bond between NASA’s need to monitor astronauts’

physiological health while in space and the need for diabetics to monitor their

blood glucose levels, NASA, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International,

and Research Triangle Institute hosted a technology workshop in 1998 to help

solve these needs together. Over 150 scientists, engineers, physicians, and

advocates met to consider more than two dozen technologies that might

further the noninvasive or minimally invasive measurement of physiological

analytes, including blood glucose.

Goddard is establishing a partnership with a commercial company to develop a

blood glucose monitoring system that uses technology originally developed for

atmospheric measurements. Goddard’s fiber grating spectrometer uses laser diodes,

tunable fiber Bragg gratings, and optical amplifiers. These technologies, respectively, keep

the spectrometer small, highly selective of spectral wavelengths, and stable while providing

sufficient laser output power. The commercial company plans to use this technology to

develop a method for measuring blood glucose without having to use a pin prick to

obtain a blood sample.

15
16

Thermal and Cryogenics

For more information on these technologies, call the Technology

Commercialization Office contact for thermal and cryogenic systems

at (301) 286-5169.

A High-Strength, 

Heavy-Duty Hinge 

with Four DOF

This hinge allows movement in four

planar and rotational directions while

inhibiting movement in the other two.

Originally developed for the U.S. Navy to

join barges at sea, Goddard’s four degrees-of-freedom (DOF)

compliant hinge uses an array of parallel cable segments to

connect two normally coplanar surfaces. Fabricated of stranded or woven material

(e.g., stainless steel, other materials under consideration), the cable segments are

perpendicular to the connected surfaces. The hinge prevents planar motion along the

z-axis and rotational motion about the x-axis while allowing some movement in the

other DOF for the purpose of force reduction or compliance. By allowing minute

but critical deflections in the other DOF, the hinge adapts to external forces.

It also offers dampening capability and redistributes loads evenly, prolonging the life 

of the joint. This high-strength hinge can be adjusted for varied stiffness or flexibility.

Its ability to handle heavy loads makes it ideal for railroad couplings, linking sections

of causeways or pedestrian walkways, bridge expansion joints, industrial conveyor

belts, and jet thrust deflectors. It also could be used for wheelchair ramps or transport

systems. Finally, it may offer benefits as a prosthetic device.

Goddard seeks partners interested in transferring the four DOF compliant hinge to 

commercial markets.

Cable Holders

Cables

Surface Surface
17

Improving Air Conditioning and

Refrigeration Systems

SBIR funds to a Florida company have resulted in a new product that

boosts the performance of refrigerator/freezer and air conditioning

systems.

At the 1998 International Air Conditioning, Heating, and

Refrigeration Exposition, Mainstream Engineering Corp.

introduced its newest product—QwikBoost. This unique,

low-cost additive to increase the performance of air

conditioners, heat pumps, refrigerators, and freezers stemmed

from a Goddard Small Business Innovation Research contract

to develop heat rejection systems for spacecraft.

Circulating through a refrigeration system, QwikBoost

increases the cooling capacity of refrigerants, such as liquid

hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons

(HCFCs). QwikBoost has a significant solution heat when

mixed with HFCs and HCFCs. This solution heat increases

the available cooling capacity (latent heat) of the refrigerant

during evaporation, increasing system performance. Once the

QwikBoost additive is introduced into the system, it remains

active for the life of the system and does not need to be replaced.

QwikBoost is currently available for automotive air conditioning systems for faster cool-down and more

cooling on hot days. Potential NASA applications for the invention include vapor-compression thermal

control systems for spacecraft, air conditioning and refrigeration systems at facilities, and vehicle fleet air

conditioning systems.

Spotlighting SBIR Success

SBIR Technologies Fly Aboard Space Shuttle

The capillary pumped loop technology and the miniature turboalternator flew successful missions in 1998.

Two cryogenic technologies that were developed under the

auspices of the SBIR program accompanied John Glenn on his

return to space in October 1998. Funding had been provided 

to Cullimore & Ring Technologies of Littleton, Colorado, for

development of the capillary pumped loop (CPL) technology

and to Creare, Inc., of Hanover, New Hampshire, for development of the miniature turboalternator.

The CPL uses surface tension forces developed in a fine-pore

wick to circulate a working fluid/vapor through pipes or

tubing. An evaporator placed near a heat source turns the

working liquid into vapor, which is transported through the

tubing to a condenser where the heat is removed. The resulting

liquid is then returned to the evaporator. During the Space

Shuttle experiments, the loop sustained high parasitic heat gains

and continued to operate in the microgravity environment.

Developed for a miniature cryocooler for space missions, the

turboalternator uses a miniature electrical generator to avoid

conductive heat leak, a radial in-flow turbine to decrease

bearing loss and allow cryogenic operation, and gas bearings

that do not wear out. This technology enables the construction

of small, efficient, vibration-free cryocoolers. Data on the

turboalternator’s performance aboard the Space Shuttle are

forthcoming.

These space technologies may have applications on Earth as

well as in space. CPLs may be used in medicine, the military,

fire and rescue, and recreation. Future commercial applications

for the turboalternator may include brushless DC motor-driven

circulators, pumps for liquid cryogens, or MRI detectors used in

medicine.
18

Information Systems

For more information on these technologies, call the Technology Commercialization

Office contact for information systems at (301) 286-0561.

Segmented Cold Cathodes for 

Large Flat-Panel Displays

This technology replaces cathode ray tube technology to

allow for large, multicolor displays with minimal depth

that offer comparable brightness in a simpler design.

Goddard has developed an innovative technology

that uses segmented cold cathodes to greatly

improve multicolor flat-panel display capabilities.

This technology consists of segmented photocathodes set orthogonal to an array of control 

grids. The display panel’s resolution is defined by the

number of control grids (horizontal resolution) and

the number of segmented photocathodes (vertical

resolution). The photocathodes and control grids 

are housed between an input window and an

equipotential mesh grid.

Displays made with this segmented cold cathode

technology will have 1 mm2 pixels, which is 

sufficient resolution for large-screen home entertainment systems, public message boards, network control

room displays, flight simulations, video games, and

other large displays. The technology also creates a

video image that is brighter than active matrix liquid crystal and comparable to cathode 

ray tube displays. Displays made with this technology are less than 10 cm deep. Researchers

estimate that a commercial system running 2-m wide and 1-m tall could be produced for

less than $2,000 in mass production.

Goddard seeks partners interested in developing the cold cathode technology further and

transferring it to commercial markets.
19

Improving Intensive Information Distribution 

through Electronic Handbooks

NASA SBIR funding gave a small company in Vienna,Virginia, the seed money needed to develop 

a Web-based information systems tool.

As part of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, Goddard researchers have worked with

Virginia-based REI Systems, Inc., to develop Electronic Handbooks (EHBs). The easy-to-use EHBs are

designed to manage complex, distributed information-intensive processes in a Web-based environment.

A key element of this interactive tool is the Database Genie (DbGenie), developed by REI Systems.

DbGenie helps information system developers to create the appropriate user interface. Driven by a series 

of “fill-out form” templates, DbGenie performs database searches, data manipulations, and other operations.

An access control module provides a role-based security system that ensures confidentiality, integrity,

accountability, and availability.

Not only was this technology developed with SBIR funding, but it also has been applied to the program’s

processes. EHBs currently service approximately 35 percent of NASA’s new contracts on-line—the largest

end-to-end use of the Internet in the government to date. Time and cost savings have been dramatic. The

time needed to process SBIR proposals has been reduced by one-third, and costs have been cut by $300,000.

In 1998, REI Systems hired 16 additional staff members to implement EHB technology. The company also

received a five-year Phase III SBIR contract award to provide electronic support to the NASA SBIR/STTR

programs. In addition, REI Systems is teaming with commercial firms to establish other, nongovernment

EHB applications.

Spotlighting SBIR Success
20

Spotlighting Success

Companies and Government

Benefit from Administrative

Software

Formerly known as the Paperless Office, the

Omni Tool Set automates many administrative

functions.

Seeking to reduce administrative costs, several

government and commercial organizations

obtained the source code for the Goddarddeveloped Omni Tool Set software program in

1998. This efficient, cost-saving,Web-based

technology allows for paperless processing of

several administrative functions.

Set up on an intranet, Omni is accessible only

to employees. Authorized personnel access the

system by selecting their user ID and entering

their password. Once the employee is logged

in, the system provides Web pages of automated administrative functions, such as time and attendance

systems, leave slips, facility scheduling, and flexible work schedule management.

Goddard makes this technology available to businesses and government agencies at no cost. In 1998,

NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Division and the U.S. Navy’s Inventory Control Point

requested copies of the Omni Tool Set source code. In the commercial sector, the software was recently

acquired by ManTech Systems Engineering Corporation of Seabrook, Maryland, and AI Solutions of

Lanham, Maryland.

Software Telemetry Processing System Used by Businesses Nationwide

Several companies have found Goddard’s technology for Reed-Solomon correction useful.

The Goddard-developed Software Telemetry Processing System (STPS), which uses Reed-Solomon (RS)

encoding and decoding to improve data transmission, was transferred at no cost to several businesses in 1998.

Manufacturers of satellites and computer chips, telemetry data processors, and data decompression researchers

have found STPS useful. Other applications include the transmission of compressed audio, video, data, and

images via satellite, local area networks, the Internet, or modem—particularly modems using noisy phone

lines.

RS codes normally are used with synchronous data and fixed-length block sizes. If variable-length packets

need to be transmitted, traditionally they are broken down into nearly equal blocks, and packet fill (i.e.,

information that will not be used) completes the block length. This method, however, is not an efficient 

use of bandwidth. Goddard’s STPS eliminates the transmission of packet fill, allowing more data to be

transmitted per second. In addition, variable-length packets/frames can be transmitted as a single unit rather

than separate blocks. STPS thus provides simpler implementation and better transmission of real-time

audio/video.

The following organizations began using Goddard’s STPS software in 1998: GenCorp Aerojet of Azusa,

California; Omitron of Greenbelt, Maryland;Aydin Telemetry, Inc., of Newton, Pennsylvania; Honeywell,

Inc., of Clearwater, Florida; and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.
21

1998

Technology Commercialization 

Office Activities

Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office

undertakes a variety of activities to promote

technology transfer within Goddard and

among commercial industries. These include

tracking new technologies, attending

conferences and symposia, and recognizing 

the contributions of Goddard’s scientific and

technical staff to the technology commercialization process. This section outlines the office’s

activities in 1998.
Miniature Motorized In-Line and Right

Angle Bellow High-Vacuum Valve

Modular Vibration Isolation and Precision

Pointing Device

Noise Reduction for ASE Source

Raman Water Vapor Microlidar

Trash Lure

Ultra-Long Life, High-Reliability Check Valve

Using a Neutral Buoyancy Stainless Steel

Hollow Poppet 

Vacuum Damper Investigation and

Performance Evaluation Robot

Sensors and Detectors

Contact: (301) 286-5979

Facilities include the Detector

Development Laboratory.

22

Environmental

Contact: (301) 286-1098

Facilities include Terrestrial 

Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, and

Hydrospheric Processes Laboratories.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has

amassed a wealth of advanced technologies

with the potential to be transferred to a

variety of institutional and commercial

industries. In addition to the technologies

highlighted in this report, these pages list all of the

transferable technologies reported to the Technology

Commercialization Office in 1998. For more information about any of

these technologies or facilities, call the Technology Commercialization

Office contact number listed with each category.

New Technologies Reported

Barium-Barium Ion Inductively Coupled

White Light Source

Closed Loop IFOG Demodulator

Conformable Meanable Winding Magnetometer Sensors and Grid Measurement Methods

DMD Illumination Coupler

End-Point Detection in Reactive Ion Etching

of Polysilicon

Fabry-Perot Interferometer with Broad

Spectral Coverage

High-Rate User Ka-Band Phased Array

Antenna

Improved Electrical Contract to HighBandgap III-N Semiconductors by Use of

Reduced Bandgap Semiconductor Layers

Ion Source for Mass Spectrometers and 

Other Applications

Microfabricated Structures with Electrical

Isolation and Interconnections

Multiloop Symmetric SQUID

Off-Axis A1203 Substrates for Growth of GaN

and Related Materials

Off-Axis Sapphire Materials

Phased Array Calibration by Orthogonal Phase

Sequence 

Printed Circuit Ironless Stator Motor

Programs for SAR Interferometry and

Automatic DEM Generation

Real-Time Lossless Digital Imaging and Video

System

Redundant Waveguide Switch

Surface Trace Electrical Feedthru

Quatratran: A Superconducting Transistor

Based on Quasiparticle Trapping

Times-8 GaAs MESFET Frequency

Multiplier

Two-Stage SQUID Amplifier

Airborne Water Vapor Micropulse Differential

Absorption Lidar Digital Aerial Camera

System

Efficient Representation of Geolocation 

Data for Environment Images

ESO and GSFC Aladdin Camera

Exploring Technology with Satellite Imagery

HDF-EOS Datablade

Imaging System with Time Delay and

Integration Using a Plane Two-Axis Scan

Mirror in Object Space

Microshutter with Large Fill Factor
Optics

Contact: (301) 286-2642

Facilities include the Diffraction

Grating Evaluation Facility, 

Surface Metrology Laboratory,

Optical Coating Facility, Vacuum 

UV Optical Measuring Facility, Laser

and Electro-Optic Laboratory, and

the Cryogenic Optical Test Facility.

23

Active Magnetic Bearings Incorporating SelfSensing of Transverse Rotor Displacement in

Linear and Magnetically Saturated Regimes 

Automating Human Operations in Control

Centers

Clutch/Brake with Rectangular-Area-Contact

3D Locking Sprags

Dual Mass Vibratory Rate Gyroscope with

Suppressed Linear Acceleration Response

Generation of Mechanical Oscillation

Applicable to Micromachined Gyroscope

Hexapod Airborne Instrument Pointing

System

High-Rate Telemetry Acquisition System

Prototype

Highly Stable Lateral Transfer Retroreflectors

Image Correlation Tracker-Based Instrument

Pointing System

Low-Cost Airborne Telemetry Station

Low-Cost TDRS User Antenna Technology

Low-Loss Pole Configuration for Multipole

Homopolar Magnetic Bearings

Guidance, Navigation, 

and Control

Contact: (301) 286-2198

Facilities include a Global 

Positioning Systems Laboratory.

Microaltimeter

Mobile Range Control System

Modular GPS Receiver

Orbital Debris Mitigator

PC-Based Telemetry and Command System

Handling 4800 Bits

Real-Time Attitude Determination System

Using Java Technology

Remotely Operated Bakeout Box Shutter 

Solar Array Drive

Solar Pressure and Aerodynamic Drag

Spacecraft Component Design Frameword

Spacecraft Environment Modeling Tools

Spacecraft On-Board Momentum 

Control System for Reduction of Reaction

Wheel-Induced Pointing Jitter

Using the GPS System to Determine Attitude

Rates Using Doppler Effects

Radiation-Tolerant 12-Channel Fiber-Optic

Receiver and Transmitter Designs

Reflection Optics Reference Beam Telescope

Reflector-Based Off-Axis Optical System for

Holographic Storage

Shaft Position Optical Sensor

Tunable Compact Waveguide Termination

Visible Laser Diodes Operating from 

0.45 to 0.7 μm

Wide Tuning Range Acousto-Optic Tunable

Filter

Continuous Optical Modulation with

Discrete Level or Other Noncontinuous

Light Modulating Arrays

Dual Polarization Acousto-Optic Tunable

Filter

Fabrication and Evaluation of a Compound

Refractive Lens for Hard X Rays

High-Quality Optically Polished Surfaces on

Bare Aluminum Substrates

Highly Efficient High-Power Amplifiers for

Optical Communication

Laser Beam Scanning in Elliptical Patterns

Monolithic Optoelectronic Integrated

Circuit Using Selected Epitaxy
Dedicated, Individual Web Servers as a

Personal Web Presence

Desktop Satellite Data Processor Control

Software

Direct Hard Disk Drive Interface for 

High-Speed, High-Capacity Data Storage

Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical

Parts Information Management System and

Web System

Ensuring Functional Performance of

Distributed Software in the Presence of

Incompatible Software Versions

File Relay Monitor

Forward Link Simulator Device Driver/API

and PCI Card

Front End Data System/Digital History Data

Storage

Image Transfer Protocol

Integrated Test and Operating System

Intelligent Data Management and Routing

Software

Interleavers for Turbo-Codes

Java-based Spacecraft Web Interface to

Telemetry and Command Handling

K-Latch:An SEU-Hard Flip-Flop Element

Knowledge Server Tools

Level-Zero Processing Software

Mass Storage Benchmarks

Modification of Gnu Cross-Compiler

Configuration Files for UT69R000

Microprocessor

Modular Offshore Data Acquisition System

Modularization and Generalization of 

Web Form Processing Tools

Multiplexed Molecular Analysis System

Nascom Blocks Transmitted in Internet

Protocol

New Technology Ground Support Equipment

Numeric Paging System

Online Prework Questionnaire

Parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement Toolkit

Planning and Resource Reasoning Technology

Return Link Processor Card Digital UNIX

Device Driver and PCI Card

Scientist’s Expert Assistant

SEAWIFS Data Analysis System

Semantic DBMS for Storage of Satellite Data

on Compact Media 

Simple Automatic File Exchange

Structural Integrity Assessment of 

High-Density Microelectronic Devices and

Components

TDRSS Internet Link Terminal

Vision 2000 Common Graphical User

Interface

Visual Analysis Graphical Environment

Volumetric Display Driver

Web Implementation of SEAWIFS 

Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System

Polyimide Insulation Coating of Kapton

Flexible Circuits

Pump and Earth-Testable Spacecraft Capillary

Heat Transport Loop Using Augmentation

Pump and Check Valves

Radial Flow Heat Exchanger

Scan Mirror Remote Temperature Sensing

System and Method

SolarPanel

Structure Attachment Device Allowing

Thermal Expansion and Contraction

Differences

Visible and Infrared Callibration Target 

(or Source)

120 VDC Heater Controllers

Advanced Composite Heat Sink

Automated Liquid Helium Transport System

Flat Panel Radiant Cooler

Flexure Nuts

Gap Welding Preform

Gas Film Bearings for Reverse Brayton

Cryocooler

Glass Cure Plate for Composite Materials

Fabrication

Low-Cost Joggled Composite Panel

Fabrication

24

Thermal and Cryogenics

Contact: (301) 286-5169

Facilities include the Cryogenics

Laboratory, Thermal Engineering

Coating Facility, Cryocooler Test Bed,

and Cryogenic Research and

Integration Facility.

Information Systems

Contact: (301) 286-0561

Facilities include the Fiber 

Optic Interconnect Laboratory,

Electromagnetic Test Facility, Large

Area Pulsed Solar Simulator Facility,

and Battery Test Facility.

Adaptive Scheduler

AgentBuilder

Application Launcher

Communications Analysis Graphical

Environment

Data and Information Access Link

Data Aquisition System at 1 Gigahertz 

and 8 Bits

Data Trending and Analysis System
Karen Richon

John Riley

Naphtali Rishe

A.D. Robinson

Trey Roessig

Linda Rosenberg

Lamont Ruley

Kit Ruseau

Thomas Rust

Steve Sabia

Brian Schieber

Greg Schmidt

Ginny Schmidt

Joseph Schmitz

Robert Schwenk

Jeannine Shirley

Wendy Shoan

Peter Shu

Amit Singh

Tim Singletary

Mary Smiley

Don Smith

Ronald Sorace

Nick Speciale

Robert Sperling

John Stachniewicz

Edward Stanford

Ruth Stapko

Michael Stark

Alphonso Stewart

W.J. Taft

Oscar Takeshita

Joel Ullom

S. VanKyk

John Vranish

Kenneth Wagner

Stephen Waterbury

Robert Waterman

Dave Welch

Keith Wichmann

Randy Wilke

Joel Williams

Kenneth Winiecki

Andrew Wolf

Michael Yachmetz

John Zaniewski

Shusun Li

David Linard

Thomas Logan

J.M. Lombardo

Edward Luczak

James Lyons

Jeffrey MacDonaghDumler

Peter MacNeice

Stephen Maher

Jo Major

Savyasachee Mathur

Matt McCoy

Kenneth McDonald

Mark McDonald

David McLean

Frederick McNair

John McQueen

Johnny Medina

David Mehuys

Joseph Mica

Joseph Miko

Chandru Mirchandani

Alfredo MoreuValentin

Samuel Moseley

Phil Myers

Michael Nahum

Nicholas Netreba

Willam Niemeyer

Brian Ottens

Edward Packard

Hongwoo Park

Eugene Parker

Robert Patterson

Vince Pell

Fernando Pellerano

J.W. Pellicotti

Fred Peng

William Plano

Coorg Prasad

Dean Price

Thomas Priest

David Puckett

Jerry Reddell

E.L. Regaldo

Victor Reinhadrt

James Repaci

Thomas Ajlumi

Roger Alig

Heidi Anderson

Eric Anderson

Micheal Ando

B.D. Arkwright

Sean Arthur

Shahid Aslam

Karen Baith

James Baker

Donald Baker

Paul Baker

W. Balinski

Dan Ballard

A.E. Balogh

Craig Bearer

Edward Bedwell

Jeanne Behnke

Robert Benson

Ted Berman

Kenneth Blumenstock

John Bolton

Norman Booth

P. Bortfeldt

John Bowman

Matt Brandt

James Bremer

John Bristow

Thomas Brooks

Barbie Brown

James Busch

Ira Bush

Marie Bussman

Glenn Cammarata

Charles Campbell

Kyle Campbell

Robin Cantor

Armen Caroglanian

Charles Chalfant

Clinton Chan

I. Chang

Sue Chang

Renu Chaudhry

Engmin Chern

R. Choo

Linda Cingel

William Clark

L.M. Clark

Richard Guritz

Claef Hakun

Daryl Halliday

R.S. Hanson

David Hardison

Puthugraman

Hariharan

Elfrieda Harris

Jonathan Hartley

John Heanue

Greg Henegar

Michael Herriage

Stan Hilinski

Mark Hillyer

Bruce Hilman

Jill Holz

J.J. Horan

Ira Horowitz

David Israel

Clarence Johnson

Jeff Johnson

Chris Johnson

Jeremy Jones

Abhay Joshi

Linda Jun

Thor Juneau

George Kallarakal

Christos Karasiotos

Ramesh Karne

Richard Katz

E.A. Kawam

Karen Keadle-Calvert

Michael Keeler

Ben Keith

Gerald Klitsch

Benjamin Kobler

Lisa Koons

Stephen Koubek

Robert Kuntz

Hesselink Labertus

James Langston

Douglass Lankenau

Edward Larson

James Lawler

Orion Lawlor

Stephen Leake

Kevin Leath

Mark Lemkin

Robert Cohn

Michael Comberiate

Darrel Conweay

Daniel Costello

E.A. Craig

Jack Craig

John Curry

Mark Cushman

George Daelemans

Andrew Daiber

Darush Darvani

Michael Darzi

Narash Das

Richard Davis

John Degnan

Greg Dell

Sandy Dempewolf

Joseph Deskevich

Jason Dowling

John Downing

James Duff

Chris Durachka

David Ebert

Mitchell Eggers

David Ehlers

Matthew Erb

Mary Farrall

Robert Fatland

Felix Fernandez

Jeffrey Ferrara

David Fisher

David Folta

Mark Ford

David Fout

Jeffrey Freedman

Harold Frisch

Gary Fu

Edward Gaddy

Mahendra Gharpuray

Parminder Ghuman

Terry Graessle

Mark Granoff

Trish Gravatt

Scott Green

Thomas Green

Greg Greer

Sandra Grosvenor

Richard Gummer

Technology transfer would not be

possible without innovators. The

scientific and technical staff at Goddard

must identify, document, and report

their new technologies to the Technology Commercialization Office. These innovators also are deeply

involved in other steps of the transfer and commercialization process. Goddard would like

to extend its appreciation to the innovators who reported new technologies in 1998.

Innovator Recognition

25
FLC Award for Excellence in

Technology Transfer

This Federal Laboratory Consortium

(FLC) award recognizes federal laboratory employees whose technology

transfer efforts have been outstanding.

Two Goddard scientists received this

award in 1998. Frank Cepollina was

honored for his efforts assisting the

transfer of technologies from the Hubble

Space Telescope Flight Systems and

Servicing Project to the medical,

semiconductor, tool, electric utility, and

oil drilling industries. John Vranish

received the FLC award for his involvement in the transfer of his threedimensional sprag technology to

household tools, pull starters on gasoline

motors, automatic transmissions, and

other applications in which a cog must

only move in one direction.

26

Kerley Award

Named after the late James Kerley, a

Goddard scientist who championed

technology transfer and commercialization, the Kerley Award is presented

annually to recognize a Goddard

researcher’s commitment to new

technology reporting. The 1998 award

was given to Geary Schwemmer,

inventor of holographic optical element

technology. The commercialization of

this technology is expected to have a $40

million impact on the U.S. economy.

Government Technology

Leadership Award

Sponsored by Government Executive

magazine, the prestigious Government Technology Leadership Award

recognizes projects that have boosted

efficiency and effectiveness, lowered

costs, and/or improved service to the

public by finding innovative uses for

technology. Goddard’s Cooperative

Satellite Learning Project (CSLP) was

selected as one of the winners for 1998.

By involving elementary and high school

students in NASA scientific satellite

missions, CSLP motivates children to

pursue careers in science, engineering,

mathematics, and other technical areas.

Students who participated in this

program have controlled a satellite’s

orbital operations and designed an

experiment for a Space Shuttle mission.

Anumber of award programs have been

established to recognize the valuable participation of

government employees in technology transfer. These awards 

are presented by Goddard, NASA, and other federal agencies.

Award Programs
27

Goddard-Sponsored Programs

AIAA Small Satellite Missions

Symposium

Community Day

Integrated Reaction Wheel

Assembly Commercialization Workshop

Ka Band Workshop

Law Enforcement

Commercialization Workshop

MIDEX Preproposal Conference

Photon Satellite Project Presentation

Technology Showcase

Air and Space

Air Traffic Controller Association

Conference 

Johnson Space Center’s Inspection ’98

Environment

TechnoVentions 

U.S. Global Change Research

Program Native Peoples/ 

Native Homelands Climate

Change Workshop

Medicine

Non/Minimally Invasive 

Measurement of Physiological

Analytes Workshop 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

disseminates information about its space

technologies and potential commercial

applications by hosting and attending

conferences, briefings, and symposia. At these events,

the Technology Commercialization Office demonstrates

technology, distributes informative literature, and offers 

one-on-one counseling to industry about partnership and commercialization opportunities

at Goddard. Through these events, Goddard successfully reached many small and large

companies, academic institutions, and trade and professional organizations in 1998.

Computers and Electronics

Bureau of Export Administration Conference 

Business Opportunity and Electronic

Commerce Conference

E-Gov

EMC Harmonization Conference

Engineering and Manufacturing

National Design and Engineering Show

Society of Automotive Engineering

Small Businesses

Blacks in Government Conference

Goddard’s Annual Small Business Conference

NASA Technology and Business Conference

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and

Native Americans Conference

Technology Exhibitions

Capitol Hill Technology Showcase

High Technology Council of Maryland

Technology Showcase

Naval Post-Graduate School Technology

Review Conference

Technology 2008

United Nations/United States 

International Conference on Spinoff 

Benefits of Space Technologies

Conferences, Briefings,and

Symposia
28

Environmental Systems

Contact: (301) 286-1098

Guidance, Navigation, 

and Control

Contact: (301) 286-2198

Information Systems

Contact: (301) 286-0561

Optics

Contact: (301) 286-2642

Sensors and Detectors

Contact: (301) 286-5979

Thermal and Cryogenics

Contact: (301) 286-5169

Internet Addresses

Goddard Technology

Commercialization Office

http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov

Goddard Space Flight Center

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov

NASA Commercial Technology

Network

http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov

How to Reach

Goddard’s Technology

Commercialization

Office

To best respond to inquiries, the Technology Commercialization

Office has divided Goddard’s assets into six areas of core

competence. Readers interested in obtaining information on

Goddard technologies, partnership possibilities, or the availability of

facilities are encouraged to call the number in their area of interest.

Technology Commercialization Office

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Building 11, Room C1

Mail Stop 750

Greenbelt, MD 20771

Telephone: (301) 286-5810

Facsimile: (301) 286-0301

E-mail: techtransfer@listserve.gsfc.nasa.gov

Internet: http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov