accomplishments

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Technology Transfer 2005
Pictured Goddard technologies

(top to bottom):

• Multipurpose Exoterrain for Robotic 

Studies

• Single-Crystal Silicon Mirror

• Submicron-Sized Pointed Structures

• Rotary Encoder
Office of Technology Transfer 1

From the Chief

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

As NASA has moved another year closer toward the goals outlined in the Vision 

for Space Exploration, which President Bush put forth in early 2004, the Office of 

Technology Transfer at Goddard Space Flight Center is proud of its contributions

 toward that vision in fiscal year 2005. 

 During the past year, OTT put several partnerships in place that are providing

 Goddard’s researchers with access to new technologies and state-of-the-art 

 facilities. These resources complement the cutting-edge capabilities and expertise

 already in place at Goddard. By sharing resources and combining our efforts, 

 Goddard and our partners can accelerate their R&D to benefit NASA’s 

 missions—space exploration, science, aeronautics, and space operations—as

 well as Earth-based innovations. That is true partnership.

 At the same time, OTT found commercial applications for Goddard’s

 space-program technologies. These “spinoffs” are expected to benefit

 medicine and public health, commercial aviation, homeland security,

 the environment, and more. We also entered into several partner-

 ships with universities that not only will benefit NASA but also

 will foster entrepreneurship and the next generation of scientists

 and engineers.

 This report summarizes Goddard OTT’s partnership successes as 

 well as our other accomplishments for fiscal year 2005. 

 In 2006, our “partnership pipeline” is filled with promising 

 opportunities for collaboration related to optics, electronics, 

 information technology, smart materials, and more. I look forward

 to presenting those accomplishments to you next year.

 Nona Minnifield Cheeks

 Chief

 Office of Technology Transfer

 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

accomplishments

Introduction ...............................................3

Partnerships ..............................................6

IP Protection ............................................16

Partnering Opportunities ................................18

The Awards Program ....................................23

2 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t
Office of Technology Transfer 3

introduction

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Expanding knowledge of the Earth and its environment, the solar 

system, and the universe through observations from space.

Located in the Maryland suburbs of 

Washington, D.C., NASA Goddard 

Space Flight Center is the nation’s 

largest organization of scientists and 

engineers dedicated to learning and 

sharing their knowledge of Earth and 

our sun, solar system, and universe.

Scientists at Goddard study land, sea, 

ice, and air to understand our changing 

climate. We use our satellites, technology, and know-how to understand and 

protect our home planet by learning 

more about it and how to take care of 

it. We also develop and support many 

missions that will reveal the secrets of 

our solar system.

Goddard’s core competencies include:

• Experimental and theoretical science

• Sensors, instruments, and their 

associated technologies

• End-to-end mission system 

engineering

• Advanced flight and ground systems 

development

• Large-scale scientific information 

systems

• Program and project management

As NASA pursues the Vision for Space 

Exploration, Goddard is conducting 

research and development (R&D) in 

many areas, including:

• Electronics

• Guidance and navigation

• Information technology

• Optics

• Sensors

WHAT 

WE DO
4 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

Technology Transfer

Creating new uses for an innovation—a 

device, a software program, a material, 

a process—originally developed for 

another purpose or application.

NASA’s technology transfer efforts focus on 

achieving two specific goals: 

• Forming partnerships with industry, academia, and other 

government agencies to support NASA programs

• Transferring space-program technology to new applications 

to enhance NASA’s technology and commercial objectives

WHAT 

IT IS

R&D at NASA has relevance to 

many Earth-based industries:

• Health and medicine

• Electronics, energy, and 

photonics

• Advanced materials and 

chemicals

• Transportation

• Environmental

• Homeland security

• Manufacturing

• Telecommunications

• Consumer products

4 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t
Office of Technology Transfer 5

The Benefits of Technology Transfer

Goddard’s Office of Technology Transfer

WHY 

TRANSFER 

TECHNOLOGY

WHAT 

WE DO

Accelerating R&D advances inside and outside NASA and increasing the taxpayer’s return on investment. 

Technology transfer has many benefits. For NASA, technology transfer:

• Accelerates the achievement of space exploration, science, and other 

mission goals, bringing us closer to understanding our universe and our 

home planet

• Leverages partner resources and generates royalty revenue for 

out-licensed space-program technologies, making NASA more efficient with its 

R&D funds

• Increases the benefits of the space program, yielding a greater return on the 

taxpayer’s investment

But the benefits of technology transfer are not limited to NASA. Technology 

transfer also:

• Helps U.S. businesses be successful

• Improves quality of life and public health

• Increases U.S. economic development

Realizing the benefits of technology transfer for Goddard, 

for NASA, for our partners, and for the American people. 

The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) at NASA Goddard 

Space Flight Center is tasked with seeking out and forming 

successful partnerships to meet NASA mission needs. To achieve 

this goal, OTT:

• Strategically evaluates Goddard’s R&D needs as well as its new technologies

• Performs market-based analyses to determine areas of overlap between Goddard’s 

needs and technologies and those of industry, academia, and other government 

agencies

• Identifies external innovations to accelerate solutions to meet Goddard’s needs

• Finds new applications for Goddard-developed innovations

• Forms the partnership, licensing, and other agreements to effect technology 

transfer 

In performing these tasks, OTT utilizes best practices while innovating for efficient 

and effective solutions. 

OTT’s results for fiscal year 2005 are the accomplishments described in this report.
6 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

 Our 2005 Accomplishments

 A d v a n c i n g D r i n k i n g - W a t e r M o n i t o r i n g

In developing its BioSentryTM product line, JMAR Technologies, Inc., of 

San Diego, California, licensed NASA Goddard’s Holographic Circle-to-Point 

Converter in 2005.

BioSentry is a real-time, online system for continuous monitoring of drinking 

water supplies for water utilities, bottled water and beverage processors, and 

homeland security. Goddard’s technology is an optical device that reduces 

the cost, complexity, and size of lidar (or “laser radar”) systems. Initially

 developed for use in direct-detection Doppler lidar systems, Goddard’s technology also 

 can be used for particle counting and contamination monitoring. JMAR experimented 

 with that application.

 Beta tests of BioSentry at a beverage facility used Goddard’s technology, and the company

 has since made other advancements to its product. JMAR credits Goddard’s technology with

 speeding up BioSentry’s system architecture design, reducing the cost and complexity of 

 entering the marketplace.

partnerships

 What are partnerships?

 Regardless of whether OTT is transferring an outside 

 technology into Goddard to advance a NASA mission or

 finding new uses for a Goddard-developed technology, partner-

 ships allow Goddard to work with other organizations.

 Once an agreement is in place, the exchange of technology,

 information, know-how, expertise, and equipment can take

 place while protecting the interests of Goddard and its partner.

6 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

On the Web

Goddard uses a variety of agreement vehicles to form successful 

partnerships, including Space 

Act Agreements (SAAs), Cooperative Research and Development 

Agreements (CRADAs), and license 

agreements. For more information 

about licenses and partnerships 

with NASA Goddard Space Flight 

Center, see http://techtransfer.gsfc.

nasa.gov/lic-partnerships.html.

Why are they important?

 Partnerships allow Goddard to use fewer resources to solve

 its technical challenges while providing many benefits to

 the partner organization, including:

• Access to Goddard’s equipment 

and facilities

• Access to Goddard’s innovative 

technologies

• Access to Goddard’s technical 

expertise
Office of Technology Transfer 7

I m p r o v e m e n t s t o M e d i c a l I m a g i n g

Bartron Medical Imaging of New Haven, Connecticut, entered an agreement for 

the development of a three-dimensional (3-D) version of Goddard’s Recursive 

Hierarchical Segmentation Software (RHSEG), which was developed to rapidly 

analyze satellite image data.

Currently, Bartron’s Med-SegTM imaging device utilizes a 2-D version of Goddard’s 

RHSEG software to analyze digital X-rays, soft-tissue scans, mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI images, and CT scans. The RHSEG software allows Med-Seg to bring 

out image details that cannot be seen with the naked eye, enabling physicians to 

more quickly and accurately diagnose diseases and prescribe appropriate treatment—a 

benefit that not only can shorten pain and suffering but also can save lives.

By extending the software’s capabilities to three dimensions, Bartron’s device may be 

able to produce a much finer detailed view of all sides of a tumor or lesion. Bartron 

President and CEO Fitz Walker said, “We believe this will drastically improve very 

early diagnosis and treatment of disease,” including breast cancer, cervical cancer, 

brain cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and periodontal diseases.

Under the agreement, Goddard will develop the 3-D implementation of the software, 

while Bartron will develop the clinical and regulatory protocol as well as the 

interface for the software and hardware and other tools.

I n c r e a s i n g E f f i c i e n c y o f I m a g e P r o c e s s i n g

Researchers at Goddard and Universidad de Extremadura in Spain (UEX) are 

combining their expertise to improve hyperspectral imaging. The goal is to develop 

new algorithms that increase the efficiency of parallel processing of imaging data. 

Under the partnership agreement, UEX has access to the algorithms in Goddard’s 

RHSEG software—the same technology being accessed by Bartron Medical Imaging as 

described above—as well as remote access to Goddard’s Beowulf PC clusters for parallel 

processing. Similarly, Goddard has access to UEX’s hyperspectral scene data collected 

over various semiarid areas in Spain. UEX also is providing expertise and algorithms 

for additional analyses of imagery data.

Advances in Goddard’s RHSEG software will further enhance its applicability to 

planetary exploration and terrain mapping.
8 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

G o d d a r d T e c h n o l o g i e s A C T i VAT E M a r y l a n d E n t r e p r e n e u r s

Goddard technologies are being evaluated for their start-up potential by participants 

of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC’s) unique ACTiVATE 

program. Launched in 2004, ACTiVATE—that is, Achieving the Commercialization of 

Technology in Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs—is designed to 

increase the commercialization of technology innovations from research institutions 

in Maryland by training mid-career women entrepreneurs to create technology-based 

start-up companies.

“Access to high-quality technology is critical to the success of the ACTiVATE 

program,” said Stephen Auvil of UMBC’s Office of Technology Development. 

“Through this key partnership with NASA Goddard, the ACTiVATE program will 

rely on NASA’s valuable research and long tradition of innovation to provide such 

technologies.”

The agreement with UMBC will also enable Goddard to obtain assessment data 

from UMBC to assist in future NASA technology transfer efforts. Or, if program 

participants see sufficient potential in a Goddard technology, they can license it as 

the foundation for a start-up company. 

Goddard is the first government lab to participate in ACTiVATE and, according to 

Auvil, Goddard contributed more technologies than any other research institution 

in the state of Maryland during the program’s first year. One of those technologies 

successfully moved from Phase I’s opportunity analysis to Phase II’s business plan 

development. 

The coming year will see more Goddard technologies provided to the ACTiVATE 

program.
Office of Technology Transfer 9

T w o P a r t n e r s h i p s f o r S i g n a l P r o c e s s i n g T e c h n o l o g y

One of the most exciting innovations to come out of Goddard in recent years is 

the Hilbert Huang Transform (HHT) technology. Goddard’s HHT technology is a 

highly efficient, adaptive, and user-friendly set of algorithms capable of analyzing data 

from processes that change over time, which is the case for most naturally occurring 

phenomena. As a result, the technology has a broad range of applications and has 

won many awards.

During FY05, OTT successfully negotiated two agreements related to the HTT 

technology:

• BCG Wireless, a small business located in Baltimore, Maryland, is working to 

apply Goddard’s patented signal processing technology to radio frequency (RF) 

communications systems, networks and applications. BCG envisions exploiting 

this technology for RFID, wireless local and wide area networks, and other systems 

where radio interference is a significant issue.

• Goodrich Corporation is working to improve safety of commercial aircraft wiring 

systems as part of a project with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As 

part of this effort, the company is studying the applicability of HHT to inspection, fault analysis, and diagnosis of various types of wires.

As part of these partnerships, Goddard is providing technical expertise on the HHT 

technology, with the companies reimbursing Goddard for this support. In addition, 

the technical advances made by these companies are expected to come back to NASA 

for use in space exploration and other programs.

On the Web

The Office of Technology Transfer 

maintains a Web site with detailed 

information about Goddard’s 

Hilbert Huang Transform technology (http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.

gov/HHT/index.html). 

Other featured technologies available from Goddard also are listed 

online: http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.

gov/technologies.html
10 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

U s i n g S p a c e W i r e t o R e d u c e 

S p a c e - M i s s i o n D e v e l o p m e n t T i m e

A leading U.S. aerospace corporation is going to be 

working with Goddard researchers to better apply 

SpaceWire to its space-flight missions. 

Developed in 1999 under the auspices of the European Space Agency, SpaceWire 

is a high-speed communications protocol for flight electronics. It provides a 

scaled down, simple design that can be used and reused, which saves development 

time and resources while giving system engineers plenty of flexibility to develop 

additional protocols.

Researchers at Goddard have developed a well-tested and well-verified design for 

SpaceWire. Under the partnership agreement, Goddard is providing that design 

to the company as well as helping the company develop new protocols that will 

enable customization for its own missions. In return, the company is reimbursing 

Goddard for this support and will provide Goddard access to the modifications, 

which will benefit future NASA missions. 

T e s t i n g G o d d a r d ’ s G e a r T e c h n o l o g y f o r t h e F - 3 5

Eaton Aerospace, working as a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin, is participating 

in the development of the F-35 for the U.S. Defense Department. Part of this work 

involves supplying actuators to use in the state-of-the-art fighter jet. When Eaton 

realized that its actuator design was exceeding the jet’s size and weight specifications, the 

company turned to Goddard for a solution. 

Researchers at Goddard have developed an innovative gear bearing for possible use in 

positioning telescope mirrors or handheld tools used by astronauts. Incorporating this 

technology into Eaton’s actuator might bring down the size and weight of the company’s 

product, allowing it to come within the F-35’s specifications. 

Under the auspices of a Space Act Agreement signed in 2005, Eaton is designing, fabricating, and testing an actuator that incorporates Goddard’s gear bearing technology. If it is 

successful, Goddard’s technology will fly aboard the F-35.

In addition to the potential benefits to the F-35, NASA also stands to benefit from the 

agreement. Eaton’s work will advance the technology readiness level (TRL) for Goddard’s 

gear bearings as well as reduce NASA’s costs for flight-qualifying the technology. TRL 

advances also will accelerate the use of gear bearings in NASA’s many potential spaceexploration applications (e.g., robotics, space tools, rovers).
Office of Technology Transfer 11

A P a r t n e r s h i p f o r I m p r o v e d L a s e r s

In an effort to increase the stability, efficiency, robustness, and lifetime of lasers used in long-duration space missions while keeping 

costs down, Goddard is collaborating with AdvR to build a flight-qualified semiconductor seed laser. 

Seed lasers provide a stable, single-frequency, low-power source that can greatly improve the total laser system’s lifetime and improve 

the operational specifications. However, flight-qualified seed lasers have been very expensive, relatively inefficient, and large for 

such a low-power device. By working together, AdvR and Goddard researchers should be able to create a better unit.

Using an AdvR unit as the starting point, Goddard is improving the package design, and then AdvR will perform assembly and 

thorough testing. The goal is to assemble the laser’s optomechanical components in the smallest, lightest package possible that can 

withstand launch and flight conditions and can operate for years in space. After laboratory specifications are met and verified, the 

laser will undergo flight qualification, including vibration and thermal vacuum testing. 

If this project is successful, NASA will be able to obtain flight-qualified semiconductor seed lasers for about one-tenth the cost and 

less than one-twenty-fifth the volume, weight, and electrical budget of the present alternative. These lasers will be used in remote 

sensing; rover-based imagers; atmospheric, surface, and vegetation monitoring of Earth; and planetary mapping. Other uses under 

development include a pulsed version of AdvR’s seeder for high-resolution 3D imaging in robotic and servicing applications.

S u p e r - S m a l l , S u p e r - A c c u r a t e A c t u a t o r s f o r S p a c e 

M i s s i o n s a n d M o r e

In FY05, Goddard partnered with New Scale Technologies of Victor, New York, to 

determine if the company’s SQUIGGLETM motor could be used as a cold-qualified 

actuator for future space telescopes.

The instruments in NASA’s space-based observatories require millimeters of stroke, 

nanometer precision, and several Newtons of force while generating negligible 

vibration and heating. New Scale’s tiny SQUIGGLE motor, which uses vibrations to 

rotate a screw, could serve as such an actuator. One additional requirement, however, 

is that the actuator must be able to withstand the extremely low temperatures of 

space.

Working in Goddard’s Cryogenic Research and Integration Test Facility, researchers 

are testing the SQUIGGLE motor at temperatures as low as 4 Kelvin. The team then 

will work together to identify and demonstrate any needed improvements to the 

motor.

Photo courtesy of New 

Scale Technologies, Inc.; 

all rights reserved.
12 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

A c c e s s i n g U n i v e r s i t y F a c i l i t i e s

Goddard has partnered with Lehigh 

University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 

to gain access to equipment within the 

school’s Nano- and Micro-Mechanical 

Behavior Laboratory (NMBL) as well as 

a cutting-edge microscope. This collaboration is expected to advance technologies for NASA’s James Webb Space 

Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled 

to replace the renowned 

Hubble Space Telescope in 

2011, as well as for Mars 

rovers and other spacecraft.

One of the many instruments that will fly aboard 

JWST is the near infrared 

spectrograph (NIRSpec), 

which is used to study 

galaxy and star formation, 

chemical abundances, active 

galactic nuclei, and more. NIRSpec’s 

aperture is made up of an array of 

tiny shutters that can be programmed 

to open and close individually. The 

microshutters are made of thin films, 

whose performance at cryogenic 

temperatures and under torsional (i.e., 

twisting) stress is not fully understood. 

Tests conducted at Lehigh’s NMBL will 

not only provide a useful understanding 

of the thin-film materials used in the 

microshutters but also begin to build a 

foundation for materials selection for 

future missions.

Another aspect of the partnership with 

Lehigh involves the testing of miniaturized low-leakage valves for use in mass 

spectrometers and other science instruments. These instruments could be used 

on a rover to understand the chemistry 

of Mars, such as whether the methane 

that has been observed is biogenic. 

However, current mass spectrometers 

are too large to be used in all the ways 

that space scientists would like. Miniaturizing the instrument’s valves is one 

way that the overall system can be made 

smaller, enabling it to be used more effectively to search for signs of life on the 

Red Planet. Yet those valves also must 

provide high-quality, long-term performance without leaking. Working with 

Lehigh will help Goddard to improve 

the valve interface to ensure the seals are 

effective after repeatedly opening and 

closing.

A third element of the partnership with 

Lehigh is an opportunity for Goddard 

researchers to experiment with the 

school’s new JEOL 2200FS transmission 

electron microscope (TEM) without ever 

leaving Maryland. That is because this 

cutting-edge instrument can be operated remotely. Other than loading the 

specimen, everything—from setting the 

apertures to controlling the alignment 

and acquiring data—can be controlled 

off-site, allowing Goddard researchers to 

image and chemically analyze individual columns of atoms in crystalline 

materials. Goddard is in the process of 

establishing an operation interface to 

Lehigh’s instrument, which will allow 

the potential for space-based remote 

microscopy to be explored for future 

missions.

In addition to the benefits to future 

space missions, the partnership gives 

Lehigh students and faculty the chance 

to conduct real-world research with 

NASA.

Photo courtesy of Lehigh University; all rights reserved.
Office of Technology Transfer 13

A c c e s s i n g T w o G o v e r n m e n t F a c i l i t i e s

Goddard has entered into partnership agreements with two federal agencies—

the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Air Force Research Laboratory 

(AFRL)—to develop joint programs of collaboration that enhance each lab’s 

research capabilities. Such partnerships not only accelerate the development of 

new technologies but also make efficient use of federal research facilities.

Areas of collaboration with ARL include design, fabrication, and testing of 

nanoscience and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices and technologies for use in chemical and biological detectors, power generation, thermal 

management systems, radio frequency electronics, electro-optic devices, and 

distributed sensor networks. Under the agreement ARL personnel will have access 

to Goddard’s Detector Development Laboratory, and Goddard personnel can access 

ARL’s Specialty Electronic Materials and Sensors Cleanroom.

Under the agreement with AFRL, Goddard has access to the lab’s Deployable Optics 

Testbed (DOT). AFRL established DOT to test technologies that are critical to the 

development of future space telescopes. An example of such a technology is wavefront 

sensing and control, which is designed to improve the optical quality of telescope 

lens elements. NASA is developing a wavefront sensing and control technology that, 

through the agreement, will be tested in AFRL’s DOT.

Photo courtesy of Army Research Lab; all rights reserved.
14 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

A t m o s p h e r i c M o n i t o r i n g Ta k e s a S t e p F o r w a r d 

When researchers at Goddard developed its micro pulse lidar (MPL) 

instrument, the technology made lidar practical for routine monitoring of 

atmospheric particles, such as dust, pollution, and clouds. Unlike previous lidar 

systems, MPL is eye-safe, small, simple, reliable, long-range and operates unattended. 

The technology is significantly enhancing atmospheric research, particularly through 

the MPL Network (http://mplnet.gsfc.nasa.gov).

In 2005, Sigma Space Corp. became the second company to make the MPL 

instrument commercially available. Selected for its well-established record for highquality engineering and products for space-flight and other research applications, 

Sigma offers an MPL that includes NASA’s latest design and advances to improve 

performance and reliability of instruments.

Environmental companies and researchers can purchase their own MPL with standard 

specifications or have the device modified for their particular use. Sigma’s MPL 

systems are in use in many lidar stations within the U.S. and worldwide, such as in 

Taiwan and Antarctica.

This recent technology transfer success was recognized by the Mid-Atlantic Region of 

the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, which bestowed MPL 

and the MPL Network with its Excellence in Technology Transfer Award in September 

2005. (For more information about this and other awards, see pages 23–24.)
Office of Technology Transfer 15

N e a r l y 1 5 0 S o f t w a r e U s a g e A g r e e m e n t s

Goddard researchers are continually developing innovative and versatile software, and 

many times NASA allows that software to be released into the public domain. Once 

approved for release, these programs can be used in applications outside of their 

original NASA purpose. 

When researchers at other government agencies, U.S. and foreign universities, and 

commercial companies are interested in Goddard’s released software, they enter into a 

Software Usage Agreement (SUA). An SUA allows Goddard’s software to be used for 

internal research, collaboration, government use, licensing, or other applications. 

Goddard’s OTT facilitated the signing of several SUAs in 2005. Two of Goddard’s 

most successful software programs—the Hilbert Huang Transform (see page 9) and the 

Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation Software (see page 7), which have been extensively promoted by OTT—accounted for the majority of the SUAs in 2005. Yet SUAs 

for other Goddard software programs proliferated as well. 

In 2006, OTT will continue to pursue SUAs for HHT and RHSEG as well as for 

many other innovative, cutting-edge software programs developed at Goddard.
16 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

IP protection

 What is IP protection?

 IP protection involves filing for a patent (or copyright in the case of software) for 

technologies developed at Goddard. Because of the fees associated with patenting 

and because not every innovation is patentable, Goddard’s Office of Technology 

Transfer first conducts an assessment to determine whether pursuing IP protection 

for a new technology is appropriate. 

If the assessment concludes that patent protection should be pursued, OTT works 

with Goddard’s Office of Patent Counsel to ensure that the necessary paperwork is 

filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and then begins to

 actively pursue technology transfer partnerships. Technologies not selected for 

 patenting still enter the technology transfer process, which might include 

 promoting the technology in journals such as NASA Tech Briefs or on Web sites.

 If a technology is still in the “idea phase,” OTT might wait for further develop-

 ment or look into ways to provide additional project funding. (For more 

 information on how Goddard makes its technologies available, see 

 pages 18–22.)

 Why is it important?

 IP protection is important for those NASA technologies that have 

 potential in the commercial marketplace as either a new product,

 an improvement to existing products, or a means to improve

 productivity. Companies seeking to use Goddard technologies for 

 these purposes consider them valuable. Yet that value can be

 compromised, in some cases, if Goddard does not secure IP 

 protection and other companies are able to have equal access to

 the technology, eliminating the opportunity to gain a 

 competitive edge.

 Furthermore, in most cases when a patented technology is

 licensed, Goddard negotiates to receive a licensing fee as well as

 upfront and ongoing royalty payments. These payments are

 shared by the inventor, which provides an incentive to develop 

 high-quality inventions, and Goddard, which increases the return

 on the taxpayers’ investment. 

16 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t
Office of Technology Transfer 17

Patent Applications Filed (full and provisional)

Our 2005 Accomplishments

P a t e n t s I s s u e d

In fiscal year 2005, the USPTO issued six patents for Goddard-developed technologies:

P a t e n t A p p l i c a t i o n s F i l e d

Two types of patent applications can be filed with the USPTO: provisional and 

nonprovisional applications. A full, nonprovisional patent application is a relatively 

complicated document to prepare with a significant filing fee, while provisional 

applications are less complicated to prepare and give the applicant an additional year 

to file the full application without compromising its IP protection rights.

Both types of applications are useful for Goddard’s Office of Technology Transfer. 

A patent cannot be obtained from the USPTO without filing a full, nonprovisional 

patent application. But in some cases, Goddard needs time to determine whether a 

full, nonprovisional patent application should be filed. This is useful when additional 

testing of a new technology is needed or when the non-NASA potential for the 

technology is uncertain.

In FY05, Goddard filed 17 provisional and 21 full, nonprovisional patent applications. Total filings were up slightly from FY04 as shown in the chart below.

U.S. patent no. technology title

6,844,856 Minimum Cycle Slip Airborne Differential Carrier Phase GPS Antenna

6,847,354 Three-Dimensional Interactive Display

6,862,558 Empirical Mode Decomposition for Analyzing Acoustical Signals

6,895,115 Method for Implementation of Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation on Parallel Computers

6,901,353 Computing Instantaneous Frequency by Normalizing Hilbert Transform

6,936,122 Adhesive Bubble Removal Method and Apparatus for Fiber Optic Applications
18 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

partnering opportunities

What are partnering opportunities?

Every Goddard-developed innovation is made available to the nation’s companies, 

universities, and other government laboratories, creating the opportunity for a 

partnership. The partnering-opportunity process begins when Goddard’s civil

servants and contractors who are conducting the innovative R&D to further

 NASA’s missions disclose their new inventions to the Office of Technology

 Transfer via a New Technology Report (NTR).

 In addition to the partnerships based upon Goddard-developed technologies,

 some opportunities relate to NASA mission needs. In these cases, OTT works

 with Goddard’s research departments to determine which R&D projects could

 be accelerated with a partnership that brings in outside technology, facilities,

 or expertise. 

 Once it understands what technologies are available and what needs

 require partners, OTT uses standard, proven means as well as innovative

 approaches for successfully and cost-effectively communicating

 Goddard’s partnering opportunities. 

Why are they important?

Technology transfer is not possible without the opportunities 

 created by Goddard innovators and OTT’s outreach efforts to

 make them known to potential partners. In short, partnering

 opportunities are the foundation upon which all technology

 transfer success is based. As discussed on page 5, the benefits of 

 this success include a faster innovation timeframe for NASA, 

 efficient use of taxpayer resources, enhancements to the U.S.

 economy, and improved quality of life and public health.

18 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t
Office of Technology Transfer 19

Our 2005 Accomplishments

The largest proportion of partnering opportunities stem from Goddard’s wealth 

of technologies developed for NASA. These technologies are reported to OTT via 

NTRs. For new technologies that are software programs, these can go through 

Goddard’s Software Release Process to be made available for future Software 

Usage Agreements (see page 15) or as Open Source Software (see below right).

OTT then announces the availability of Goddard technologies through several 

outreach efforts, including the following.

P u b l i c a t i o n s O u t r e a c h

• OTT submits Goddard technologies for publication in NASA Tech Briefs, 

which is read by nearly 200,000 design engineers and managers.

• For Goddard technologies with the 

greatest potential for application 

outside of NASA, OTT prepares 

Technology Opportunity Sheets, which 

are one-page descriptions of technologies for which OTT is actively seeking 

licenses. These also are included on 

OTT’s Web site as “Featured Technologies” (see below left).

E l e c t r o n i c O u t r e a c h

• OTT redesigned its Web site during FY05, giving it not only a new look but 

a new approach to presenting the content. For example, detailed information 

about the process for applying to license a technology or enter a partnering agreement was added. Goddard’s hottest technologies are gathered into 

a “Featured Technologies” 

page, as well as highlighted 

on the home page. An 

“Inventor Resources” section explains the steps of 

technology transfer from 

an “insider’s” point of 

view and provides a link to 

eNTRe, the online system 

for filing New Technology 

Reports. These and other 

changes to OTT’s Web site 

make it easier for potential partners and Goddard 

innovators to participate 

in the technology transfer 

process.

• OTT created an Open Source Web 

site, which includes nearly a dozen 

software programs. More than 1,000 

individuals around the world downloaded Goddard open-source software 

in FY05.
20 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

The following lists fiscal year 2005’s partnership opportunities, including 

NTRs and released software as well as technologies announced in NASA 

Tech Briefs and as featured technologies on OTT’s Web site.

Balloon Ascent: 3D Simulation Tool for the 

Ascent and Float of High-Altitude Balloons

Common Ground Telemetry Archiving 

Architecture

Distributed Guidance and Control System for 

Satellite Constellations

Navigation Accuracy Guidelines for Orbital 

Formation Flying*

Nonlinear Attitude Filtering Methods

Orthogonal Attitude Filter

Pivot 2.0: Radiation-Hardened, Fast 

Acquisition/Weak Signal Tracking GPS 

Receiver†

Position-Finding Magnetometer for Space 

Application†

Requirements Tracing on Target (RETRO)

Spacecraft Zero Disturbance Momentum 

Unloading by Propulsion

Tool for Interactive Plotting, Sonification, and 

3D Orbit Display (TIPSOD)†

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 

(WMAP) Command and Data Handling Flight 

Software

Information Systems

Apoptosis and Self-Destruct: Mechanisms for 

Management of Autonomic Systems

Automated Segmentation of Insulin Granules 

from Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) of 

Rat Pancreatic Beta Cells*

Board Support Package for the RTEMS 

Real-Time Operating System on the Motorola 

MCF5307C3 Processor Board

CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) 

Software Library

COM+ Simulation Architecture with 

Application to Tethers and Formation Flying

Core Command and Data Handling 

Component*

Data Validation User Interface (DVUI): 

A Navigation/Discovery Client via Earth 

Observing System ClearingHOuse (ECHO)*

Development of a Low-Cost UAV Doppler 

Radar Data System

ECS Metadata Validator

Enhancements to a SQUID Multiplexer 

Readout and Control System

Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition: A 

Noise-Assisted Data Analysis Method

Fault-Tolerant Digital Signal Processing (DSP)*

Flow Solver for Incompressible 2-D Drive 

Cavity

Flow Solver for Incompressible 2-D 

Rectangular Domains

Formation Flying Testbed Software 

Architecture and Implementation*

Generation and Verification of Policies for 

Autonomic Systems

Global Change Master Directory’s MD9, a 

Distributed JAVA-Based Directory Search 

Software System

Global Alert Resolution Network‡

HDF-EOS Extractor*

HDF-EOS Metadata Updater*

HDF-EOS To NetCDF Converter*

HDF-EOS Web Server*

HDF-EOS XML DTD and Schemas*

HDF-EOS2 and HDF-EOS5 Compatibility 

Library*

HDF-EOS5 Validator*

Hilbert Huang Transform‡

Hybrid Numerical Method for Solution of the 

Radiative Transfer Equation in One, Two, or 

Three Dimensions and Method of Using

Implementation of the Proper Orthogonal 

Decomposition of a Multivariate Time Series

Innovative Utilization of the Heap Data 

Structure for Efficient Determination of Best 

Merges for Hierarchical Segmentation

Integrated Test and Operations System 

Release 7-3*

Land Information System Software, Versions 

3.1 and 4.0

Metadata Check*

Method and System for Procedure 

Development and Verification by Formal 

Specifications Derived Mechanically from 

Informal Procedure Descriptions*

Method of Deriving Process-Based 

Specifications from Scenarios via Pattern 

Matching

Metric Analysis Tool (MAT)*

Modular Tracking Filter and Tracking Data 

Source Management Software Library

ODL to XML Converter*

Offset Subtraction

Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) 

Software Improvements and Enhancements

Parallel Computing Tools for IDL*

Paramesh: Parallel Adaptive Mesh Refinement 

Library†

Planetary Balloon Software Theory Manual

Project Risk Information Management 

Exchange (PRIMX) 

Projection to a Dynamical System for the 

Incompressible Navier-Stoke Equations

Propellant Slosh Analysis for the Solar 

Dynamics Observatory

Radio Software Library

Securing Data for Space Communications

Semantic Metrics for Object-Oriented 

Design†

Simple, Scalable, Script-Based Science 

Processing Archive*

Skymap Sky2000 Master Star Catalog Dump 

Utility MCDUMP†

Software Metrics Analysis Tool (SMAT)*

SPAACE: Self Properties for an Autonomous 

and Autonomic Computing Environment

Space Physics Data Facility Web Services†

SpaceWire PCI Card

20 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

Advanced Materials

Aluminum Substrates for Zeolite Molecular 

Absorbers

Design of a Lightweight, Low-Power 

Magnetometer Based on a Single-Walled 

Carbon Nanotube Mat

Development of a Two Part, Sprayable, NonFlowing Polyurethane Conformal Coating 

Resin 

High-Impulse Nanoparticulate-Based Gel 

Propellants

Laminated Plasma Spray Micro-Spheres

Micron and Submicron Pointed Structures‡

Oxygen Production Plant in the Lunar 

Environment: A Vacuum Pyrolysis Approach

Electrical Systems and 

Electronics

Driven Ground

Efficient Ultra Low Voltage Regulation 

Electronics

Electric Field Antenna for Solar Probe and 

Space Missions Exposed to High Photon 

Intensities within the Inner Heliosphere

ESD Strap for Grounding of Lab Coats

High-Voltage Opto-isolator (OP10KV)

High-Voltage Power Supply for Portable 

X-Ray System‡

High-Voltage Clock Driver for Photon 

Counting CCD Characterization

Hot-Filament Assisted Methanol-Based 

Method for Chemical Vapor Deposition of 

Diamond†

MEMS Structure for Electrophoretic and 

Dielectrophorertic Separation of Particles by 

Contactless Electrodes

Miniaturized Double Latching Solenoid Valve

Novel High Average Power Transceiver 

Design

Real-Time Parylene-Thickness Monitoring 

Optical Sensor System†

Thin-Film Parylene-C as a Sacrificial Layer for 

Microfabrication†

Ultrathin Silicon Circuits

Guidance, Navigation, and 

Control

Alignment Insensitive Active Center-ofCurvature Wavefront Sensing and Control 

Telescope Architecture

Altimeter Noise, Electromagnetic Bias, and 

Associated Software†

Angular Velocity Estimation of a Tumbling 

Hubble Space Telescope

Attitude Control System Design for the Solar 

Dynamics Observatory

AutoCon-f: Autonomous Maneuver Control 

Flight Software†
Office of Technology Transfer 21

Split-Remerge Method for Eliminating 

Processing Window Artifacts in Recursive 

Hierarchical Segmentation

Survey Editor and Player Software

Three-Dimensional Solid Models of Scientific 

Data for Education and Outreach†

TicTacToe Editor and Player Software

Tone-Based Command System for Reception 

of Very Weak Signals

Trending and Plotting System (TAPS)

Uncertainty Considerations for Ballistic Limit 

Equations

User-Friendly Metadata*

Using IV&V Findings to Perform FSW 

Technical Assessments*

Web-Based Help Management System

XML to HDF-EOS Converter 

XML to ODL Converter*

Mechanical Systems

Bumper: Method of Retaining Payload Interior 

Structure within Its Skin While Allowing 

Maximizing of Interior’s Components

Conformal Robotic Gripper‡

Fabrication Interlocking Support Walls, with 

an Adjustable Backshort, in a TES Bolometer 

Array

Hardware and Technique for Dead-End 

Welding of All Types of Tubing‡

Inexpensive Enhanced Mobility Pressure Suit

Integrated Structural Analysis and Test 

Program†

Method of Construction Truss Structures in 

Space

Micro-Resistojet for Small Satellites and 

Various Propellants Especially Methanol

Mini Linear Actuator†

Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion for 

Orbital Transfers

Miniature Pump for Long-Life Biomedical 

Application‡

Miniature Redundant Lock Shape Memory 

Alloy Release Mechanism†

Modular Gear Bearings

Modular Spray-Cooled Assembly

Rad-Hard Reconfigurable Bi-Directional Level 

Shifters (ReBiLS) Technology for Micro- and 

Nanosatellites

Robotic Arm with Compact High-Power Joint 

Technology

Rotating Pair Programming Desk†

Space Plasma Alleviation of Regolith 

Concentrations in Lunar Environments 

(SPARCLE)

Space Robotic System for In-Space Servicing 

of Unmanned Spacecraft Application

String Pulley Actuated Telescope Strut 

System

T Slide

TETwalker‡

Unitary Graphite Composite Hinge‡

Photonics

4-Pass Coupler for Diode-Pumped SolidState Lasers

Antireflecting Phase-Retarding Plate

Automated Spectroscopy of X-Ray 

Fluorescence Spectra

Broadband High Spurious-Suppression 

Microwave Bandpass Filter

Broadband High Spurious-Suppression 

Microwave Waveguide Filter for PolarizationPreserving and Transformer

Compact, Wide Spurious-Free Bandwidth 

Bandpass Filter Using Stepped Impedance 

Resonators

Diamond Machined, Freeform Mirror for NearIR Astronomy

Disturbance-Photonics-Controls-Structures 

(DOCS) Toolbox

Estimation of Off-Axis Translational Errors for 

Interferometer Apertures

Estimation of Piston and Tip/Tilt Errors for 

Interferometer Apertures

FiberatorTM†

Handheld L-Band Microwave Radiometer

High-Speed Fiber-Photonic Switching Array 

Using a Monolithic Beam Deflector

Image-Based Wavefront Sensing for Space 

Photonics Control

In Situ Microaradiometers: Smaller, Faster, 

and Scalable to Hyperspectral

Light-Emitting Diode Solar Simulator for 

Photovoltaic Cells

Method for Improved Geiger-Mode Photon 

Counting with Avalanche Photodiodes by 

Reducing After-Pulsing

Millimeter Wave Polarization Transformer

Modeling the Laser Interferometer Space 

Antenna Photonics 

Multipurpose Fiber Injected Micro-Spherical 

Lidar System

Neutron Imaging Spectrometer

New Calibration Method for Cathetometer 

Systems†

Null Assembly with Aspheric Element

On-Chip Active Photonical Fiber Alignment 

System Using Gray-Scale Technology 

Optical Encoder for Harsh Temperature 

Conditions†

Photonical Mixer for Interferometric Beam 

Combiner 

Precision Slumping Mandrels by Diamond 

Turning

Pulsed, 1-Micron, Single-Frequency, DiodeSeeded Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier with 

Variable Output Parameters

Rugged IRIS Mechanism†

Solid-State Laser Gain Module Based 

on a Spoiled Hexagon Geometry

Spaceflight Ka-Band Transmitter

Very High Efficiency, High-Power Laser Diode 

Bars

Sensors and Detectors

Adaptive Sensor Fleet (ASF)

Advanced Autonomous Lidar Instrument for 

Airborne Remote Sensing

Characterization of the HEFT CdZnTe Pixel 

Detectors†

Cloud Water Content Sensor for Sounding 

Balloons and UAVs

Digital Receiver with Interference Mitigation 

for Microwave Radiometry†

Fast 3D Ion Mass Spectrometer for Solar 

Wind and Magnetospheric Plasmas

Growth Method for Improving Short Quantum 

Efficiency in Short-Wavelength HgCdTe 

Detectors

High-Rate Digital Receiver Board†

Light Direction Sensor

Low-Cost TDRSS Tranceiver (LCT2)

Magnesium Diboride Superconducting Coils 

for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators 

(ADRs)

MEMS-Based Image Stabilization for Imaging 

Sensor Performance Enhancement

Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Radiation Monitor 

with a Fresnel Zone Plate

Superconducting Tunnel Junction Arrays for 

UV Photon Detection

Use of Strain Gauges to Detect Bonded Joint 

Failures of Integrated Science Instrument 

Module (ISIM) at Cryogenic Temperatures

Thermal and Cryogenic Systems

Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization 

Refrigerator for Cooling to 10 MK and Below

Free Vibration of Square Plate and 

Poisson’s Ratio Measurement at Cryogenic 

Temperatures

High Heat Flux Evaporator for Two-Phase 

Transport Loops

Kinematic Kevlar Suspension System for an 

Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator†

Lightweight Low-Current 10 Kelvin Magnet for 

Space-Flight ASRs

Metallurgical Stabilization Methods for 

Aluminum Mirrors Used in Cryogenic 

Environments†

Miniaturized Thermal-Cooler for IC 

Application

Spray Cooling Heat Transfer Numerical 

Modeling

Spray Cooling Heat Transfer Suction 

Evaporator

Thermal Transpiration Pump

Tightly Packaged Integral Flexure Mount 

Design for Cryogenic, Metal Mirrors for 

Astronomy Instruments

Office of Technology Transfer 21

Notes:

† Published in NASA Tech Briefs

‡ Featured technology (http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov/technologies.html)

* Software released during FY05
22 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

E v e n t s

∑ More than 100 Goddard scientists 

and researchers attended OTT’s 

annual NTR Program in April 2005. 

Held at the Newton White Mansion 

in Mitchellville, Maryland, this event 

honors those who have reported 

new technologies or otherwise 

participated in technology transfer 

during the previous year. (For more 

information about OTT’s awards 

program, see pages 23–24.)

∑ OTT presented three sessions as part 

of its Technology Transfer Investment 

Workshop series, which is designed 

to help researchers participate in 

the forming of high-impact partnerships. The final workshop for FY05 

featured one of the authors of the 

highly acclaimed book The Innovator’s 

Solution: Michael Raynor. The more 

than 100 Goddard researchers 

attending the workshop learned about 

make-vs.-buy decision making and 

“disruptive” technologies.

∑ OTT held a Joint Venture Workshop in Utica, New York. 

Designed to explore areas of mutual R&D interest and 

opportunities for joint research, the event was attended 

by more than 50 senior executives from 

41 organizations. Several potential 

partnerships are being pursued.

∑ OTT attended more than 20 conferences hosted 

by other organizations to promote Goddard’s 

partnering opportunities, including the National 

Design and Engineering Show, the RoboBusiness 

conference, a homeland security conference, 

small business conferences, and NASA Tech 

Briefs Nanotech 2005. These events gave OTT 

staff and Goddard researchers the opportunity to 

interact with potential partners, and several partnerships are being pursued.
Office of Technology Transfer 23

the awards program

 What is the Awards Program?

 The Goddard OTT Awards Program consists of three types of 

 awards. OTT submits Goddard technologies for NASA honors,

 such as Space Act Awards, which are sponsored by NASA’s

 Inventions and Contributions Board (http://icb.nasa.gov).

 Secondly, Goddard technologies and innovators are eligible for

 awards from several external organizations, and OTT leads or

 assists in the application process. Finally, every year OTT 

 bestows its own prestigious award, the Kerley Award, to honor 

 a Goddard innovator who demonstrates exceptional 

 commitment to technology transfer.

Why is it important?

 Awards are important for several reasons. Recognizing

 the inspiration and dedication of Goddard innovators

 encourages them to strive for excellence in their 

 scientific and engineering R&D. In addition,

 rewarding them for participating in technology

 transfer serves as valuable “word-of-mouth advertis-

 ing” for this important NASA venture. Finally, the

 media coverage for awards boosts the nation’s

 view of NASA Goddard as a source for innova-

 tive technology and collaborative partnerships

 for cutting-edge R&D.
24 2 0 0 5 A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s R e p o r t

Our 2005 Accomplishments

∑ Goddard’s Center Director Dr. Edward 

Weiler presented OTT’s 2005 Kerley 

Award to Peter Shirron for his work in 

transferring his adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator technology.

∑ OTT prepared the winning 

nomination for James Tilton 

for the Goddard’s Excellence 

in Information Science 

and Technology Award for his Recursive Hierarchical 

Segmentation (RHSEG) software (see page 7).

∑ OTT prepared the nomination for two technologies 

that went on to win the 2005 Federal Laboratory 

Consortium (FLC) Mid-Atlantic Regional 

Excellence in Technology Transfer Award. The 

winning technologies were Goddard’s Micro Pulse 

Lidar (MPL) and the MPL Network, which were 

spearheaded by Dr. James D. Spinhirne (front left) 

and Dr. Ellsworth Welton (front right), respectively. 

Also pictured (l to r) are team members Luis A. 

Ramos-Izquierdo, Sandra Valencia, Dennis Hlavka, 

and Stan Scott. 

∑ Goddard’s Land Information 

System (LIS) software was a cowinner of NASA’s 2005 Software of 

the Year Award, which recognizes 

excellence in software technology 

and places emphasis on those 

innovations that have a positive 

impact on NASA’s mission and 

others areas of science and technology.

In FY05, OTT coordinated the application efforts for various awards 

from NASA’s Inventions and Contributions Board, which resulted in the 

following:

∑ Space Act Awards for 10 

technologies (24 innovators)

Recognize exceptional scientific 

and technical contributions to 

NASA’s mission

∑ Patent Awards for 10 

technologies (16 innovators) 

Honor researchers whose 

inventions have received 

approval for patent application 

by NASA

∑ Software Release Awards for 

19 technologies (37 innovators)

Given to developers of software that has been approved 

for release by NASA to qualified 

users

∑ Tech Brief Awards for 19 

technologies (25 innovators) 

Presented to researchers whose 

innovations have been reported in 

NASA Tech Briefs

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Office of Technology Transfer

Building 22, Room 290

Code 504

 Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

 phone: (301) 286-5810

 fax: (301) 286-0301

 e-mail: techtransfer@gsfc.nasa.gov

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

 www.nasa.gov

 NP-2006-3-757-GSFC