{"id":320602,"date":"2023-02-24T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=320602"},"modified":"2023-09-27T19:56:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T23:56:14","slug":"commercial-space-nasa-has-an-app-for-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/commercial-space-nasa-has-an-app-for-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Commercial Space: NASA Has an App for That"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Space vehicle near the moon and Earth in the distance.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?resize=600,337 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?resize=900,506 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The next space station NASA builds with international partners, the lunar Gateway, will use an agency-developed open-source code to run many of its systems. Commercial space companies are also using the code along with apps developed by Red Canyon to operate planetary landers, satellites, and more.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Software two decades in the making helps private space save time, money<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Research balloons, satellites, and planetary landers may have little in common, but NASA has written a program that can help operate all these craft and more. This open-source software framework, called <a href=\"https:\/\/software.nasa.gov\/software\/GSC-17537-1\" rel=\"noopener\">core Flight System (cFS<\/a>), is similar to a smartphone operating system in that it serves as the foundation for apps developed to perform spaceflight functions. Now, Red Canyon Software Inc. is building those apps using cFS to help commercial space companies get into low-Earth orbit and beyond as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, developed cFS to meet the needs of diverse missions ranging from high-altitude balloons to lunar-orbiting spacecraft. Agency engineers collaborated to identify the most common requirements for NASA flights, according to David McComas, former Software Engineering Division senior flight systems engineer. Now retired, he\u2019s still involved with the user groups developing and maintaining cFS code and standards.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Parker Solar Probe nearing the sun.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?resize=300,208 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?resize=768,532 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?resize=400,277 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?resize=600,415 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_3.jpg?resize=900,623 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Parker Solar Probe is providing scientists with new information about the Sun thanks to a complex system of hardware and software. One program that enables some of the satellite functionality, core Flight System software, is an open-source code developed by NASA.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA\/Johns Hopkins APL\/Steve Gribben<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Because flight computer platforms vary significantly, the open-source code can be transferred across diverse types of hardware. That means apps don\u2019t need a platform-specific interface, so they can be reused for different crafts and missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCompanies using cFS can start with less capital for flight software development costs and get to space quicker, achieving a quicker return on investment,\u201d said Barry Hamilton, CEO of Denver-based Red Canyon. The space technology company has been able to expand into commercial space, which now accounts for 20% of its business, by using cFS to support entrepreneurs and established companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The code provides the foundation for a \u201chighly customizable ecosystem for spacecraft development,\u201d according to Hamilton. Red Canyon continues to add to its library of existing apps, called modules, which can be easily modified for multiple projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If using a sensor to take pictures, a cFS module will be nearly plug-and-play. Another app might simply read data from a sensor or perform more complex activities such as guidance, navigation, and control. The company is working on a simulation to verify and validate integration of the program modules with flight hardware. These resources help commercial space companies meet mission software needs more quickly than starting from nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many aerospace companies develop proprietary flight systems because each mission requires custom software \u2013 an expensive proposition. The flight software, which anyone can download at no cost, is an alternative. NASA invested two decades of expertise and flight heritage to create an exceptionally reliable, stable program for its own use, according to McComas. Making that available not only fulfills the agency mission to share technology, but it also allows users to contribute expertise to improving the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe rapid growth of the aerospace industry is revealing a gap in flight software skills needed by the industry,\u201d said McComas. Universities can use cFS to prepare a new generation of software engineers and programmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Red Canyon is creating a corporate culture around cFS technology, making it possible to quickly train employees and work effectively across projects. And software processes can be optimized utilizing automated testing and software that can be used repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of Red Canyon\u2019s current projects supports Sidus Space\u2019s LizzieSat constellation. The company will help design, develop, assemble, integrate, and deploy the satellites slated to carry custom science experiments into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can work with customers to develop a very customizable modular system,\u201d said Hamilton. \u201cThat lets the company focus on the things only they can do, allowing new technology to get to market quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA has a long history of <a href=\"https:\/\/spinoff.nasa.gov\/disclaimer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transferring technology to the private sector<\/a>. The agency\u2019s Spinoff publication profiles NASA technologies that have transformed into commercial products and services, demonstrating the broader benefits of America\u2019s investment in its space program. Spinoff is a publication of the Technology Transfer program in NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on how NASA brings space technology down to Earth, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spinoff.nasa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>spinoff.nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>By Margo Pierce<br>\nNASA\u2019s Spinoff Publication<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commercial Space: NASA Has an App for That<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":322266,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3817,3339,2827],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Commercial Space: NASA Has an App for That","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/commercial-space-nasa-has-an-app-for-that\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/commercial-space-nasa-has-an-app-for-that\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png"},"articleSection":"NASA Directorates","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Loura Hall"}],"creator":["Loura Hall"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Technology Transfer & Spinoffs","Spinoffs","Technology Transfer"],"dateCreated":"2023-02-24T23:00:00Z","datePublished":"2023-02-24T23:00:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-27T23:56:14Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Commercial Space: NASA Has an App for That\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/tech-transfer-spinoffs\/commercial-space-nasa-has-an-app-for-that\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-02-24T23:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Directorates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Technology Transfer & Spinoffs,Spinoffs,Technology Transfer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Loura Hall\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"1 year","featured_image":{"id":322266,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red_canyon_1.png","title":"red_canyon_1","alt":"Space vehicle near the moon and Earth in the distance.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320602"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320602"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":470619,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320602\/revisions\/470619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320602"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=320602"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=320602"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=320602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}