What
is Spinoff's objective?
When
and why was Spinoff created?
Who receives Spinoff?
How do I subscribe to Spinoff?
How does NASA transfer its technology
to the private sector?
What is the difference between a "NASA
spinoff" and a "NASA success"?
How does Spinoff differ
from NASA's Tech Briefs publication?
Did NASA invent the ever-popular
memory foam found in many consumer applications?
Did NASA invent Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI)?
Did NASA invent cordless power tools?
Did NASA invent barcodes, quartz
clocks, or smoke detectors?
Are Tang, Teflon, and Velcro NASA
spinoffs?
What
is Spinoff's objective?
To foster a greater awareness of the practical benefits resulting from the investment
in aerospace research and development. Technologies published in Spinoff ultimately
benefit the American consumer and global competition.
When and
why was Spinoff created?
NASA’s Spinoff magazine is the result
of a U.S. Congressional mandate issued through the Space
Act of 1958, whereby NASA was formed. More specifically,
Section 203 of the Act called for dissemination of NASA
research and development to the public.
In 1973 and 1974, NASA issued annual “Technology Utilization
Reports” in black and white print that documented the Space
Program’s technology transfer efforts. These reports were
popular with Congress and within NASA, so NASA decided
to transform the annual report into a four-color publication
that came to be known as Spinoff in 1976. The
publication has been issued on an annual basis ever since.
Please be sure to visit our History of Spinoff page
for more information.
Who receives Spinoff?
Spinoff is widely available in print, on an interactive CD-ROM,
and on this Web site. It is circulated amongst the general public,
U.S. Congressional leaders, and the NASA aerospace community, as well as
at industry trade shows and conferences, public libraries, museums, and
academic institutions of all levels, across the world.
How do I subscribe to Spinoff?
Currently, there is not a subscription list . To receive a
complimentary copy of the latest issue of Spinoff, you can fill out
the request form, or you can contact
the National Technology Transfer Center—the clearinghouse for Spinoff publications
past and present—by telephone at (800) 678-6882. Please note that there is
a cost associated with back issues.
How does NASA transfer its technology
to the private sector?
The process of transferring NASA technology from the laboratory to the market
can occur in a variety of ways. For a complete list of resources, please visit
either http://ipp.nasa.gov/ittp_techres.htm or
the Innovation Partnerships Program’s Network Directory in the back of each
edition of Spinoff.
What is the
difference between a “NASA spinoff” and a “NASA success"?
A spinoff is a commercialized product that incorporates NASA technology or
NASA "know how" and benefits the public, while a success is a NASA
technology that is not available on the market but still yields benefits
to the public. For example, a NASA technology that was used to restore valuable
artwork that was damaged in a fire is considered a “success” because it
is not available for sale on the commercial market. You can learn more about
NASA successes in the “Partnership Successes” chapter in each issue of Spinoff.
How does NASA's Tech Briefs publication
differ from Spinoff ?
Tech Briefs, a monthly publication,
lists licensing opportunities available through
NASA, whereas Spinoff, an annual publication,
features stories on companies that have successfully
commercialized NASA technology. Tech Briefs is
written for the scientific and technical community,
and Spinoff is written for the general
public.
Did
NASA invent the ever-popular memory foam found
in many consumer applications?
Memory foam, also known as temper foam, was developed
under a NASA contract in the 1970s that set out to improve
seat cushioning and crash protection for airline pilots
and passengers. Memory foam has widespread
commercial applications, in addition to the popular
mattresses and pillows. For the latest Spinoff article,
please visit: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2005/ch_6.html.
Did NASA
invent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?
No, NASA did not invent MRI technology, but it has
contributed to its advances over the years, and elements
of NASA technology have been incorporated into MRI
techniques. In the mid-1960s, as a prelude to NASA’s
Apollo Lunar Landing Program, the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory developed the technology known as digital
image processing to allow computer enhancement of
Moon pictures. Digital image processing has found
a broad array of other applications, particularly
in the field of medicine, where it is employed to
create and enhance images of the organs in the human
body for diagnostic purposes. Two of these advanced
body imaging techniques are CT or CATScan and Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Did NASA invent
cordless power tools?
No. The first cordless power tool was unveiled by Black & Decker in 1961.
In the mid-1960s, Martin Marietta Corporation contracted with Black & Decker
to design tools for NASA. The tool company developed a zero-impact wrench for
the Gemini project that spun bolts in zero gravity without spinning the astronaut.
Black & Decker also designed a cordless rotary hammer drill for the Apollo
moon program. The drill was used to extract rock samples from the surface of
the moon and could operate at extreme temperatures and in zero-atmosphere conditions.
Before the zero-impact wrench and rotary hammer drill could go into space, they
needed to be tested in anti-gravity conditions. Black & Decker and NASA
tested the tools either under water or in transport planes that would climb to
the highest possible altitude and then nosedive to simulate anti-gravity conditions.
As a result of this work, Black & Decker created several spinoffs, including
cordless lightweight battery powered precision medical instruments and a cordless
miniature vacuum cleaner called the Dustbuster, but cordless power tools predate
the Space Agency’s involvement with the company.
Did
NASA invent barcodes, quartz clocks, or smoke detectors?
Barcodes
were not invented by NASA. NASA developed a special
type of barcode for inventory of space shuttle and
other space system components that could endure harsh
environments, but this should not be mistakened
for the original barcode. Similarly, NASA was not the
first to use quartz as a piezoelectric material for
timekeeping. The first quartz clock dates back to 1927.
However in the late 1960s, NASA partnered with a company
to make a highly accurate quartz clock. This clock
was on the market for a few years but is no longer
available. Further, NASA did not invent the smoke detector.
NASA’s connection to the modern smoke detector is that
it made one with adjustable sensitivity as part of
the Skylab project. The device was made commercially
available by Honeywell. The consumer could use it to
avoid “nuisance” alarms while cooking. Like the quartz
clock, this device is no longer available.
Are
Tang, Teflon, and Velcro NASA spinoffs?
Tang, Teflon, and Velcro, are not spinoffs
of the Space Program. General Foods developed Tang
in 1957, and it has been on supermarket shelves since
1959. In 1962, when astronaut John Glenn performed
eating experiments in orbit, Tang was selected for
the menu, launching the powdered drink’s heightened
public awareness. NASA also raised the celebrity status
of Teflon, a material invented for DuPont in 1938,
when the Agency applied it to heat shields, space
suits, and cargo hold liners. Velcro was used during
the Apollo missions to anchor equipment for astronauts’
convenience in zero gravity situations. Although
it is a Swiss invention from the 1940s, it has since
been associated with the Space Program.
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