Space Products & Innovation
Transportation, Logistics, and Manufacturing
Fuel-efficient Flights Optimized Courtesy of GPS
Boeing announced in October 2010 the introduction of a new subscription-based service, derived from a NASA software platform, to increase fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and reduce flight times. This service, known as Direct-To, is scheduled for availability in early 2011.
The Green WAAS
Satellite technology is being used to improve the efficiency, safety, security, and environmental impact of air travel. In the United States, the Next Generation Air Transportation System, better known as NextGen, is being developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and industry partners.
Less Stress with Smarter Bolts
Technology designed to ensure proper operation of rovers exploring Mars is helping improve manufacturing on Earth. When deploying a vehicle to explore space and other planets, it is critical that bolts are properly tightened to ensure reliable operation.
Seeing Clearly with High Quality Glass
Using systems and technologies developed for the Hubble telescope and the Columbus laboratory module of the ISS, Kentec, an Italian company, designed a machine vision system that improves the reliability of glass manufacturing operations.
Space Products and Services – TSR 2010
It’s Not Danish TEEK
An example of a transportation technology spinoff is the development of a multi-use foam, called TEEK, that insulates sound, heat, and cold. Invented by researchers from the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, the polyimide foam insulates propellant tanks on the space shuttle.
Tracking Transoceanic Flights
The disappearance and crash of Air France Flight 477 over the Atlantic in June 2009, with 228 passengers and crew aboard, drew attention to a gap in the worldwide aviation system that space services can address. The initial inability of search crews to locate the aircraft stemmed in part from a lack of continuous communication and monitoring capability.
Real-time Transit Information on a Tablet or Phone
GPS tracking delivers valuable service to the public transportation sector. The Washington, D.C., Metro system and the San Francisco Muni Metro both use NextBus, a GPS-based passenger information system that finds the specific location of the metro train or bus.
Ship-tracking Satellites Started Production
Preparing to make advances in the shipping industry is COM DEV, a Canadian satellite manufacturer that is developing a global ship identification and tracking service for use by maritime and coastal authorities.
What Danger Floes Beneath the Satellites?
The Norwegian Coast Guard finds satellite imagery vital for identifying the exact location of icebergs and ice floes in order to protect ship traffic. Kongsberg Satellite Services provides satellite imagery of the Arctic Ocean captured by ESA’s Envisat satellite and Canada’s RADARSAT-1 satellite.