Forget space missions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launches more apps than any government agency in the galaxy. While sequester cuts threaten to cramp the space agency’s style in orbit and beyond, NASA’s multimedia multiverse rockets ahead, expanding in May with the release of yet another new iPad app, Spinoff 2012.
From the Office of the Chief Technologist, Spinoff 2012 showcases dozens of the latest supercool space agency spinoffs — technologies developed by NASA and transferred to the private sector as commercial products or services. Don’t expect Tang. While the famous fruit-flavored drink mix may be the fictional poster product for tech transfer courtesy of NASA, through 50 years of partnerships, licensing, funding and collaboration, NASA has been spinning off to industry and academia some amazing innovations.
From this year alone, how about a superconductor material that lowers costs of medical imaging devices, or even instruments for measuring ocean color to advance understanding of marine ecosystems? Or a multivitamin regimen good enough for astronauts. Find a company or two that can use your firm’s expertise — following spinoffs via an app may be a good way as any for lawyers to learn about potential new clients. Why not?
You may not be using all the latest spinoffs in your practice, but companies spawned by NASA R&D have been shaping the tech world for decades.For example, NASA’s need to standardize its own far-fling universe of websites launched new cloud computing technology. Working with Texas-based Rackspace, the agency reports that since July 2010 its open source software project, OpenStack — formerly NASA.net and Nebula — has attracted neatly 2,500 developers and 150 companies to work on cloud computing code and attend semi-annual conferences “to explore new directions for the software.”
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