Volume 10, Number 2 • March/April 2002 • Welcome

Advancing Software Technology with US Industry

By By Jonathan Root
Program Executive,
Commercial Technology Division
NASA Headquarters

As in industry and society, software technology is emerging everywhere at NASA. Software, described as “the oil of the 21st century” by a noted market analyst, is a driving force in the IT revolution, enabling competitive advantages that fuel the nation’s prosperity. Likewise, software is vital to the productivity and success of NASA’s cutting-edge programs—pushing the frontiers of science, technology and exploration. Thus, research in dependable, intelligent systems and associated software technology is a prime focus of NASA’s technology investments, and the generation of software solutions is embedded throughout the agency’s R&D activities. In order to accelerate and extend software-related R&D to fulfill NASA mission needs, contribute to commercial innovation and further realize the potential of NASA software technology, we are renewing our efforts to transfer, develop and commercialize such technology in collaboration with US industry.

This initiative encompasses computer code implemented in both software and hardware with embedded programmable devices, along with underlying concepts, processes, algorithms and know-how. It builds upon the teaming between Ames Research Center and other NASA centers with the commercial and university sectors in information technology R&D, as well as our pioneering heritage in software technology transfer. In the mid-1960s, NASA established a software distribution operation that, for the next several decades, successfully transferred NASA computer programs to industry and academia, such as NASTRAN, which became the broadly used basis for structural finite element analysis.

More recently, in recognition of the rising importance and potential of NASA-sponsored software, the agency implemented new policy and business processes in 1998 to manage software as a strategic technology asset. The prime thrusts are to inventory new software developments funded and/or performed by NASA, assess potential commercial applications and establish intellectual property rights. These key steps are carried out by all NASA centers to enable the transfer and commercialization of software in ways that yield benefits for NASA mission programs, US industry and the nation. As featured in this issue, the winners of NASA’s prestigious Software of the Year Award, along with the other software technologies profiled in the following articles, provide a view into the diversity and potential of software technology developed across NASA. The stiff competition for this award reflects the high value NASA places on technical excellence, novel approaches and collaboration in order to produce and put to work software technology that offers new ways to achieve performance advantages, cost savings and other benefits.

Past winners, such as the Embedded Web Technology (EWT) team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, further illustrate the increasing emphasis on mission applications, partnering and commercialization as interrelated parts of the NASA innovation process. Having earned the 1998 Software of the Year Award for their development of the TEMPEST Web server for real-time embedded systems and the transfer of this novel technology to industry, the team has since focused on applications for space shuttle and International Space Station operations, and worked with a variety of commercial firms to further develop and apply EWT. Their efforts recently gained international media attention with the introduction of a Web-enabled kitchen appliance that employs EWT to remotely operate the device. Thus, NASA, as in other key software technology areas, is fueling, and learning from, commercial innovation in the emerging markets for networked embedded systems as a strategy for advancing the innovative application of this high-potential technology.

Another key aspect of the current initiative, in keeping with the President’s Management Agenda, is to address conditions that are unduly encumbering NASA’s performance in this area. Accordingly, we are pursuing new ways to stimulate and speed software technology transfer, partnering and commercialization in alignment with NASA’s R&D priorities, industry needs and commercial practices. As part of an overall e-commerce strategy, for example, the online NASA Commercial Technology Network (www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov) serves as a key, developing resource for learning about NASA software technology, accessing opportunities and tapping into technology transfer, development and commercialization assistance.

We welcome you to join us in congratulating this year’s award winners and to explore NASA software technology and partnering with NASA’s world-class innovators. Q

NASA Official: Jonathan Root • Web Design: Printing & Design Office, NASA Headquarters • Credits