CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – NASA has released fifty-six formerly-patented technologies into the public domain, making its government-developed technologies freely available for everyone. The public can access the technologies in a searchable database that catalogs thousands of expired NASA patents already in the public domain.
Although the technologies were developed to advance NASA missions, many could have non-aerospace applications and be used by commercial space ventures and other companies free of charge, eliminating the time, expense and paperwork often associated with licensing intellectual property. The technologies include advanced manufacturing processes, sensors, propulsion methods, rocket nozzles, thrusters, aircraft wing designs and improved rocket safety and performance concepts.
“By making these technologies available in the public domain, we are helping foster a new era of entrepreneurship that will again place America at the forefront of high-tech manufacturing and economic competitiveness,” said Daniel Lockney, NASA’s Technology Transfer program executive. “By releasing this collection into the public domain, we are encouraging entrepreneurs to explore new ways to commercialize NASA technologies.”
To search the database, visit: http://technology.nasa.gov/publicdomain
