NASA Releases New Software Catalog to Spur Innovation

NASA, Washington, DC

On April 10, NASA released more than 1,000 codes in a new online software catalog. Organized into 15 broad categories, the new catalog offers a wide variety of applications for use by industry, academia, other government agencies, and the general public.

“Software is an increasingly important element of the agency’s intellectual asset portfolio, making up about a third of our reported inventions every year,” said Jim Adams, NASA’s deputy chief technologist. “One of our missions is to ensure that the technologies we create for aeronautics and space missions, including software, have the opportunity to be turned into new products and processes that can benefit the lives of people on Earth. Technology transfer allows us to offer added value to taxpayer investment in cutting edge research and development.”

Software has always been at the core of NASA’s mission successes. When NASA develops software, the technologists know that the code may have uses far beyond the scope of the original mission.

The technologies featured in the software catalog cover project management systems, design tools, data handling, and image processing, as well as solutions for life support functions, aeronautics, structural analysis, and robotic and autonomous systems. The codes represent NASA’s best solutions to a wide array of complex mission requirements.

Each NASA code was evaluated for access restrictions and designated for a specific type of release, ranging from codes that are open to all US citizens to codes that are restricted to use by other federal agencies.

“NASA is committed to the principles of open government,” said Adams. “By making NASA resources more accessible and usable by the public, we are encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. Our technology transfer program is an important part of bringing the benefit of space exploration back to Earth for the benefit of all people.”

NASA’s Technology Trans fer Program, managed by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, ensures technologies developed for exploration and discovery missions are broadly available to the public. To access the software catalog, visit http://technology.nasa.gov .