Stephanie Covey
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
stephanie.a.covey@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 51-12
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FUNDS EMPLOYEE INNOVATIONS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- As part of a new initiative to help foster
worker innovation and creativity, NASA's Kennedy Space Center is
funding a dozen employee ideas designed to improve the center.
The funding comes from Kennedy Kick-Start, an employee competition to
further encourage innovation. The new competition was held Thursday
during the first Innovation Expo. The event highlighted employee
innovative work and showed how it helps to shape the future of the
center and NASA.
Sixteen employees gave 90-second pitches of potential center
improvements that would cost less than $5,000 in equipment. The ideas
ranged from 3-D printing of a working robot hand to commissioning
artists to recycle space shuttle hardware as art.
A panel of eight judges consisting of Kennedy Center Director Bob
Cabana and senior management from organizations across the center
selected 12 projects to fund immediately and complete within
four-to-six months. The selected innovations were announced Friday,
and they are:
- Publish mission audio on an Internet radio station to provide a more
consistent and inexpensive feed
- Purchase 150 smart-surge protectors to distribute across the center
to save on energy expenses
- Commission artists to recycle space shuttle hardware into art pieces
that can be displayed across the center
- Study the artificial gravity effects on hydroponics grown on the
International Space Station
- Study the benefits of a virtual control panel, which would enable
employees to shut off valves, and do work remotely
- Encourage online collaboration, which could in turn reduce travel
expenses and increase productivity
- Study planetary ice mining by down-hole energy injection
- Study the ability to generate power for the center through waste
heat recovery
- 3-D printing of a functional robotic hand
- Separation of water ice from regolith in vacuum by methods of
melting
- Pneumatic conveyor for large volumes of regolith which could reduce
the time and expense of studies and student programs, such as
lunabotics
- "Quick-Attach" to Humvee vehicle mounting interface for exploration
payloads and excavation implements
Kennedy works to spur innovation on a daily basis. By retrofitting its
world-class ground systems and facilities for both government and
commercial users, and infusing innovative ideas into ongoing and
forward-looking programs such as Launch Services, International Space
Station, Commercial Crew, Orion and Space Launch Systems, the center
helps NASA reach America's space exploration goal.
For more information about Kennedy Space Center, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy
