NASA Tech Briefs
Encyclopedia
When the U.S. Congress
formed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, it mandated in the charter that NASA and its contractors
must report to industry any new, commercially-significant technologies developed in the course of their R&D
, so that engineer
s, managers, and scientist
s could use this valuable information to improve their competitiveness and productivity
. For more than three decades, this has been accomplished primarily through the publication of NASA Tech Briefs.
First issued as single sheet reports in the 1960s and converted to a magazine
format in the 1970s, NASA Tech Briefs has been a joint publishing
venture of NASA and Tech Briefs Media Group (New York City
) since 1985, a pioneering government-private sector
partnership that has saved taxpayers millions of dollars in publishing costs while dramatically increasing the magazine’s reach to OEM design/development engineers and managers.
Today, NASA Tech Briefs’ qualified circulation surpasses 190,000.
The monthly magazine features exclusive reports of innovations developed by NASA and its industry partners/contractors that can be applied to develop new/improved products and solve engineering
or manufacturing
problems. Authored by the engineers or scientists who did the work, the briefs span a wide array of fields, including electronics
, physical sciences, materials, computer software
, mechanics, machinery/automation, manufacturing/fabrication, mathematics/information sciences, and life sciences.
NASA Tech Briefs also contains feature articles on successful NASA spinoffs, profiles of NASA tech transfer resources, news briefs, and application stories. Regular columns describe new patent
s, industry products, software, and literature.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
formed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, it mandated in the charter that NASA and its contractors
Government contractor
A government contractor is a private company that produces goods or services under contract for the government. Often the terms of the contract specify cost plus – i.e., the contractor gets paid for its costs, plus a specified profit margin. Laws often require governments to award contracts...
must report to industry any new, commercially-significant technologies developed in the course of their R&D
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
, so that engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, managers, and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s could use this valuable information to improve their competitiveness and productivity
Productivity
Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production. Productivity is a ratio of what is produced to what is required to produce it. Usually this ratio is in the form of an average, expressing the total output divided by the total input...
. For more than three decades, this has been accomplished primarily through the publication of NASA Tech Briefs.
First issued as single sheet reports in the 1960s and converted to a magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
format in the 1970s, NASA Tech Briefs has been a joint publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
venture of NASA and Tech Briefs Media Group (New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) since 1985, a pioneering government-private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
partnership that has saved taxpayers millions of dollars in publishing costs while dramatically increasing the magazine’s reach to OEM design/development engineers and managers.
Today, NASA Tech Briefs’ qualified circulation surpasses 190,000.
The monthly magazine features exclusive reports of innovations developed by NASA and its industry partners/contractors that can be applied to develop new/improved products and solve engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
or manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
problems. Authored by the engineers or scientists who did the work, the briefs span a wide array of fields, including electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, physical sciences, materials, computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
, mechanics, machinery/automation, manufacturing/fabrication, mathematics/information sciences, and life sciences.
NASA Tech Briefs also contains feature articles on successful NASA spinoffs, profiles of NASA tech transfer resources, news briefs, and application stories. Regular columns describe new patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s, industry products, software, and literature.