At the scale of bridges or buildings, the most important force that engineered structures need to deal with is gravity. But at the scale of microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) — devices like the tiny accelerometers used in smartphones — the relative importance of gravity decreases and adhesive forces become more important.

This research deals with the problem of modelling the orbit and attitude motion of uncontrolled manmade objects in orbit about the Earth, which tumble due to the natural influences of the near-Earth space environment. A mathematical, physics-based and computational approach is taken to model the forces and torques that drive the orbit and attitude evolution of such objects. The main influence modelled is solar radiation pressure (SRP), which is the interaction of solar electromagnetic radiation with the surface of an object, leading to both forces and torques that influence the orbital and attitude motion. Other influences, such as the gravitational field of the Earth, are also modelled.

NASA has used two systems to train astronauts for weightlessness. The first is the Reduced Gravity Simulator that suspended the astronaut at an angle of 80.5 so that only 1/6th of his or her weight was supported by the ground, while the rest was supported by a pulley system. The other system, designed during the Apollo era, is the Partial Gravity Simulator (POGO), which uses an air-controlled piston along with air bearings and gimbals to simulate reduced gravity. This pneumatic system is attached to an air-bearing rail to allow for maneuverability in two dimensions. POGO was used to train astronauts on how to use tools and other hardware in microgravity.

Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.

The advent of cryocooler technology ushers in an era where a cryogenic environment is created and maintained locally. It is no longer necessary to transport cryogen from a factory where it is produced to the location where it is needed. One problem remains for cooling large cryogenic systems with cryocoolers that extract more than 50 W of power. Although high-capacity cryocoolers are available from several commercial sources, the thermal link for connecting the cryocooler to a large system is not yet available. For small systems requiring less heat extraction, flexible heat straps made of braided copper wires are available for the thermal link. For heat extraction of more than 50 W at −100 K, this type of heat strap cannot be made short enough and flexible enough.