NASA Glenn Research Center Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Awards for Groundbreaking Space Tech and Innovative Materials
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center has been recognized with a total of 130 R&D 100 Awards, including two this year, for its innovative work in developing cutting-edge space technologies and materials.
One such achievement is the creation of High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN), a software solution designed to revolutionize data streaming and communication in space. Led by Daniel Raible and Rachel Dudukovich, the team at NASA Glenn developed HDTN to enable reliable, high-speed transmission of data between space and Earth, even under extreme conditions. According to Raible, HDTN is up to 10 times faster than current delay-tolerant networking (DTN) protocols.
The implications of this technology extend far beyond NASA's space programs. With its open-source code, HDTN paves the way for collaboration and innovation across the commercial space industry, offering near real-time communication capabilities. This could potentially form the foundation of a solar system-wide internet, supporting data exchange between Earth, spacecraft, and even future missions involving human travel to the Moon and Mars.
In addition to its work on HDTN, NASA Glenn researchers have made significant strides in developing VulcanAlloy, a breakthrough soft magnetic nanocrystalline material. Developed under NASA's High Operating Temperature Technology Program, VulcanAlloy operates above 500°C and maintains efficiency at high temperatures and frequencies. Its adjustable magnetic properties make it an ideal replacement for multiple materials in components such as inductors, transformers, motors, and sensors.
With its potential applications in electrified aircraft, defense, aerospace systems, electric vehicles, data centers, microgrids, and energy systems, VulcanAlloy promises to have a major impact on the next generation of power electronics. Raytheon has already tested VulcanAlloy cores, highlighting their potential benefits in various industries.
The R&D 100 Awards are a worldwide science and innovation competition that recognizes breakthrough innovations in technology and science. This year's judging panel included industry professionals from across the globe who evaluated entries from organizations around the world.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center has been recognized with a total of 130 R&D 100 Awards, including two this year, for its innovative work in developing cutting-edge space technologies and materials.
One such achievement is the creation of High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN), a software solution designed to revolutionize data streaming and communication in space. Led by Daniel Raible and Rachel Dudukovich, the team at NASA Glenn developed HDTN to enable reliable, high-speed transmission of data between space and Earth, even under extreme conditions. According to Raible, HDTN is up to 10 times faster than current delay-tolerant networking (DTN) protocols.
The implications of this technology extend far beyond NASA's space programs. With its open-source code, HDTN paves the way for collaboration and innovation across the commercial space industry, offering near real-time communication capabilities. This could potentially form the foundation of a solar system-wide internet, supporting data exchange between Earth, spacecraft, and even future missions involving human travel to the Moon and Mars.
In addition to its work on HDTN, NASA Glenn researchers have made significant strides in developing VulcanAlloy, a breakthrough soft magnetic nanocrystalline material. Developed under NASA's High Operating Temperature Technology Program, VulcanAlloy operates above 500°C and maintains efficiency at high temperatures and frequencies. Its adjustable magnetic properties make it an ideal replacement for multiple materials in components such as inductors, transformers, motors, and sensors.
With its potential applications in electrified aircraft, defense, aerospace systems, electric vehicles, data centers, microgrids, and energy systems, VulcanAlloy promises to have a major impact on the next generation of power electronics. Raytheon has already tested VulcanAlloy cores, highlighting their potential benefits in various industries.
The R&D 100 Awards are a worldwide science and innovation competition that recognizes breakthrough innovations in technology and science. This year's judging panel included industry professionals from across the globe who evaluated entries from organizations around the world.
oh man this is awesome news for space tech 
10 times faster than current protocols? that's insane! 
and VulcanAlloy, a breakthrough soft magnetic nanocrystalline material, operating above 500°C? 
potential applications in electrified aircraft, defense, aerospace systems, electric vehicles, data centers... the list goes on 
we're talking solar system-wide internet here! 
a future where spacecraft can communicate with earth in near real-time, supporting human travel to the moon and mars? 
... remember when they had those fancy communication devices on Star Trek? Anyway, back to now. The fact that NASA Glenn is making this tech available for commercial use is super exciting for the space industry. It's gonna be huge! 
But I'm also curious about VulcanAlloy - what other industries are gonna benefit from it? Electric vehicles? Defense systems? I hope we see some cool innovations come out of this soon! 
I was way too late to catch this thread, but I just had to chime in about NASA Glenn Research Center winning those R&D 100 Awards! 
It's not just about space exploration; it's about creating a better future for humanity 
it's not just space tech, this stuff has real-world applications 
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