U.S. Aviation Pressure Suits–Wiley Post to Space Shuttle Anybody who has watched many movies or television shows has seen them—the ubiquitous silver suits worn by pilots as they explore the unknown. They are called pressure suits, and one can trace their lineage to Wiley Post or, perhaps, a bit earlier. There are two kinds of […]

The technologies for the reentry and recovery from space might change over time, but the challenge remains one of the most important and vexing in the rigorous efforts to bring spacecraft and their crews and cargo home successfully. Returning to Earth after a flight into space is a fundamental challenge, and contributions from the NASA […]

In 1960, the United States put its first Earth-observing environmental satellite into orbit around the planet. Over the decades, these satellites have provided invaluable information, and the vantage point of space has provided new perspectives on Earth. This book celebrates Earth’s aesthetic beauty in the patterns, shapes, colors, and textures of the land, oceans, ice, […]

Technology Innovation is a digital publication of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate which will feature the latest space technology innovators and project developments across the agency. It will also highlight the American inventors, entrepreneurs and application engineers who have transformed space exploration technologies into products that benefit the nation. This issue focuses on a few […]

Given that one-of-a-kind complex projects require innovation, learning is a precondition of success. Over a span of more than two decades, APPEL has developed a three-level approach for addressing the learning needs of NASA’s project and engineering workforce. By focusing on individuals, teams, and organizational knowledge as a whole, the Academy creates multiple “touch points” […]