NASA ARC Internal Memo: ARCTek 2012: Keeping Ames at the Cutting Edge of Technology

Subject: ARCTek 2012: Keeping Ames at the Cutting Edge of Technology
(October 26, 2011, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM).
From: Centerwide Announcement
Date: Thursday, October 13, 2011

TO: Resident Staff

FROM: John Hines, Center Chief Technologist

SUBJECT: ARCTek 2012: Keeping Ames at the Cutting Edge of Technology (October 26, 2011, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM).

The Nation needs innovation in order to remain economically strong. Innovation is a priority for the Administration. And innovative technologies will enable the Agency to achieve its science and exploration goals.

But: how do we keep ARC innovative? How do we maintain our reputation as NASA’s “go-to” Center for innovation? How do we stay at the nation’s technology cutting edge?

ARCTek 2012 Phase 1

You are all invited to join me on October 26 at 8:30 AM-12:30 PM in Building 152 to discuss these questions and help seek clarity for the Center’s strategic vision for technology.

Pete Worden will set the stage with a short overview of national and agency technology goals and priorities. Steve Zornetzer, the Associate Center Director (Technical) will illuminate some of the ways the Center is currently restructuring to meet those priorities. And the org directors will share their insights into the NASA mission directorates and their technology needs and directions. Presentations will focus on current funded activities and, more importantly, center management’s perceptions of the most important long-term technology targets for the future.

We will follow these short presentations with discussions of major topics, including reactions to the visions presented by center management. We are soliciting your ideas and feedback in order to identify gaps, strengths, weaknesses, potential partners, and likely customers.

In order to get a better idea of the number of attendees to help our planning, we have set up a registration site, and would greatly appreciate it if you could let us know you’re coming: http://arctek2012.aarc.nasa.gov

ARCTek 2012 Phase 2-3

We don’t expect to build consensus regarding the Center’s strategic goals with respect to technology in a single half-day session. So to follow up on the October 26 event, we will establish a website designed to collect your thoughts and ideas about the technology issues you are most passionate about. And then, in the late November/early December time frame, we will follow up with a second ARCTek gathering, which will take the discussion to the next level, and provide a forum for some of our successful proposers and investigators – i.e., our top innovators – to give “lightning” presentations on their work. In addition, CCT will select a number of the most intriguing ideas submitted to the website and ask the people who submitted them to give presentations.

In the new year, we’ll follow up with events focusing on other technology topics, such as barriers to innovation.

NASA has been, and to a great extent still is, at the cutting edge of technology for the U.S. Government. The new Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) and the NASA Space Technology Program are ideally positioned to keep NASA there through the development of low TRL “push” technologies that might otherwise not receive resources. The creativity and innovative spirit that fuel OCT are located at the NASA Centers – particularly at Ames. Please join us on October 26 and help us celebrate the spirit of innovation at Ames Research Center and carry it into the future.

Again, please register at http://arctek2012.arc.nasa.gov and if you have any questions, please contact Ingrid Desilvestre.

I look forward to seeing you on October 26.