KSC Ranks High iin Space Act Awards

For the third year in a row, Kennedy Space Center earned more Space Act Award dollars than any other NASA center.

The Space Act Awards program was authorized under the Space Act of 1958 to provide official recognition and to grant equitable monetary awards for those inventions and other scientific and technical contributions that have helped to achieve NASA’s aeronautical and space goals. The awards are also designed to stimulate and encourage the creation and reporting of similar contributions in the future.

“KSC’s three-peat of being number one for Space Act Awards among the 10 NASA civil service centers is a testament to the innovation and research quality of our government and contractor workforce,” said Jim Heald, KSC’s Spaceport Engineering and Technology director.

The fiscal year 2002 award amount of $190,850 is proportionately divided among the four areas of awards. The software release area won $51,600, patent application received $23,000, TechBriefs was awarded $47,600 and board action received the highest total at $68,650. This year’s award dollars show a significant increase from the $12,000 awarded ten years ago.

A technology awards luncheon will be held on Oct. 8 at the KSC Visitor Complex Debus Center to honor NASA and contractor inventors for their technical contributions.

From Sept. 30 – Oct. 4, KSC also will host the annual Technology Transfer Week. Organized by the Technology Commercialization Office, Technology Transfer Week increases awareness of new technology reporting and commercialization activities such as licensing of technologies, dual use and partnerships, and the Space Act Monetary Awards program.