Recognition: 2007 Awards

Inventions and Contributions Board (ICB) Space Act Awards

2007 Space Act Awards

Of the more than 3,000 awards given in 2007, the ICB selected 12 exceptional cases of most significant value. Four GRC innovations were selected to be part of that elite group. As ICB puts it, “These innovations may power the future.”

1. Actively Controlled Fluidic Diverter Valve, Dennis Culley (Instrumentation and Controls Division)
   
   
2. A Singular Value Decomposition-Based Method for Optimal Estimation of Turbofan Engine Thrust and Other Immeasurable Parameters, Jonathan Litt (Instrumentation and Controls Division)
   
   
3. Atomic Oxygen Removal of Biologically Active Contaminants from the Surfaces of Orthopedic Implants to Minimize Inflammation, An ICB Exceptional Award winner, by Bruce Banks (Alphaport), Sharon Miller (Power and In-Space Propulsion Division), Dr. Michael Banks (OrthoWest Ltd), and Eric B. Banks, MD, (self-employed)
   
   
4. Compact Microscope Imaging System with Intelligent Controls, An ICB Exceptional Award winner (link to story) and Glenn's candidate for Invention of the Year by Dr. Mark McDowell (Space Processes and Experiments Division)
   
   
5. Ejector-Enhanced, Pulsed, Pressure-Gain Combustor, Dr. Daniel Paxson (Instrumentation and Controls Division) and Kevin Dougherty (ASRC/Projects Liaison and Integration Office)
   
   
6. Elimination of the Lifetime Limiting Mechanism of Hall Thrusters, David Jacobson (Propulsion, Structures and Thermal Systems Division) and David Manzella (Power and In-Space Propulsion Division)
   
   
7. L-3 Communications Electron Technologies, Inc., Model 999HA Space Qualified Ka-Band Traveling-Wave Tube, Rainee Simons and Dr. Jeffrey Wilson (Communications Division), Dr. D. Wallace Williams (Space Operations Project Office), and Richard Krawczyk (retired)
   
   
8. Low-density, High-Creep Super alloys, Drs. Rebecca MacKay, Timothy Gabb, James Smialek, and Michael Nathal (Structures and Materials Division)
   
   
9. Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Actuator Based Reconfigurable Printed Patch Antennas, Dr. Rainee Simons (Communication Division)
   
   
10. Non-Invasive Polarmetric-Based Glucose Sensor, An ICB Exceptional Award winner, by Dr. Rafat Ansari (Space Processes and Experiments Division [now with the University of Texas])
    
    
11. NPARC Alliance Flowfield Simulation System, Dr. Nicholas Georgiadis, Dr. Rodrick Chima, Dr. James DeBonis, Vance Dippold, Julianne Dudek, Mary Jo Long-Davis, Dr. John Slater, Dr. Charles Towne, and Dennis Yoder (Aeropropulsion Division)
    
    
12. Polymer Cross-Linked Aerogels, An ICB Exceptional Award winner, by Dr. Maryann Meador, Dr. James Johnston, and Nicholas Leventis (Structures and Materials Division); and Eve Fabrizio and Faisal Ilhan (Ohio Aerospace Institute)
    
    
13. Portable Unit for Metabolic Analysis (PUMA), Dale Diedrick (Propulsion, Structures, and Thermal Systems Division), Dr. Daniel Dietrich and Peter Struk (Power and Avionics Division), Mark Lewis (NASA Kennedy), Nancy Piltch (GRC retiree), Mike Lichter and Jeffrey Juergens (Diagnostics & Data Systems Branch, Power & Avionic Division), Russell Valentine and Richard Pettegrew (Case Western Research University)