Submit Nominations by Aug. 31 for Space Technology Hall of Fame®

The Space Foundation is now seeking nominations for induction into the prestigious Space Technology Hall of Fame® in 2013. The program honors innovations by organizations and individuals who transform space technology into commercial products that improve life on Earth. Nomination information, including online and downloadable nomination forms, is available at www.spacefoundation.org/programs/space-technology-hall-fame.

The deadline is Friday, Aug. 31, and anyone can submit a nomination of a technology that was developed anywhere in the world for use in space and then modified or adapted for use on Earth.

The Space Foundation, in cooperation with NASA, established the Space Technology Hall of Fame® in 1988 to increase public awareness of the benefits that result from space exploration programs and to encourage further innovation. Since that time, 67 technologies have been inducted.

The 2012 inductees were: a low-density, light-weight flexible aerogel insulating material; and a high-resolution optical sensing system called FireWatch that detects forest fires before they can cause serious environmental damage. FireWatch was the first inducted technology from Europe/DLR.

Other inductees have included energy-saving technologies, life-saving medical devices, health improvement technologies, satellite and telecommunication technologies and practical commercial devices. Some examples are the automatic external defibrillator; non-invasive breast biopsy technology; MRI and CAT scan imaging; anti-shock garments; LASIK eye surgery; implantable pacemakers and hearing aids; and technologies that power cellular phones, terrestrial networks and satellite broadcast television and radio communications.

“The Space Technology Hall of Fame® is very important in helping people understand how work in space continues to benefit all of us on Earth,” said Space Foundation Director – Space Awareness Programs Kevin Cook, who administers the Space Technology Hall of Fame® for the Space Foundation.

Each nomination is reviewed for completeness, assessed by technical experts and then ranked by a prestigious panel of judges who look at economic benefit, public awareness, societal benefit, longevity and public/private/partnership investment.

Award ceremonies for the 2013 inductees and honorees will be part of the 29th National Space Symposium, which will be held at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 8-11, 2013. Conducted by the Space Foundation, the Symposium is the premier annual gathering of the global space community.

See photos of the 2012 private induction ceremony and Space Technology Hall of Fame® dinner at www.spacefoundation.org/media/photo-galleries. See video of the dinner www.spacefoundation.org/media/videos.

Additional information about the Space Technology Hall of Fame®, including a complete list of inducted technologies, is available at www.spacefoundation.org/programs/space-technology-hall-fame.

Pictured: Space Foundation Director – Space Awareness Programs Kevin Cook at the 2012 Space Technology Hall of Fame® private induction ceremony

This article is part of Space Watch: July 2012 (Volume: 11, Issue: 7).