Technology exchange NASA / private sector?

[jmilsom]

I was watching a documentary on robotics last night, which featured two space application robotics programmes:<br /><br />Robonaut - HOME PAGE<br /><br />and another, I think called spacewalker? that was an ingenious construction tool that could move large trusses and such into place by walking along a ships frame.<br /><br />This raised a question in my mind concerning the surge of commercial ventures looking into space.<br /><br />NASA seems to have an amazing array of advanced space construction tools at its disposal, and how these are applied, I guess depends to a large degree on Government funding. How accessible are these technologies to the commercial sector? If a company such as Bigelow, wanted to utilise these robots could it? Or are there patent and / or security issues that limit the free exchange of space technology between government and private sectors? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[docm]

It's possible but difficult because of US laws that limit the export of certain technologies. Bigelow ran into a huge problem with this because they had to ship Genesis I overseas for launch on a Russian booster. The receiving company also has to make arrangements for patent licensing etc. <br /><br />IIRC these laws were massively tightened after the Clinton administration allowed a big transfer of dual-use technologies to China. This included supercomputers capable of simulating nuclear weapon designs and missile/satellite technologies. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[annodomini2]

Most NASA technology is developed by the 'private' sector technically, although the companies involved are virtually branches of the government due to their funding. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[spacester]

Has no one here even heard of Space Act Agreements and the formal technology transfer program?<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Hey thanks for that link spacester. That goes a long way to answering my question. However, as docm's post illustrates, technology transfer may be a little more complex than that particular brief indicates, especially when the business ventures are outside of the US. <br /><br />There seems to be an explosion in commercial interest in space in the past few years, and these ventures would want access to all the latest cutting edge technology. As many of these ventrues are multinational, I guess it is inevitable that national security and patent issues will arise in some cases.<br /><br />It seems to me, that we are on the verge of the point where a commercial venture may be able to build a space structure - bigger, better, cheaper and more quickly than Government programmes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>