For Release: Aug. 16, 1996

David Drachlis
Office of Media Services
(205) 544-0034
dave.drachlis@msfc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 96-158

NASA AND TENNESSEE RENEW TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT WHICH HAS BOOSTED STATE’S ECONOMY BY $171 MILLION

A cooperative agreement between NASA and the State of Tennessee, resulting in new jobs and new products worth $171 million to Tennessee’s economy over the past 32 months, was renewed today in Huntsville, Ala.

Representatives of Tennessee Gov. Donald Sundquist met with Dr. Wayne Littles, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, to reaffirm a memorandum of understanding which facilitates the transfer of space technologies to Tennessee businesses, academic institutions and individuals.

The technology transfer agreement was established with the state in 1989, and has been renewed by succeeding state administrations.

The governor was represented by William A. Dunavant, State Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, and William Eads, Tennessee’s Advisor on Science and Technology.

"The Marshall Center and NASA look forward to continuing to work with the State of Tennessee to explore ways space technology can be used in commercial and academic applications," Littles said.

"Ultimately," said Littles, "it is the people of Tennessee -- and all the people of this nation -- who reap the benefits from what is accomplished by America’s space program."

Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, NASA -- through the Marshall Center -- will continue to work economic development activities with the State of Tennessee to promote transfer of aerospace technologies and innovations developed by NASA and NASA contractors to schools, businesses and individuals who may benefit from the technology. Through the agreement, the technology assets of the 752-member federal laboratory system may be accessed as well.

Tennessee has benefited greatly from past technology transfers, said Harry G. Craft Jr., manager of the Technology Transfer office at the Marshall Center.

An analysis of NASA’s economic impact on Tennessee shows NASA’s assistance to the state’s economy is valued at $171 million since December 1993.

A total of 1,547 jobs have been created or saved in Tennessee, and 63 new products are being manufactured in the state directly as a result of technologies transferred from the nation’s space program, Craft said.

While the transfer of technologies has included many major industries and universities, those benefiting most have been small businesses with $1 million to $5 million in annual sales, 50 or fewer employees, and those in business 10 years or less. These are small businesses which have not yet

reached the level of having their own research and development branches, but are striving to improve or expand their product line.

There are many examples of NASA technology at work in Tennessee, said Craft.

In Dunlap, Tenn., Dunlap Industries Inc. experienced material failures with a type of aluminum zipper which the firm manufactures. The Marshall Center Technology Transfer Office, working with Rockwell International, NASA’s prime contractor for the Space Shuttle, identified and corrected the cause of the zipper breaking. The result: The Tennessee company regained market shares it had lost.

In Chattanooga, Tenn., the Marshall Center and the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services teamed up with Computer Application Systems Inc., to develop an unmanned, "intelligent" parking lot. This was achieved by integrating technologies related to plasma spray material deposition and capacitance measurement. Vacant parking spaces are now monitored electronically, and arriving vehicles are assigned to those spaces -- eliminating the need for a parking lot attendant.

Today, this same technology used in Tennessee is being studied for applications such as robotic fingers which can sense distances to objects to be grasped, as well as sensor-equipped rear truck bumpers that can warn drivers when persons or objects are in their path.

Marshall Center Director Littles said that "NASA looks forward to continuing to assist Tennessee’s economic development as it helps lead our nation into the coming century."

Tennessee firms seeking technology assistance from the Marshall Center and NASA may contact Fred Schramm at the Marshall Center Technology

Transfer Office, Mail Code: LA20, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. He also may be reached at 1-800-USA-NASA.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A photograph of the Technology Transfer agreement signing is available. Call Marshall Center Public Affairs at (205) 544-0034.