|
|
|
|
|
NASA technology in new anti-icing windshield spray NASA NEWS RELEASE Posted: January 25, 2006 A new product using a NASA-based technology might make winter just a little easier to endure for those living in parts of the U.S. where snow and ice are common. Ice Free is a spray for automobile windshields that can provide protection up to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, according to its producers, WorldSource Inc. Applied prior to inclement weather, it prevents ice or snow from bonding on windshield surfaces. "As we continue to explore the universe, we are proud that NASA's pioneering efforts keep fueling American creativity, innovation and technology development," said David Morse, acting chief, Technology Partnerships Division at NASA Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley. "This new product is yet another example of the additional dividends Americans reap from their investment in space exploration." The technology that led to the creation of Ice Free is based on an anti-icing fluid developed by a three-engineer team at NASA Ames. The team designed a non-toxic fluid to keep ice from building up on airplanes. At the time, the anti-icing fluid was hailed for making flying safer, without introducing dangerous chemicals into the environment. In fact, the fluid was biodegradable and so environmentally safe that it was referred to as "food grade," because the ingredients used in its creation were approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food. When the invention was announced in 1997 by co-inventors Leonard Haslim, John Zuk and Robert Lockyer of NASA Ames, the fluid was said to be able to prevent ice build-up on airplane wings and also on automobile windshields, a feature retained in the new product. "A commuter is much more likely to start his drive without having to spend the time scraping ice and snow off the car windows. We feel it is a great product, and we thank NASA for the opportunity to market Ice Free," said Brian Jue, chief executive officer, WorldSource Inc., which is currently marketing Ice Free on the Internet and in television advertisements. "I often heard how advancements due to NASA research and development help mankind enormously and, if you live in an icy part of the U.S., this is further proof of the accuracy of that statement," said Bob Harrick, president of WorldSource. "NASA technology played a key role in the development of this very useful product." WorldSource is a developer and distributor of products for the consumer marketplace. It has established an experienced management team with considerable expertise in the development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of consumer products. |
|
|
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The New Horizons spacecraft begins a voyage across the solar system to explore Pluto and beyond with its successful launch January 19 aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
NASA's Stardust spacecraft returns samples of cometary dust to Earth with its safe landing in Utah on January 15.
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and his deputy Shana Dale hold a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in the final hours of the countdown to the New Horizons launch. Questions from reporters ranged from the Pluto-bound mission, the agency's budget and the space shuttle program.
This film looks at the highlights in NASA's history from its creation in the 1950s, through the glory days of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, birth of the space shuttle and the loss of Challenger, launch of Hubble and much more.
The mission for the crew of space shuttle Challenger's April 1984 flight was two-fold -- deploy the experiment-laden Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and then track down the crippled Solar Max spacecraft, capture it and perform repairs during spacewalks. Initial attempts by the astronauts to grab the craft while wearing the Manned Maneuvering Unit spacewalk backpacks failed, but the crew ultimately retrieved Solar Max and installed fresh equipment while it was anchored in the payload bay. The crew narrates this post-flight presentation of home movies and highlights from mission STS-41C.