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JPL Begins Commercialization

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the buy-yourself-a-piece-of-space-tech dept.

An anonymous reader writes "JPL has always been concerned with how their work has benefitted society and the Earth as a whole. Everything from developing tools to study what causes El Nino/La Nina to helping find sources of pollution in our environment. In an effort to continue their work while decreasing their burden on NASA's budget, JPL will introduce the JPL Commercialization Center. This means they will begin developing relationships with commercial entities to adapt their technologies for public use. The public benefit is two-fold since licensing fees will help ease NASA and taxpayer burden and life-enchancing technologies will be put into public use."

6 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. NASA by jchawk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Any commercialization of NASA research or technology is a *good thing*. NASA needs to go the route the post office went aka let NASA run like a business, but still be able to receive some funding from the government when it's needed. It's just not working anymore with the current setup (allocate fixed amount of funding every year). If you allow NASA to begin making money then they can further their research and development, they can plan more missions, and maybe just maybe we'll get to mars sometime in our life time.

    An added bonus, is maybe we can further kindle the private sector space exploration spark.

    1. Re:NASA by JudasBlue · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A sporting event isn't a government office, straight up. You think we should start selling that little logo behind Fleischer in those Whitehouse press breifings? Maybe make it a green screen like at ball parks so they can change the logo as he talks about different things?

      I personally feel that when you are dealing with government offices, a slightly different set of basic rules apply than when dealing with straight commercial entities.

      That said and back on the main topic, I am all about the JPL working with commercial entities, but appearing to endorse them just feels a little creepy to me, even if the USPO definitely needs the money and I understand why they are doing it.

      Plus, I just don't like anyone handing out AOL in general. I would rather hand out a CD full of virii. Oh, wait, basically the same thing...

      --

      7. What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence.

  2. JPL.com? by coupland · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While I fully support non-profit organizations seeking public money I can't help but feel a bit violated by this.

    JPL is one of the last vestigates of "pure" science now that every other institute has sold out for cellular satellites, titties in space, and singings fags on the Space Center.

    If JPL sells out to the highest bidder then surely Linus or the GPL is next!

    1. Re:JPL.com? by freshmkr · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I worked there last summer.

      I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's an "engineering on steroids" shop. There's plenty of research that goes on there, from earth sciences to observation of space to novel robot research (PDF).

      I think there are two big reasons JPL may seem like more of an engineering shop. First, JPL and NASA are under pressure to demonstrate their relevance to Congress and the American public, and the more practical works are easier to relate in this way. Second of all, the highest profile, most expensive projects (e.g. MER) tend to use proven, existing technologies, making it looks like JPL focuses more on application than development. This is not actually the case--the science just gets less press.

      ObSelfLink: I have lots of pictures of the JPL and robots I met there here.

      --Tom

      --
      MAN SHOOTS ROVER!
  3. Budget cuts suck. by Loudergood · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Heh, the problem I have with NASA is that congress doesnt let there be enough of a taxpayer burden.

  4. Great plan by deblau · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Current system:
    • No one can afford to get into space because the technology is too expensive.
    System after JPL privatization:
    • No one can afford to get into space because the licensing fees for the technology are too expensive.
    At least under the current system, NASA IP immediately enters the public domain. Which is why contests like the X Prize can even get "off the ground", so to speak. With this move, any new tech developed would almost immediately be patented, and you can kiss all your dreams of space goodbye, as the lawyers get involved and we argue for 50 years. What have we gained? New tech, but only for a few people, and that handful of people gets to decide the future of space exploration (or they sue you). Some plan.

    In a perfect world, I'd take all of NASA private (along with a lot of the rest of the government bloat), but this isn't that world.

    --
    This post expresses my opinion, not that of my employer. And yes, IAAL.