A Mississippi company that partnered with John C. Stennis Space Center to create a state-of-the-art disaster information system is one of seven highlighted during the 2012 NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill on March 28.
The “NASA Technology: Imagine. Innovate. Explore,” event is scheduled in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver are attending, and guests have an opportunity to discuss traveling in space with astronauts Mike Massimino and Mike Good.
Exhibiting companies include NVision, which is based in Stennis Technology Park adjacent to Stennis Space Center. NVision teamed with NASA through the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research Program to create the Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool (REACT). The innovative tool incorporates maps, reports, Internet-driven data and real-time sensor input into a geographical information system (GIS)-based display to provide comprehensive information during emergency and disaster situations. REACT is designed to help decisionmakers before, during and after emergency situations. It has been adopted in all NASA centers and by various local communities and organizations around the country.
NVision and its REACT system also are featured in the NASA’s 2011 Spinoff publication, which highlights agency technologies that benefit society. The publication notes that REACT has been used for emergency response to several Gulf Coast hurricanes and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill; by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg as a counterterrorism solution for large sports stadiums and venues; and by the U.S. Navy during large-scale military training exercises.
In the Spinoff article, NVision Chief Operating Officer Craig Harvey credits NASA for supporting development and growth of the REACT tool, which is expected to become a national standard within five years.
NASA Technology Day on Capitol Hill is sponsored annually by the agency’s Office of the Chief Technologist to showcase technologies that are improving life for people on Earth, and to inform Congress and the public about the secondary benefits of NASA partnerships and technology. Roots of the event are found in the 1958 Space Act that created NASA, mandating that the agency transfer as much of its technology as possible for the benefit of the public. The transfer, application, and commercialization of NASA-funded technology occurs through knowledge sharing, technical assistance, intellectual property licensing, cooperative research and technology projects, and other forms of partnership.
More information about NASA technology and innovation is available at: https://www.nasa.gov/oct .
For information about Stennis Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/ .
– end –
text-only version of this release
Rebecca Strecker
NASA Public Affairs Office
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
(228) 688-3249
Rebecca.A.Strecker@nasa.gov