NASA’s Ames Research Center Celebrates 85 Years of Innovation – NASA

The Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley already says many things. The center predated NASA—the same space and aeronautics agency that it is today. And of all the amazing advances in science and technology that have fundamentally changed our lives in recent times. It has been established for 85 years.One aspect remained steadfast; An enduring commitment to what some on-centers know simply as “the atmosphere of freedom.”

It was several years before ground was broken on the site that would one day become home to the world’s most prominent people. Wind tunnels, Supercomputers, The simulatorand the brightest minds solving some of the world’s toughest challenges, Joseph Sweetman AmesThe center’s name expressed a spirit that would guide decades of innovation and research:

In a June 1935 address to the graduates of Johns Hopkins University, he said, “My hope is that you have learned or are learning to love freedom of thought and that you believe that life is worth living only in such an environment.” There is value.”

That passion and the people it attracted and retained are a key part of why Ames, along with others NACA Research Centersis finally made. Technological achievements which enabled humanity’s first steps on the moon Safe return of spacecraft through the Earth’s atmosphere, and many other discoveries that benefit our daily lives.

“In the context of my work, an atmosphere of freedom means the freedom to pursue high-risk, high-reward, innovative ideas that It may take time to fully develop and — most importantly — the opportunity to implement them,” said Edward Balaban, an AIIMS researcher who studies artificial intelligence. Expertise in robotics, and advanced mission concepts.

Balaban’s career at AIIMS has included numerous projects at various stages of development – from initial concept to ready-to-fly – including experimenting with different methods of creation. Super-sized space telescopes. In space and using Artificial intelligence helps the rover guide the way. Off-world science results can be maximized. Like many Ames researchers over the years, Balaban said his experience includes deep collaborations with colleagues across the center in the fields of science and engineering, as well as commercial and academic partners in Silicon Valley, where Ames is based. located and beyond. It’s a tradition that runs deep at Ames and has helped guide it. Entirely new fields of study and seeded many companies and spin-offs.

“The cost of entry into the aeronautics and space exploration fields can be quite high. For businesses and universities pursuing long-term ideas and implementing them often means partnering with an organization like NASA that has the scale and multidisciplinary expertise to mature these ideas into real-world applications,” added Balaban.

“Certainly, the topics of inquiry, academic freedom, and benefit to the public good are what keep me at Ames,” reflects Ross Beer, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute at Ames. “There isn’t much commercial incentive to study other planets, for example, but there probably will be soon. In the meantime, with only government funding and agencies like NASA to explore the unknown, Can develop missions so that important science discoveries can be made and shared widely.

For Baer, ​​his breakthrough moment came when he sought out – and found – software engineers at Ames open to creating accurate, high-resolution, texture-mapped, 3D terrain models from stereo image pairs. Competent and passionate about source software. He and other teams of NASA scientists have since used the software to study and better understand all the changes that occur. Characteristics of snow and ice on landas well as features such as craters, mountains and caves On Mars or The moon. This is part of the capability. Artemis mission, through which NASA will establish a long-term presence on the Moon for scientific research. commercial And International partners. The mission aims to learn how to live and work away from home, promote the peaceful use of space and prepare for future human exploration of Mars.

“As NASA and private companies send missions to the Moon, they need to plan landing sites and understand the local environment, and our software is freely available for anyone to use,” said Baer. Beer said. “Years ago, our management could have easily said ‘No, let’s keep this software. It gives us a competitive advantage.’ They didn’t, and I believe that NASA’s great writing allows you to work on things and share those things and not hold them back.”

Looking forward to what the next 85 years may bring, the researchers express a belief that the opportunities for advancement and innovation in technology are as vast as space itself, but like all living things, they need a space to thrive. A healthy environment is needed. “This freedom to innovate is precious and cannot be taken for granted,” Balaban offered. to ensure the continued vitality of our nation and the strength of the other freedoms we enjoy.