JSC provides and applies its preeminent capabilities in science and technology to develop, operate, and integrate human exploration missions. The Center encourages collaboration with aerospace and non-aerospace industries, government agencies, and academia to solve science and technology challenges, while actively striving to maximize technology transfer into the commercial sector.
An active and sustainable science and technology development program is key to ensuring the challenges of human exploration are successfully overcome. The JSC-directed solicitations program enables the Center to invest strategically in high priority areas needed to accomplish future missions as articulated in the NASA Technology Roadmaps and the Space Technology Investment Plan (STIP). It offers the Center the ability to address technology gaps that are beyond the requirements of near-term programs to fund. It also provides a platform to continue to grow and maintain critical skills and innovations needed to ensure future mission success. These solicitations encourage use of collaborations to ensure maximum benefit to both the space program and the nation. As such, external partnerships are highly encouraged not only as a funding leverage but to bring innovative ideas and approaches into human exploration programs.
Selection Process
Typically, JSC solicitations are developed by the JSC CTO and the JSC Technology Working Group (JTWG). The competitive calls are coordinated with JSC Senior Staff and communicated to the JSC workforce via internal email distribution to an R&D community list and through postings on the internal center website and through JSC Today notices.
The JTWG solicits, evaluates and prioritizes all JSC solicitation responses in a two-stage process. The JTWG members review project proposals and work together to down-select to the finalists. The Principal Investigators (PIs) make presentations to the JTWG to provide more in-depth project details. This allows the members to select the finalists to support for the year. Selection criteria and funding vary based on the focus of the solicitation but of primary interest are:
Project Accomplishments
Through the result of research and development, JSC’s IR&D project PIs are making important progress in the advancement of technology needed to enable NASA’s mission of space exploration. In addition, many of the technologies development to meet the challenges of space exploration have great commercialization potential. Each year, many of JSC’s IR&D projects file New Technology Reports (NTRs) through the JSC Tech Transfer Office. Several of these reports have received New Technology Evaluation Patent ratings to pursue patents, while additional ones have been scheduled for success story articles to be written and published.
JSC projects active in FY12 and beyond have been included in TechPort. Through the TechPort tool information on the projects is provided and will be updated by PIs as developments and updates become available. This will offer further knowledge and information sharing between NASA developers, researchers, engineers and scientists and other internal and external stakeholders.
The JSC Chief Technologist Office (CTO) sponsors one or more Independent Research & Development (IR&D) solicitations throughout each year depending on available funds. These local solicitations primarily use a blend of Agency Center Innovation Fund (CIF) and the JSC Center Investment Account (CIA) funds to stimulate and encourage technology development, creativity, and innovation. The objective is to address the technology needs of the Agency as well as the nation. For these reasons, funds distributed to JSC support emerging technologies and creative initiatives that leverage the Center’s talent pool and unique capabilities. Scientists and engineers across the Center lead projects and establish partnerships between other centers, agencies, research laboratories, academic institutions and private industries.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"acronym":"CIF","isActive":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":64,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"stockImageFileId":36643,"title":"Center Innovation Fund","acronymOrTitle":"CIF"},"parentProgramId":64,"programId":165,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36649,"title":"Center Innovation Fund: JSC CIF","acronymOrTitle":"JSC CIF"},"description":"
Investigate and adapt aides which will increase the efficiency of ISS robotics ground control operations. Initially focus on providing relative position feedback to the operator during close-proximity operations, like grasping a robotic interface for example, since this type of operation is one of the most inefficient from a ground-operator perspective. Will benefit ISS operations and provide a testbed for future telerobotic exploration systems that will save time for both the crew and the ground. This project will investigate and adapt aides which will increase the efficiency of ISS robotics ground control operations with the intent of creating more opportunities for ground-controlled robotic operations. The selection and adaption of an aide will initially focus on providing relative position feedback to the operator during close-proximity operations, like grasping a robotic interface for example, since this type of operation is one of the most inefficient from a ground-operator perspective. This is to be a video-based system using Natural Feature Image Recognition (NFIR). The intent is to eventually use the same information to generate commands within the command system. This will benefit ISS operations and provide a testbed for future telerobotic exploration systems that will save time for both the crew and the ground.
","benefits":"The ultimate goal is for the aide to be used during real-time ISS robotic operations. The Robotics Officers from the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD), who are responsible for ISS robotic operations, are very interested in an aide to improve their efficiency and are prepared to use the aide during real-time operations. This aide or the underlying algorithms could be of benefit to a number of missions including active debris removal, asteroid retrieval, or automated rendezvous where a dedicated targeting system is not already in place.
","releaseStatus":"Released","status":"Completed","viewCount":501,"trlBegin":6,"trlCurrent":8,"trlEnd":8,"lastUpdated":"12/18/25","favorited":false,"detailedFunding":false,"projectContacts":[{"contactId":341324,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Wright","fullName":"Michael D Wright","fullNameInverted":"Wright, Michael D","middleInitial":"D","email":"michael.d.wright@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","projectContactRole":"Principal_Investigator","projectContactId":541271,"projectId":12090,"programContactRolePretty":"","projectContactRolePretty":"Principal Investigator"}],"programContacts":[{"contactId":233104,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Nelson","fullName":"John C Nelson","fullNameInverted":"Nelson, John C","middleInitial":"C","email":"john.c.nelson@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Director","programContactId":243,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Director","projectContactRolePretty":""},{"contactId":53523,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Schwing","fullName":"Brian M Schwing","fullNameInverted":"Schwing, Brian M","middleInitial":"M","email":"brian.m.schwing@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Manager","programContactId":346,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Manager","projectContactRolePretty":""},{"contactId":159179,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Gary","lastName":"Fleming","fullName":"Gary A Fleming","fullNameInverted":"Fleming, Gary A","middleInitial":"A","email":"gary.a.fleming@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Manager","programContactId":246,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Manager","projectContactRolePretty":""}],"leadOrganization":{"organizationId":4853,"organizationName":"Johnson Space Center","acronym":"JSC","organizationType":"NASA_Center","city":"Houston","stateTerritoryId":29,"stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29,"isTerritory":false},"country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"zipCode":"77058","projectId":12090,"projectOrganizationId":569081,"organizationRole":"Lead_Organization","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"Lead Organization","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"},"otherOrganizations":[{"organizationId":4853,"organizationName":"Johnson Space Center","acronym":"JSC","organizationType":"NASA_Center","city":"Houston","stateTerritoryId":29,"stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29,"isTerritory":false},"country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"zipCode":"77058","projectId":12090,"projectOrganizationId":569081,"organizationRole":"Lead_Organization","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"Lead Organization","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Center"}],"primaryTx":{"taxonomyNodeId":11405,"taxonomyRootId":8817,"parentNodeId":11401,"code":"TX13.4.4","title":"Autonomous, Real-Time Command and Control","description":"Autonomous, real-time command and control technologies aim to provide the capability to perform closed-loop command and control for high-energy systems in extreme environments.","exampleTechnologies":"Automatic generation of control software and test algorithms, real time data and voice loops to mobile devices, state aware monitor and control, highly secure and access-controlled flexible data networking, intelligent procedures for operations sequencing and system troubleshooting","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"selected":false,"isPrimary":true,"hasInteriorContent":true},"primaryTxTree":[[{"taxonomyNodeId":11379,"taxonomyRootId":8817,"code":"TX13","title":"Ground, Test, and Surface Systems","level":1,"hasChildren":true,"selected":false,"hasInteriorContent":true},{"taxonomyNodeId":11401,"taxonomyRootId":8817,"parentNodeId":11379,"code":"TX13.4","title":"Mission Success Technologies","description":"This area covers technologies that collectively enhance mission success and reduce long-term risk to NASA programs.","level":2,"hasChildren":true,"selected":false,"hasInteriorContent":true},{"taxonomyNodeId":11405,"taxonomyRootId":8817,"parentNodeId":11401,"code":"TX13.4.4","title":"Autonomous, Real-Time Command and Control","description":"Autonomous, real-time command and control technologies aim to provide the capability to perform closed-loop command and control for high-energy systems in extreme environments.","exampleTechnologies":"Automatic generation of control software and test algorithms, real time data and voice loops to mobile devices, state aware monitor and control, highly secure and access-controlled flexible data networking, intelligent procedures for operations sequencing and system troubleshooting","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"selected":true,"hasInteriorContent":true}]],"technologyOutcomes":[{"technologyOutcomeId":102812,"projectId":12090,"project":{"projectId":12090,"title":"Enhanced Ground Control for ISS Robotics","startDate":"2012-10-01","startYear":2012,"startMonth":10,"endDate":"2013-09-30","endYear":2013,"endMonth":9,"programId":165,"program":{"ableToSelect":false,"acronym":"JSC CIF","isActive":true,"description":"JSC provides and applies its preeminent capabilities in science and technology to develop, operate, and integrate human exploration missions. The Center encourages collaboration with aerospace and non-aerospace industries, government agencies, and academia to solve science and technology challenges, while actively striving to maximize technology transfer into the commercial sector.
An active and sustainable science and technology development program is key to ensuring the challenges of human exploration are successfully overcome. The JSC-directed solicitations program enables the Center to invest strategically in high priority areas needed to accomplish future missions as articulated in the NASA Technology Roadmaps and the Space Technology Investment Plan (STIP). It offers the Center the ability to address technology gaps that are beyond the requirements of near-term programs to fund. It also provides a platform to continue to grow and maintain critical skills and innovations needed to ensure future mission success. These solicitations encourage use of collaborations to ensure maximum benefit to both the space program and the nation. As such, external partnerships are highly encouraged not only as a funding leverage but to bring innovative ideas and approaches into human exploration programs.
Selection Process
Typically, JSC solicitations are developed by the JSC CTO and the JSC Technology Working Group (JTWG). The competitive calls are coordinated with JSC Senior Staff and communicated to the JSC workforce via internal email distribution to an R&D community list and through postings on the internal center website and through JSC Today notices.
The JTWG solicits, evaluates and prioritizes all JSC solicitation responses in a two-stage process. The JTWG members review project proposals and work together to down-select to the finalists. The Principal Investigators (PIs) make presentations to the JTWG to provide more in-depth project details. This allows the members to select the finalists to support for the year. Selection criteria and funding vary based on the focus of the solicitation but of primary interest are:
Project Accomplishments
Through the result of research and development, JSC’s IR&D project PIs are making important progress in the advancement of technology needed to enable NASA’s mission of space exploration. In addition, many of the technologies development to meet the challenges of space exploration have great commercialization potential. Each year, many of JSC’s IR&D projects file New Technology Reports (NTRs) through the JSC Tech Transfer Office. Several of these reports have received New Technology Evaluation Patent ratings to pursue patents, while additional ones have been scheduled for success story articles to be written and published.
JSC projects active in FY12 and beyond have been included in TechPort. Through the TechPort tool information on the projects is provided and will be updated by PIs as developments and updates become available. This will offer further knowledge and information sharing between NASA developers, researchers, engineers and scientists and other internal and external stakeholders.
The JSC Chief Technologist Office (CTO) sponsors one or more Independent Research & Development (IR&D) solicitations throughout each year depending on available funds. These local solicitations primarily use a blend of Agency Center Innovation Fund (CIF) and the JSC Center Investment Account (CIA) funds to stimulate and encourage technology development, creativity, and innovation. The objective is to address the technology needs of the Agency as well as the nation. For these reasons, funds distributed to JSC support emerging technologies and creative initiatives that leverage the Center’s talent pool and unique capabilities. Scientists and engineers across the Center lead projects and establish partnerships between other centers, agencies, research laboratories, academic institutions and private industries.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"acronym":"CIF","isActive":true,"description":"Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":64,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"stockImageFileId":36643,"title":"Center Innovation Fund","acronymOrTitle":"CIF"},"parentProgramId":64,"programId":165,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36649,"title":"Center Innovation Fund: JSC CIF","acronymOrTitle":"JSC CIF"},"description":"
Investigate and adapt aides which will increase the efficiency of ISS robotics ground control operations. Initially focus on providing relative position feedback to the operator during close-proximity operations, like grasping a robotic interface for example, since this type of operation is one of the most inefficient from a ground-operator perspective. Will benefit ISS operations and provide a testbed for future telerobotic exploration systems that will save time for both the crew and the ground. This project will investigate and adapt aides which will increase the efficiency of ISS robotics ground control operations with the intent of creating more opportunities for ground-controlled robotic operations. The selection and adaption of an aide will initially focus on providing relative position feedback to the operator during close-proximity operations, like grasping a robotic interface for example, since this type of operation is one of the most inefficient from a ground-operator perspective. This is to be a video-based system using Natural Feature Image Recognition (NFIR). The intent is to eventually use the same information to generate commands within the command system. This will benefit ISS operations and provide a testbed for future telerobotic exploration systems that will save time for both the crew and the ground.
","benefits":"The ultimate goal is for the aide to be used during real-time ISS robotic operations. The Robotics Officers from the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD), who are responsible for ISS robotic operations, are very interested in an aide to improve their efficiency and are prepared to use the aide during real-time operations. This aide or the underlying algorithms could be of benefit to a number of missions including active debris removal, asteroid retrieval, or automated rendezvous where a dedicated targeting system is not already in place.
","releaseStatus":"Released","status":"Completed","trlBegin":6,"trlCurrent":8,"trlEnd":8,"favorited":false,"detailedFunding":false,"programContacts":[{"contactId":159179,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Gary","lastName":"Fleming","fullName":"Gary A Fleming","fullNameInverted":"Fleming, Gary A","middleInitial":"A","email":"gary.a.fleming@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Manager","programContactId":246,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Manager","projectContactRolePretty":""},{"contactId":53523,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Schwing","fullName":"Brian M Schwing","fullNameInverted":"Schwing, Brian M","middleInitial":"M","email":"brian.m.schwing@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Manager","programContactId":346,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Manager","projectContactRolePretty":""},{"contactId":233104,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Nelson","fullName":"John C Nelson","fullNameInverted":"Nelson, John C","middleInitial":"C","email":"john.c.nelson@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Director","programContactId":243,"programId":165,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Director","projectContactRolePretty":""}],"endDateString":"Sep 2013","startDateString":"Oct 2012"},"technologyOutcomeDate":"2013-09-01","infusion":"Infused_with_a_NASA_Mission","technologyOutcomePath":"Infused_To","details":"The Mission Operations Directorate Robotics Officer (ROBO) will be using the software to do real-time operations at the conclusion of this effort.
","closeoutLinkUrl":"","infoText":"Infused with a NASA Mission","infoTextExtra":"Infused with a NASA Mission","isIndirect":false,"infusionPretty":"Infused with a NASA Mission","isBiDirectional":false,"technologyOutcomeDateString":"Sep 2013","technologyOutcomeDateFullString":"September 2013","technologyOutcomePartnerPretty":"","technologyOutcomePathPretty":"Infused To","technologyOutcomeRationalePretty":""}],"libraryItems":[],"states":[{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29,"isTerritory":false}],"endDateString":"Sep 2013","startDateString":"Oct 2012"}}