NASA @ GT: Bringing Space Technology Down to Earth
Atlanta’s tech and innovation community is getting a boost from NASA’s technology transfer efforts. NASA’s Technology Transfer Office connects local entrepreneurs and innovators with federal research and inventions. Georgia Tech has long been a flagship university of NASA’s Technology Transfer University (T2U) initiative, a hands-on entrepreneurship experience. Through T2U, students work with real NASA patents and, learn how to turn space-age innovations into marketable products. “Integrating NASA patents into our technology entrepreneurship course was a tremendous success,” says Professor Greg Mihalik, who leads the class. Over a 10-week semester, student teams develop and test business ideas based on NASA’s patent portfolio.
Greg Mihalik draws on three decades in technology and leadership to guide Georgia Tech students as they turn patents like those from NASA into real-world ventures.
Inside the Georgia Tech T2U Experience
Mihalik’s Technology Entrepreneurship course challenges students to build startups from the ground up. Student teams pitch commercialization plans using NASA technologies, create minimum viable products—from digital simulations to interactive devices—and test them with potential customers. Teams also develop business models and intellectual property strategies, then decide whether to persevere, pivot, retire, or park each project. Mihalik says the experience gives future engineers a taste of startup life and practical insight into entrepreneurship. “The support from the T2U NASA team was excellent,” he adds. About a third of the student teams typically select a NASA project for their final-semester presentations, reflecting the appeal and credibility of the NASA brand.
T2: The Larger Licensing Engine Behind It
T2U is part of a broader effort by NASA’s Technology Transfer Program (T2), which works to license available technologies to established companies, startups, and universities nationwide. Together, T2U and T2 connect classroom learning with the larger ecosystem of commercialization. Students gain hands-on experience in licensing and innovation while learning how federal research can translate into real-world solutions.
Beyond the classroom, NASAs comprehensive technology transfer program puts space-age inventions into the hands of entrepreneurs and industry. The agency maintains a portfolio of more than 1,200 patented technologies available for licensing.
Memory foam found in products like pillows, mattresses, and athletic gear today in fact originated from NASA research done back in the 1960’s. (Image: Dynamic Systems Inc.)
Licensing NASA Technology
Entrepreneurs can work with NASA to negotiate a unique licensing agreement that gives them rights to commercialize a product or service utilizing patented intellectual property. NASA offers several avenues for licensing their IP including commercial, startup, and research/evaluation licenses. Michael Riccio, a NASA technology licensing specialist, explains that the goal is to help early-stage companies experiment with NASA inventions without draining capital. “entrepreneurs and startups can leverage NASA’s vast portfolio of patents and software – many available at low or no cost – to power their next big idea,” he says.
Georgia Examples in the Marketplace
Concrete examples show how NASA technology becomes real-world product. One Georgia success story involves Electrostatic Spraying Systems of Watkinsville, which licensed a NASA-developed spray nozzle originally designed for watering plants aboard the International Space Station. Today, the company’s MaxCharge electrostatic sprayers coat fruits, vegetables, and other surfaces with sanitizing or protective solutions. By imparting an electric charge to spray droplets, the nozzle ensures thorough coverage while reducing waste.
Another Georgia-linked spin-off is KES Science & Technology of Kennesaw, which licensed NASA-supported air-purification technology to create the Airocide home air sanitizer. These examples highlight how federal research can be applied locally to solve real problems.
Why It Matters
NASA emphasizes that licensing its innovations is part of its public mission: to make government-funded inventions broadly available and maximize national benefit. By bringing cutting-edge technologies to Georgia Tech classrooms and into the hands of entrepreneurs, NASA is turning taxpayer-funded research into the next generation of products and businesses for Georgia and beyond.
From the school to local startups, NASA shows that space technology is not just for orbit. Through T2, entrepreneurs and students can access innovations once reserved for astronauts and scientists, translating them into practical, commercial solutions that impact life on Earth.