Assuring space shuttle orbiter subcontractor compliance with the NASA new technology clause

NASA's Charter demands that innovations arising from the agency's work receive the widest possible dissemination to bring about a transfer of the technology to the public welfare. This Spinoff from the Space Program is now a predictable event because of analyses done over the years by NASA and economists. However, the initial identification of innovations must be done through disclosures from NASA, prime contractor and subtier contractor employee innovators. Although NASA provides innovators with nominal cash awards for published innovations and inventions, a problem exists for NASA in assuring that all valuable innovations and inventions get promptly identified, reported and disseminated. This paper describes the technique developed by NASA's prime contractor for Shuttle Orbiter (Rockwell Space Division), which has successfully captured over 1200 innovations for NASA-JSC. Aspects of the Program described include the contract requirements, motivational techniques, results, problems, and a discussion of the results. An order of magnitude increase in innovation reporting resulted from Rockwell's activities primarily accomplished using an inexpensive four-step process implemented at about 200 subcontractor's facilities.