This year is the 25th anniversary of the Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame, and the occasion was recognized with the creation of a new, redesigned Space Technology Hall of Fame medallion for inductees. The Space Technology Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to increase public awareness of the benefits that result from space exploration programs and to encourage further innovation. Since that time, 69 technologies have been inducted.
The 2013 inductees were: GATR Inflatable Satellite Communication System, a portable, rapidly deployed, inflatable antenna that targets a geostationary satellite to establish critical communications links; and Mediphan ultrasound technologies, compact low-power ultrasound devices that can be used as a diagnostic tool where large scanning equipment is impractical. Other inductees have included energy-saving technologies, health improvement technologies, satellite and telecommunication technologies and practical commercial devices. Some examples are the automatic external defibrillator; non-invasive breast biopsy technology; anti-shock garments; LASIK eye surgery; implantable pacemakers and hearing aids; and technologies that power cellular phones, terrestrial networks and satellite broadcast television and radio communications, a low-density, light-weight flexible aerogel insulating material; and a high-resolution optical sensing system called FireWatch that detects forest fires before they can cause serious environmental damage.
Each nomination is reviewed for completeness, assessed by technical experts and then ranked by a prestigious panel of judges who look at economic benefit, public awareness, societal benefit, longevity and public/private/partnership investment. Award ceremonies for the 2014 inductees and honorees will be part of the Space Foundation’s 30th Space Symposium, which will be held at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 19-22, 2014.
Additional information about the Space Technology Hall of Fame®, including a complete list of inducted technologies, is available at www.spacefoundation.org/programs/space-technology-hall-fame.
