Technology transfer is an important part of the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Goddard's technology, expertise, and facilities are a National asset that can be leveraged to develop new products and processes that benefit the United States. These benefits include increasing the Nation's competitiveness, improving the balance of trade, and enriching the lives of the citizenry.

To ensure that these benefits are achieved, Goddard's Technology Transfer Program is responsible for:

• Seeking out Goddard research and development that can potentially meet industry and national needs
• Documenting newly developed technologies
• Patenting Goddard-developed inventions
• Promoting Goddard technologies, facilities, and capabilities to potential partners
• Negotiating partnership agreements for technology transfer

		Goddard’s Office of Technology Transfer has focused on spin-out--finding commercial, academic, and other government applications for space program technologies--for many years. Space program technologies often can benefit other industries and play an important role in the U.S. economy. Many aerospace technologies have found their way into new consumer products and services both through NASA working in tandem with private industry and the commercial sector turning to NASA for technological assistance.
		Because industry, academia, and other government labs serve as valuable resources for NASA Enterprise programs, the OTT also recognizes the value of spin-in. Often, academic or commercially developed technologies can be adapted to address space mission needs, allowing NASA to achieve its goals faster and more efficiently. Similarly, technologies developed at one NASA Field Center for a specific project might be widely applicable to other Enterprise programs.