On Dec. 10, NASA Ames’ Commercial Technology Office will host a Space Act Award ceremony recognizing outstanding accomplishments by NASA Ames’ R&D staff in technology transfer. Individuals and teams that have won awards through the NASA Space Act Award program will be recognized during the ceremony. NASA Ames Center Director G. Scott Hubbard will present the awards, including the NASA Software of the Year and NASA Commercial Invention of the Year. NASA’s Software of the Year, Cart3D, a software package that provides designers and engineers with an automated, highly accurate computer aerodynamic simulation tool, was developed by Michael Aftosmis and Dr. John Melton of NASA Ames and Dr. Marsha Berger, Courant Institute, New York University.

The small ventricular-assist device, known as the DeBakey VAD, is NASA’s Commercial Invention of the Year. NASA Ames honorees Dochan Kwak and Cetin Kiris of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division were part of the 11-person team that developed the NASA/DeBakey miniature heart assist pump. Other Space Act awards will be presented for outstanding scientific and technological contributions to NASA’s commercial, aeronautical and space missions. NASA Ames’ U.S. patent recipients will also be recognized for their recently issued patents. For more information: Victoria Steiner, 650/604-0176 or by e-mail at: vsteiner@mail.arc.nasa.gov