April 24, 2002

Victoria Kushnir

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

Phone: 650/604-0176 or 650/604-9000

vkushnir@mail.arc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 02-47AR

NASA SCIENTISTS DISCUSS COMMERCIAL USES OF REMOTE-SENSING TOOLS

Satellite technologies that could lead to more effective monitoring of crops, natural resources and disease outbreaks will be the focus of the Space-Based Tools for Valley Economic Growth Conference on April 26 at the Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center in California's Central Valley.

Attendees will hear David Peterson, chief of NASA Ames Research Center’s Earth Sciences Division, speak about NASA’s geospatial technologies that have applications for agriculture and natural resource assessment.

"NASA’s remote sensing data and models of the Earth system are being used to understand the entire Earth system and predict its response to natural and human-induced change," said Peterson. "These same tools can be applied to many practical applications, from weather prediction to disasters to agriculture and resources. What I hope to illustrate during the conference is how ‘space based tools,’ including commercial ones, can be used in a meaningful way by the end user community."

In addition to the introduction of NASA’s latest developments, the audience also will be able to learn more about the licensing and commercialization of space innovations.

"NASA technologies and knowledge are valuable resources often overlooked by many traditional industries," said executive director of the Far West Regional Technology Transfer Center Ken Dozier. "New high-velocity markets demand that competitive firms examine all options, and hopefully, this event will begin a series of dialogs that will lead to economic development in the Merced community."

For more information regarding the Space-Based Tools for Valley Economic Growth event, contact the County of Merced at 209/385-7686.

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