Cabin Pressure Sensor Technology Licensing Briefing

A technology licensing industry briefing on a new NASA Kennedy Space Center developed technology that could significantly contribute to public aviation safety will be held at KSC on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Col. Jim Halsell, manager of Space Shuttle program launch integration, will lead the event. Media who want to attend the briefing on the Personal Cabin Pressure Altitude Monitor and Warning System should report to the KSC Press Site at 9 a.m. for transport to the KSC Headquarters Building.

The device, which is about the size of a pager, may be hand-held or worn. It serves to warn the user of a potentially dangerous or deteriorating cabin pressure altitude condition. The inventor of the device, Jan Zysko, chief of the spaceport engineering and technology directorate's data and electronic systems branch, said the monitor operates independently of other aircraft systems and monitors the pressure/time conditions when supplemental oxygen is to be used per applicable federal aviation regulations.

The monitor warns the user of impending danger of hypoxia through simultaneous audio, vibratory, and visual alarms. In addition, a lighted digital screen displays a text message of the warning and the condition causing the alarm.

The monitor's concept was conceived to afford Space Shuttle and Space Station crew members added independent notification about any depressurization. Two major incidents spurred Zysko to create the monitor, the Mir/Progress collision in June 1997 and the Payne Stewart aircraft accident in October 1999.

At least 11 national and international aerospace companies are planning to attend the briefing, which will include a description of the technology and an explanation of the technology licensing process. Part of the royalties from licenses of the technology generated will be used to help fund other research and development projects at KSC. Although KSC's patent licensing program is only four years old, among NASA centers, KSC was NASA's No. one producer of licenses during fiscal year 2000. 

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