NASA Software Release: How To Download, Use Free Computer Programs And Catalog

Some of NASA's most impressive technology is now available to the masses. The space agency released its 2017-2018 catalog of software to the public free of charge Wednesday, sans royalty charges or copyright fees.

“The software catalog is our way of supporting the innovation economy by granting access to tools used by today’s top aerospace professions to entrepreneurs, small businesses, academia and industry,” Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement. “Access to these software codes has the potential to generate tangible benefits that create American jobs, earn revenue and save lives.”

The catalog was made available both online to download and in hard copy. The released software comes from a variety of different areas: business, data processing, operations, propulsion and aeronautics. While some of the codes have restrictions, many advanced technologies were made available, and NASA said it hoped they’d be used in a variety of different sectors.

“Software has been a critical component of each of NASA’s mission successes and scientific discoveries. In fact, more than 30 percent of all reported NASA innovations are software,” said Dan Lockney, executive of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program. “We’re pleased to transfer these tools to other sectors and excited at the prospect of seeing them implemented in new and creative ways.”

NASA has used many of the released technologies to incredible results. In a much-anticipated announcement in February, the organization announced that it had discovered seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting a start within a “habitable zone” possibly capable of holding life. NASA also announced it was working in conjunction with Lockheed Martin to produce a nearly-silent supersonic jet to fly passengers to destinations in record time.

The software catalog includes technologies like the Global Reference Atmospheric Models for Earth, Mars, Venus and Neptune, which show the exact pressures and temperatures on the planets. More casual software was also released, such as a “game” in which users can simulate spacewalks conducted on the International Space Station.