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The Federal Government is increasingly interested in potential commercial applications for technology developed under Government funding. This emphasis has been especially evident in the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program. Experiences in commercialization efforts are presented. Benefits as well as hindrances of Government policies and regulations are discussed. Suggestions are presented based on a Small Business perspective as well as that of a Government Technical Monitor. Experience has proven that advancement to Phase III commercialization is a slow tedious process and is dependent upon a number of variables. Some technologies, such as communications, microprocessing, and medical systems are directly marketable both inside and outside of the Government.

The extravehicular activity (EVA) requirements for Space Station Freedom and future long-duration space missions demand advanced technologies for the life support subsystems in the astronaut portable life support system (PLSS). A NASA-funded program is currently underway to develop a full-scale, breadboard, regenerate metal oxide carbon dioxide (CO2) removal system. This technology is a promising concept to replace the lithium hydroxide absorber presently used for removing CO2 in the recycled breathing gas in the PLSS, but cannot be efficiently regenerated to be used for another EVA mission. In the metal oxide carbon dioxide removal system, an “active” metal oxide compound, contained within a solid absorbent material, effectively removes the CO2 by chemically reacting to form a metal carbonate during astronaut EVA. The absorbent is then regenerated thermally, by decomposing the resulting carbonate and thereby releasing CO2, to reform the metal oxide.