Merging Geospatial Data into a User-Friendly Application to Support Sustainable Development, Year 1

For this project, an economic development tool called the Local Economic Analysis Portfolio (LEAP) tool was produced. LEAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) system which allows users to create earth-based mapping systems that describe the environmental conditions, physical infrastructure and related features for use in land/base management decisions. The primary function of this tool is to generate portfolios coupling standard descriptors about potential sites with maps and location specific information. Users can select criteria in a wizard-based tool to perform site selection analysis or draw primary and alternate sites to obtain site specific information related to the area of interest. The intention of the tool is to provide a user-friendly interface for personnel responsible for working on economic development at Stennis Space Center (SSC) and the surrounding community. An economic development tool, for use at SSC, was developed to generate portfolios coupling standard descriptors about potential sites with maps and location specific information. The generated portfolios include pre-created maps, dynamic map products, acreages, demographic reporting of the surrounding area, areas within a specified transportation distance, distance to utilities and other critical infrastructure, soil/regolith types, and proximity to dangerous condition areas, that could potentially be used for infrastructure layout and development for decision making. The wizard-based tool allows personnel working with potential tenants to step through these descriptive areas to edit or verify the populated information before generating the portfolio. The first step involves using query tools to find property or space within a specified size constraint. Once the user has selected all the desired site information, and entered and/or verified the categorized information, the final portfolio document can be created.

Benefits to NASA funded missions include the fact that NASA is working to reduce the overall footprint while maximizing space utilization to save on annual operating costs. Economic development tools are applicable for use by other entities within NASA. The benefits to NASA unfunded missions and planned missions would be similar to those that would benefit NASA. In addition to earth-based GIS systems, this technology capability has utility and/or applications for potential use for space-based locations, like the moon and Mars. The benefits to the commercial space industry would be the same as those that would benefit NASA. The application of this type of GIS technology capability has utility and/or applications for not only here on Earth, but could be transitioned and used for space-based locations. The benefits to other government agencies would be similar to those what would benefit NASA. This type of GIS technology could be used by most all government agencies to help increase accuracy, enrich operations and help meet their missions. This GIS technology has tremendous utility towards a wide variety of earth-based applications for numerous decision making processes which include, but is not limited to analysis, planning, land use, over all development.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.