Sneak a peek at this year’s behind-the-scenes Tech Talks at NASA Ames

The winners of Speed2Design's 2013 contest are packing up and getting ready to go behind the scenes of the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. On August 15 they'll speak one-on-one with NASA experts about technological breakthroughs in space technology including NASA satellites and PhoneSat, the 80-by-120-foot wind tunnel, Sustainability Base, and future flight control.

To catch a glimpse of what they're in for, check out the Tech Talk previews below. 

NASA satellites and PhoneSat

Intrigued by building a much smaller spacecraft based entirely on consumer devices and other low-cost systems, engineers at NASA combined a consumer-grade smartphone in conjunction with other commercial off-the-shelf components. The result was the PhoneSat project, the joint effort of three smartphones in orbit, as part of NASA's nanosatellite mission.

Bruce Yost, Program Manager of Small Spacecraft Technology at NASA Ames explains why NASA is interested in miniaturized satellites, the benefits of satellites based on smartphone architecture, and how a small satellite innovation can be applied to benefit other parts of NASA.

NASA wind tunnel

NASA Ames is home to the world's largest wind tunnel, which is 80-by-120-feet and uses 104 megawatts, the equivalent energy usage for a city of 225,000 people.

Go behind the scenes with NASA Ames Aeromechanics Branch Chief, Bill Warmbrodt to learn all about NASA's extraordinary wind tunnels.

Sustainability Base

Known to be one of the greenest buildings in the federal government, Sustainability Base uses NASA innovations originally engineered for space travel and exploration. Learn how NASA is leveraging technology to add to what already exists, and see what challenges arise while integrating sustainability IT systems with building management systems from Assistant Director for Research Collaborations and Institutional Development, Krisstina Willmoth.

Future flight control

Ever wonder why it sometimes takes so long for your plane to get moving on the runway? Sumedha Garud, Marketing and Outreach at NASA Ames explains how NASA can help reduce airport traffic runway delays and gives us a sneak peek at NASA's different tools that can be used to get planes moving more efficiently. In this preview you can even get a sense of what the landing zone “airport” on Mars would look like.

Don't worry if you missed out on your chance to go behind the scenes at NASA Ames. There's plenty of time to enter to win a behind-the-scenes trip at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The drawing will be held on October 2, but why wait? Enter now at  speed2design.com!