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Spinoff story
Shuttle Engine Designs Revolutionize Solar Power
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
The Space Shuttle Main Engine was built under contract to Marshall Space Flight Center by Rocketdyne, now part of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR). PWR applied its NASA experience to solar power technology and licensed the technology to Santa Monica, California-based SolarReserve. The company now develops concentrating solar power projects, including a plant in Nevada that has created 4,300 jobs during construction.