NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover landed on Mars today and started sending back photos to great celebration at NASA, the US and across the world. Particularly encouraging is the news that much of the leading technology was developed and supplied by US suppliers. Here are some innovators that need congratulations apart from the NASA team and their prime contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin:
- Lithium Batteries come from Yardney Technical Products of Connecticut who were able to deliver these high tech batteries with far extended life while maintaining low weight.
- Parachutes cames from Pioneer Aerospace Connecticut.
- Metal Legs for the Curiosity rover were made by the American Bicycle Group at Tennessee, the makers of Litespeed bikes. They settled on an aluminum,titanium, vanadium allow to make sure that the legs of the rover will work in the extreme condition of the journey and landing at Mars.
- Mars soil collecting robots are made by Honey Bee Robotics of New York.
While this list is preliminary and is likely to grow, it is a cause for celebration because many of these are small businesses and operate at the high knowledge end with highly qualified personnel. They specialize in what they do and being in highly specialized B2B markets probably don't realize the huge applications all these technologies can have in other markets. The local media is doing a good job of highlighting the contribution of these businesses.The ability of these businesses to scale their products and services in other markets will greatly help in growing the high knowledge/high skill /high paid segments of American enterprise. Contact StratoServe.