This effort is one of NASA's major goals, and the goal of the Space Product Development Program is to help American business explore the potential — and reap the rewards — of doing business in space. Doing this, however, requires that seeds be planted with American businesses.

The seeds are in the form of partnerships with industry and academia through Commercial Space Centers that support the full spectrum of commercial research. The Centers, located at academic institutions such as universities, are currently funded by NASA and charged with developing industry partners to pursue specific areas of commercial research. These partners have to help pay an increasing portion of the funding for operations and research, since the ultimate goal is to generate a demand for doing business in space.

The Centers are subject to several types of review and appraisal. One measure used is the interest of industry, which is evaluated by the number of industry partners and funding. Another measure checks progress against previously established milestones. Periodic checks are made by an outside source, such as the National Academy of Public Administration, to provide an independent assessment of the Centers and their performance.

Currently, NASA sponsors 16 Commercial Space Centers, with 10 of them operating through the Space Product Development Program. As new areas of commercial interest are identified, new Centers will be established, while other Centers may be disbanded if industry involvement wanes. The current Commercial Space Centers are:

BioServe Space Technologies (BioServe) Colorado, Kansas works with industry to explore commercial space opportunities in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biomedical, and agricultural areas. BioServe provides research support, specialized hardware and access to space flight. Life sciences companies are rapidly developing new products that affect everything from medicine to agribusiness. The work being done at BioServe is opening exciting new horizons for developing products, and ensuring that the full potential of these fields are realized.

Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing (CAMMP) works to improve the production of zeolites, ferroelectrics, and other catalytic materials. Zeolites are small crystals that play a big role in the chemical process industry. Much of their utility comes from the ability to be used as selective filters that will filter out specific chemicals. Work done through this center is helping to produce advanced catalytic materials for industry.

Center for Commercial Applications of Combustion in Space (CCACS) works to help researchers understand and improve the most prevalent chemical process — and the basis for nearly every major manufacturing process — around: combustion. From the furnaces in our homes to the creation of artificial diamonds, combustion plays a role and the work done through this Center is helping industry improve production and safety.

Center for Macromolecular Crystallography (CMC) works to determine the structures of proteins — the building blocks of life — so that the treatments of tomorrow can be developed today. By learning the structure of a protein, pharmaceutical researchers can figure out how it works and how to either help it work better, or keep it from working at all by designing drugs that are "keyed" to that protein.

Center For Mapping (CFM) works to advance and disseminate spatial data collection and use technologies, including remote sensing, geodesy using the Global Positioning System (GPS), inertial navigation systems (INS), photogrammetry, image processing, computer vision, image understanding, modeling, and Geographic Information Systems.

Center for Satellite and Hybrid Communication Networks (CSHCN) works to develop interoperable hybrid networks that seamlessly link new satellite and wireless systems with cellular, cable, Internet, and telephone networks.

The Center for Space Power (CSP) works to develop technologies with industry for NASA mission needs and commercial space ventures. CSP and its partners have developed a variety of space power-related technologies, applicable to both space and Earth-based commercial activities, including loop heat pipes for thermal management, lithium batteries, ilmenite semiconductor materials, a microwave electrothermal thruster, digital communications algorithms, magnetic bearing control algorithms for ultra-high speed energy storage, high efficiency power conditioners, and a host of other power related devices.

Center for Space Power and Advanced Electronics (CSPAE) works to advance technology relating to high temperature SiC devices, high temperature electronics and packaging, power conditioning and power control and management, and energy storage devices.

The Commercial Space Center for Engineering (CSCE) provides industry the means to use the International Space Station (ISS) as an engineering testbed for developing advanced spacecraft technology. Working with the CSCE, industry can cost-effectively test and demonstrate improved solar arrays, antennas, sensors, and other satellite components in the relevant space environment.

Consortium for Materials Development in Space (CMDS) works to develop new and improved materials — inorganic, organic, and even living matter — in space and on the ground. The unique and advanced equipment developed for this has been tested and is available for use, and the materials research being done is playing a role in advancing everything from space structures to medicines.

Medical Informatics & Technology Applications Consortium (MITAC) literally works on out-of-this-world medical products. The prime focus is on evaluating and preparing products and processes — such as telemedicine — for human space flight. Many of these tools and systems are tested on the ground. MITAC's efforts will not only benefit the delivery of health care in space, but will also benefit the practice of medicine on the ground.

ProVision Technologies (PVT) is applying hyperspectral imaging technology as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to support the health, nutrition, safety, and security of people on Earth and in space. Initial research and application efforts are focused on detecting human stress, aiding wound healing, treating skin cancer, and detecting harmful contamination in foods. Industry interest in developing new biomedical applications and products is strongly encouraged.

Solidification Design Center (SDC) works to improve the casting of metals and alloys, the process by which many of our everyday products are formed. By conducting research into all aspects of this process, from the proportions of materials to the way they cool and resolidify after processing, researchers can make improvements that result in better production and products on Earth.

Space Communications Technology Center (SCTC) works to develop the commercial use of digital transmission techniques for transmitting video, audio, and data to the Earth from satellites.

Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center (SVEC) works with industry and government laboratories to develop advanced thin film materials and devices by utilizing the most abundant free resource available in orbit: the vacuum of space. SVEC, along with its affiliates, is developing semiconductor mid-IR lasers for environmental sensing and defense applications, high efficiency solar cells for space satellite applications, oxide thin films for computer memory applications, and ultra-hard thin film coatings for wear resistance in micro devices. Performance of these vacuum deposited thin film materials and device can be enhanced by using the ultra-vacuum of space for which SVEC has developed the Wake Shield Facility — a free flying research platform dedicated to thin film materials development in space.