Today NASA rolled out some of the projects it has developed to address the Covid-19 crisis that hit the globe. The agency used its technologies and personnel and cooperated with other organisations and enterprises.
"We specialize in spacecraft, not medical-device manufacturing," said JPL Director Michael Watkins. "But excellent engineering, rigorous testing and rapid prototyping are some of our specialties. When people at JPL realized they might have what it takes to support the medical community and the broader community, they felt it was their duty to share their ingenuity, expertise and drive."
Two of the innovations NASA highlighted in the briefing involved devices to assist in breathing. A team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed the Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally (VITAL), a ventilator specially designed for treating COVID-19 patients but that is simpler and faster to build than conventional ventilators.
