Washington – October 06, 2026 -- NASA has been named recipient of the 2026 Inspiration Award by the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation (IPOEF), recognizing the agency's use of intellectual property to drive space innovation and commercialization.
IPOEF cites NASA's Artemis program as a model for IP-driven collaboration
The foundation credited NASA's Artemis program with bringing together protected inventions that are shared and built upon to support the return to the Moon and future deep-space missions. IPOEF said NASA's innovations in advanced propulsion systems and materials have delivered impact both in orbit and on Earth through partnerships with universities, research institutions, and private industry.
Daniel Lockney will accept the award on December 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
Daniel Lockney, NASA's Technology Transfer Program Executive, will accept the award on the agency's behalf at the IPO Education Foundation Awards Celebration. The event also presents the Inventor of the Year and IP Champion awards to recognize individuals and organizations advancing innovation through intellectual property.
IPO Executive Director links future lunar and Mars missions to IP frameworks
Jessica Landacre, IPO Executive Director, said future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will depend on innovations yet to be imagined, and that intellectual property systems create environments where innovators can solve major challenges. IPOEF stated that IP frameworks allow inventors, researchers, government agencies, and private companies to protect, share, and build upon discoveries needed to sustain human presence on the Moon and support commercial space activity.