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Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley pre-dates a lot of things. The center existed before NASA \u2013 the very space and aeronautics agency it\u2019s a critical part of today. And of all the marvelous advancements in science and technology that have fundamentally changed our lives over the last\u00a085 years since its founding, one aspect has remained steadfast; an enduring commitment to what\u2019s known by some on-center simply as, \u201can atmosphere of freedom.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Years before breaking ground at the site that would one day become home to the world\u2019s preeminent\u00a0wind tunnels,\u00a0supercomputers,\u00a0simulators, and brightest minds solving some of the world\u2019s toughest challenges,\u00a0Joseph Sweetman Ames, the center\u2019s namesake, described a sentiment that would guide decades of innovation and research:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph sweetman ames<\/p>\n
Founding member of the N.A.C.A.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cMy hope is that you have learned or are learning a love of freedom of thought and are convinced that life is worthwhile only in such an atmosphere,\u201d he said in an address to the graduates of Johns Hopkins University in June 1935.<\/p>\n
That spirit and the people it attracted and retained are a crucial part of how Ames, along with other\u00a0N.A.C.A. research centers, ultimately made\u00a0technological breakthroughs\u00a0that enabled humanity\u2019s first steps on the Moon, the\u00a0safe return of spacecraft\u00a0through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, and many other discoveries that benefit our day-to-day lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the context of my work, an atmosphere of freedom means the freedom to pursue high-risk, high-reward, innovative ideas that may take time to fully develop and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 the opportunity to put them into practice for the benefit of all,\u201d said Edward Balaban, a researcher at Ames specializing in artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced mission concepts.<\/p>\n
Balaban\u2019s career at Ames has involved a variety of projects at different stages of development \u2013 from early concept to flight-ready \u2013 including experimenting with different ways to create\u00a0super-sized space telescopes\u00a0in space and using\u00a0artificial intelligence to help guide the path a rover\u00a0might take to maximize off-world science results. Like many Ames researchers over the years, Balaban shared that his experience has involved deep collaborations across science and engineering disciplines with colleagues all over the center, as well as commercial and academic partners in Silicon Valley where Ames is nestled and beyond. This is a tradition that runs deep at Ames and has helped lead to\u00a0entirely new fields of study\u00a0and seeded many companies and spinoffs.<\/p>\n \n