NASA releases dozens of patents into the public domain - CNET

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NASA has released 56 of its previously patented technologies to the public domain for unrestricted commercial use. The released patents are completely free to use and don't require any licensing agreements with the US space agency.

"These technologies were developed to advance NASA missions but may have non-aerospace applications and be used by commercial space ventures and other companies free of charge, eliminating the time, expense and paperwork often associated with licensing intellectual property," NASA's Gina Anderson said in a statement.

"This patents release is the latest in NASA's long tradition of extending the benefits of its research and development into the public sector."

The released patents cover a wide array of NASA tech, including manufacturing processes and rocket designs. The release is a huge boon to private space exploration companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX, which recently successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket.

You can check out the searchable database of the public domain NASA tech here.