Award recognizes NASA’s leadership in demonstrating how intellectual property fuels innovation, discovery, and the future of space exploration.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation (IPOEF) today announced that NASA has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Inspiration Award in recognition of its leadership in advancing innovation through the strategic use of intellectual property and its enduring ability to inspire the next generation of inventors, explorers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. The Inspiration Award honors leaders whose work exemplifies the power of innovation and intellectual property to create meaningful impact and inspire future generations.

For decades, NASA has demonstrated how intellectual property serves as a catalyst for discovery, collaboration, and technological advancement. Through pioneering programs such as Artemis, NASA continues to push the boundaries of exploration while bringing together groundbreaking inventions that are protected, shared, and built upon to enable humanity’s return to the Moon and future missions deeper into our solar system.

From advanced propulsion systems to cutting-edge materials and more, NASA’s innovations have had far-reaching impact both in space and on Earth. Through partnerships with universities, research institutions, and private industry, NASA has shown how intellectual property can serve as the foundation for collaboration and commercialization, helping breakthrough technologies reach new applications and create broader societal benefit.

As the world prepares for a new era of exploration, intellectual property will continue to play a critical role in enabling future missions. The technologies needed to sustain human presence on the Moon, advance deep-space exploration, and support emerging commercial space activities require significant investment, collaboration, and innovation. Intellectual property systems provide the framework that allows inventors, researchers, government agencies, and private companies to protect, share, and build upon new discoveries.

Exploration demonstrates how innovation ecosystems thrive when creative ideas can be developed, protected, licensed, and transferred to create new opportunities for exploration and economic growth.

“Future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will depend on innovations that have yet to be imagined,” said Jessica Landacre, IPO Executive Director. “Intellectual property is more than a tool for protecting inventions; it is a catalyst for creating environments where innovators can solve humanity’s greatest challenges and inspire the next generation to reach even further.”

Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer Program Executive, will accept the award on behalf of NASA at the IPO Education Foundation Awards Celebration on December 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C. The annual event brings together leaders from innovation, business, intellectual property, education, and public policy to celebrate individuals and organizations whose work demonstrates the power of intellectual property to drive progress and societal benefit. Additional awards presented during the evening include the Inventor of the Year and IP Champion.

About IPO Education Foundation

As a subsidiary of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to educational and charitable activities designed to teach, promote and understand the value of intellectual property rights and encourage innovation. To learn more visit www.ipoef.org.

Contacts:

Kristen Lurye
Deputy Executive Director
klurye@ipo.org 
202-507-4500

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SOURCE Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation