Nasa has a total of 2602 patents globally, out of which 2002 have been granted. Of these 2602 patents, more than 42% patents are active. United States of America is where Nasa has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Japan and Germany. Parallelly, United States of America seems to be the main focused R&D centre and also is the origin country of Nasa.
Nasa was founded in the year 1958. Ever wonder what’s beyond our sky? NASA uses satellites and probes to explore Earth, our solar system, and even distant stars! They share their discoveries to unlock the mysteries of the universe.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of Nasa which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find Nasa patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over Nasa patent portfolio.
How many patents does Nasa have?
Nasa has a total of 2602 patents globally. These patents belong to 1712 unique patent families. Out of 2602 patents, 1104 patents are active.
How Many Patents did Nasa File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | Nasa Applications Filed | Nasa Patents Granted |
| 2024 | – | 12 |
| 2023 | 15 | 83 |
| 2022 | 30 | 69 |
| 2021 | 75 | 111 |
| 2020 | 63 | 123 |
| 2019 | 89 | 122 |
| 2018 | 103 | 101 |
| 2017 | 173 | 109 |
| 2016 | 117 | 112 |
| 2015 | 126 | 131 |
| 2014 | 134 | 128 |
| 2013 | 141 | 115 |
How many Nasa patents are Alive/Dead?
How Many Patents did Nasa File in Different Countries?
Countries in which Nasa Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| United States of America | 2022 |
| Japan | 69 |
| Germany | 68 |
| Europe (EPO) | 58 |
| Korea (South) | 30 |
| Canada | 23 |
| Australia | 22 |
| Austria | 22 |
| China | 21 |
| Brazil | 13 |
| India | 12 |
| Mexico | 9 |
| Israel | 7 |
| Singapore | 4 |
| Taiwan | 3 |
| Spain | 3 |
| Egypt | 2 |
| Hong Kong (S.A.R.) | 2 |
| Viet Nam | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 |
| Philippines | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 |
| Colombia | 1 |
| Russian Federation | 1 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
Where are Research Centres of Nasa Patents Located?
10 Best Nasa Patents
US8060250B2 is the most popular patent in the Nasa portfolio. It has received 1051 citations so far from companies like Gm Global Technology Operation, Ethicon Llc and Cilag Gmbh International.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of Nasa:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US8060250B2 | 1051 |
| US6967462B1 | 858 |
| US6721728B2 | 358 |
| US6759151B1 | 282 |
| US7378963B1 | 259 |
| US6720984B1 | 256 |
| US6858197B1 | 230 |
| US6697793B2 | 219 |
| US7215891B1 | 163 |
| US7507784B2 | 155 |
How many inventions of other companies were rejected due to Nasa patents?
The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to Nasa invention. They couldn’t because Nasa had protected those before them.
Examiners at the USPTO referred 727 Nasa patents in 3066 rejections (35 USC § 102 or 35 USC § 103 types).
The top citing companies in the Nasa patent portfolio are Boeing, General Electric and Honeywell.
List of the Companies whose Patents were rejected citing Nasa –
| Company | Number of Patent Applications that faced Rejection Citing Nasa Patents | Number of Rejections (102 & 103) |
| Boeing | 60 | 103 |
| General Electric | 49 | 95 |
| Honeywell | 45 | 88 |
| IBM | 25 | 55 |
| Hon Hai Precision Industry | 23 | 45 |
| Raytheon | 21 | 46 |
| Rolls-Royce | 20 | 44 |
| Gm Global Technology | 17 | 30 |
| Samsung | 17 | 34 |
| Thales | 8 | 12 |
Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on Nasa Patents
Top Nasa Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
| Patent Number | Count of Rejected Applications |
| US6759151B1 | 20 |
| US8164485B2 | 19 |
| US10332405B2 | 18 |
| US7702427B1 | 16 |
| US7641949B2 | 16 |
| US9475579B2 | 15 |
| US7148417B1 | 14 |
| US8977482B2 | 13 |
| US6967462B1 | 13 |
| US7194912B2 | 13 |
| US6720984B1 | 13 |
| US8011229B2 | 12 |
| US7109581B2 | 11 |
| US8987632B2 | 9 |
| US8291788B2 | 9 |
NASA has filed multiple number of patents ranging from “Baby soothing devices” to Air & Space vehicles.
Baby soothing device?! Yes, that’s right. US20170348187A1 patent talks about techniques for soothing babies and, more particularly, to devices which can simulate a mother’s touch by emulating a massaging motion.
There are many such interesting patents filed by NASA, ranging from what you see in your kitchen such as precision coffee maker to landmine removal!
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!
What are NASA’s key innovation segments?
What Technologies are Covered by NASA?
The chart below distributes patents filed by NASA in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where NASA thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How has NASA’s search focus changed over the years?
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS COMING SOON!