Space Foundation Press Releases
Space Foundation Inducts Microgravity Treadmill and Neurala Brain Into 2026 Space Technology Hall of Fame
Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — March 10, 2026 — Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to advance the global space community, today announced that two leading-edge technologies developed for space will be inducted into the 2026 Space Technology Hall of Fame®. The induction ceremony will take place during the annual Space Symposium, April 13-16, 2026, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
The 2026 inductees are:
- Microgravity Treadmill
- Neurala Brain
Founded in 1988 in partnership with NASA, the Space Technology Hall of Fame recognizes life-changing technologies emerging from global space programs; honors the scientists, engineers and innovators responsible for them; and communicates the importance of these innovations as a return on investment in space exploration.
Commenting on the newest inductees, Space Foundation CEO Heather Pringle said, “The induction of Microgravity Treadmill and Neurala Brain into the Space Technology Hall of Fame reflects the power of space innovation to drive meaningful progress on Earth. These breakthroughs began as solutions for astronauts and autonomous exploration, and today, they are improving lives worldwide. This is exactly what the Hall of Fame represents — bold ideas from the space community delivering lasting global impact.”
2026 Space Technology Hall of Fame Inductees
Microgravity Treadmill
- Individuals: Robert Whalen, Sean Whalen, Tom Allen, Fritz Moore
- Organizations: Boost Treadmills, AlterG, NASA Ames Research Center
Differential air pressure microgravity treadmill technology was developed at NASA Ames Research Center to help astronauts prevent bone loss and muscle atrophy during long space missions. Traditional exercise systems relied on harnesses and elastic cords, which often altered gait, limited exercise intensity and caused discomfort. Dr. Robert Whalen discovered that controlled air pressure around the lower body could simulate gravitational loading. This method applied smooth, evenly distributed vertical forces near the body’s center of mass while preserving natural walking and running mechanics. Early prototypes in the late 1980s and early 1990s confirmed the concept’s effectiveness, though spaceflight testing was limited by program constraints.
The technology later proved valuable on Earth. By reversing the system, users could partially unweight the lower body, reducing joint stress while maintaining natural movement patterns. Sean Whalen played a central role in the early engineering development and commercialization of the technology through AlterG. He later founded Boost Treadmills with Tom Allen to continue advancing microgravity-based rehabilitation technology and expand the next generation of these systems. Building on his father’s foundational research, Sean led engineering and product development that brought the system into clinical and performance environments. Dr. Robert Whalen remains closely involved with Boost, contributing engineering expertise and helping solve technical challenges as the technology continues to evolve.
Fritz Moore, a NASA Ames–affiliated research physiologist and co-founder of AlterG, contributed expertise in exercise physiology and research design. He led studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of differential air pressure treadmills, helping support regulatory pathways and clinical adoption as the technology entered rehabilitation settings.
The father-son Whalen duo continues to mature the Microgravity Treadmill technology, focusing on improving accessibility, usability, and scalability so weight-supported locomotion can be used more broadly across rehabilitation, performance, and long-term mobility applications.
Today, differential air pressure treadmills support orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation, post-surgical recovery, athletic training, gait analysis, and long-term mobility, enabling clinicians and trainers to use safe, repeatable weight-supported locomotion to support recovery and mobility preservation.
Neurala Brain
- Individuals: Dr. Massimiliano Versace, Dr. Anatoli Gorchet, Dr. Heather Ames, Dr. Mark Motter
- Organizations: Neurala, Inc., NASA Langley Research Center
In collaboration with NASA and Boston University’s Neuromorphics Lab, Neurala developed a brain-inspired artificial intelligence technology enabling autonomous, continuous learning on edge devices. The resulting system, the Neurala Brain, allows machines to learn online without cloud connectivity or large datasets. The Neurala Brain has been commercialized across multiple products and is the cornerstone of the VIA software for visual industrial quality control. The work was led by cofounders Dr. Massimiliano Versace, Dr. Anatoli Gorchet, and Dr. Heather Ames, leaders in artificial intelligence and brain-inspired computing.
NASA’s Langley Research Center recognized the technology’s relevance to autonomous exploration systems. Dr. Mark Motter, an engineer at Langley, identified its potential and served as technical representative for Neurala’s Small Business Technology Transfer awards. Phase I demonstrated unsupervised terrain learning in simulation. Phase II transferred trained models to physical robotic platforms, validating real-world performance. NASA support, including enhancement funding, helped move the technology from academic research to commercial readiness.
Neurala retained intellectual property ownership while transitioning the system into commercial
products. The technology expanded into robotics, smartphones and industrial inspection. Today, Neurala’s AI operates entirely on-device and has been deployed in approximately 80 million systems worldwide.
To view all Space Technology Hall of Fame inducted technologies, please visit www.spacefoundation.org/inducted-technologies/.
About Space Technology Hall of Fame
Space Technology Hall of Fame, launched in 1988 by Space Foundation in partnership with NASA, honors individuals, organizations and companies that adapt technologies originally developed for space to improve the quality of life on Earth, as well as inspire future space innovators. Honorees are nominated by the space community and global space agency technology transfer offices, reviewed and selected by a space and technology expert panel, and inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame at Space Symposium. Visit Space Technology Hall of Fame to nominate a technology at www.spacetechhalloffame.org.
About Space Foundation
Space Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 as a gateway to advance the global space community. Space Foundation uniquely educates, collaborates and informs the entire space workforce, from early education through post-secondary (college, non-college, vocational), to the start of their careers as new professionals, and ultimately as leaders at the highest levels of government and commercial industry. As a charitable organization, Space Foundation receives support from corporate members, sponsors, individual giving, and grants. Visit Space Foundation at www.SpaceFoundation.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
Rich Cooper
Vice President, Strategic Communications & Outreach
Space Foundation
(202) 596-0714
[email protected]
Dottie O’Rourke
TECHMarket Communications
(650) 344-1260
[email protected]
Facts Only
Space Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1983, announced the 2026 inductees for the Space Technology Hall of Fame on March 10, 2026.
The induction ceremony will take place during the Space Symposium, April 13-16, 2026, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The 2026 inductees are the Microgravity Treadmill and Neurala Brain.
The Microgravity Treadmill was developed by NASA Ames Research Center, with contributions from Robert Whalen, Sean Whalen, Tom Allen, and Fritz Moore.
Organizations involved in the Microgravity Treadmill include Boost Treadmills, AlterG, and NASA Ames Research Center.
The Neurala Brain was developed by Neurala, Inc. in collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, with key contributors including Dr. Massimiliano Versace, Dr. Anatoli Gorchet, Dr. Heather Ames, and Dr. Mark Motter.
The Space Technology Hall of Fame was founded in 1988 in partnership with NASA.
The Microgravity Treadmill uses differential air pressure to simulate gravitational loading for astronauts and has applications in rehabilitation and athletic training on Earth.
Neurala Brain is an AI system enabling autonomous, on-device learning and has been deployed in approximately 80 million systems worldwide.
The Space Foundation’s CEO, Heather Pringle, commented on the inductees' impact on Earth.
The Space Technology Hall of Fame recognizes technologies adapted from space programs that improve life on Earth.
Nominations for the Hall of Fame are reviewed by a panel of space and technology experts.
Executive Summary
The Space Foundation has announced the induction of two space-derived technologies into the 2026 Space Technology Hall of Fame: the Microgravity Treadmill and Neurala Brain. The ceremony will occur during the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs in April 2026. The Microgravity Treadmill, developed by NASA Ames Research Center and commercialized by AlterG and Boost Treadmills, uses differential air pressure to simulate gravitational loading, aiding astronauts in preventing muscle and bone loss in space. On Earth, it has been adapted for rehabilitation, athletic training, and mobility support. Neurala Brain, created by Neurala, Inc. in collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, is an AI system enabling autonomous, on-device learning without cloud connectivity. Originally designed for space exploration, it has been commercialized for industrial quality control and deployed in millions of devices worldwide. Both technologies exemplify the broader impact of space innovation on terrestrial applications, aligning with the Hall of Fame’s mission to recognize advancements that improve life on Earth.
The inductees highlight the role of public-private partnerships in transitioning space technology to commercial use. The Microgravity Treadmill’s development involved NASA researchers and private companies, while Neurala Brain benefited from NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer program. These collaborations underscore how space exploration investments yield tangible benefits beyond their original scope. The Space Technology Hall of Fame, established in 1988, continues to honor such innovations, emphasizing their societal value and inspiring future advancements in space and related fields.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative celebrates the tangible benefits of space exploration, demonstrating how investments in astronaut health and autonomous systems yield transformative applications on Earth. The Microgravity Treadmill and Neurala Brain exemplify the "spillover" effect of space technology, where solutions designed for extreme environments address real-world challenges in healthcare and AI. The Space Foundation’s framing emphasizes collaboration between public institutions like NASA and private enterprises, reinforcing the idea that space innovation is a collective endeavor with broad societal returns. This narrative aligns with a long-standing paradigm of justifying space spending through its terrestrial dividends, a strategy that has historically garnered public and political support.
However, the pattern of highlighting only the most successful spin-offs risks oversimplifying the complexity of technology transfer. While the inductees are undeniably impactful, the narrative omits the countless space-derived technologies that fail to achieve commercial viability or widespread adoption. This selective focus could reinforce a "success bias," where only the most marketable examples are showcased, potentially skewing perceptions of the efficiency and universality of space-to-Earth innovation. Additionally, the emphasis on private-sector commercialization might obscure the role of public funding in de-risking early-stage research, a dynamic that often goes unacknowledged in celebratory accounts of technological progress.
The root cause of this narrative is the enduring need to legitimize space exploration by tying it to immediate, practical benefits—a strategy dating back to the Cold War era. This framing assumes that the public requires tangible returns to justify space spending, rather than valuing exploration as an intrinsic good. The implications for human agency are mixed: while these technologies empower individuals through better healthcare and smarter devices, they also reflect a broader trend of privatizing space-derived innovations, where access and affordability may not be equitable. Who benefits most from these advancements? Are they accessible to underserved communities, or do they primarily serve commercial and elite markets?
Bridge questions: How might the Space Technology Hall of Fame better acknowledge the failures and limitations of technology transfer, not just the successes? What alternative frameworks could justify space exploration beyond its terrestrial applications? How can we ensure that space-derived innovations are equitably distributed, rather than exacerbating existing inequalities?
Counterstrike scan: If this narrative were part of a coordinated influence campaign, it would likely emphasize the infallibility of space investment, downplaying risks and failures while amplifying success stories to secure continued funding. The actual content does not match this pattern, as it focuses on specific, verifiable achievements without overgeneralizing or suppressing counterexamples. The tone remains celebratory but grounded in factual reporting, without the hallmarks of manipulative framing.
Sentinel — Human
The article exhibits strong human-authored characteristics, including technical depth, organizational voice, and specific attributions, with no significant stylometric or coherence red flags.