LAUNCH (Innovation Challenge)


LAUNCH is a program sponsored by NASA, Nike, US Agency for International Development, and the US Department of State that seeks sustainable innovations through quasi-annual challenges, forums, and a business accelerator. The program began in 2010 and has since focused on themes such as energy, health, water, and waste solutions.

History

2010: LAUNCH Water and LAUNCH Health

Launch was founded in 2010 by NASA, Nike, USAID, and the US Department of State. The inaugural event, LAUNCH: Water, was held at the NASA Kennedy Space Station in March 2010 and highlighted innovations and research related to water sustainability. Some of the innovations included bacterial water sensing, a floating contaminant sensor network, and evaporation-based underground irrigation technology.
The second LAUNCH forum, LAUNCH: Health, took place in October of that same year, also at the Kennedy Space Center. This challenge highlighted innovations in optimal nutrition, primary preventive health care, and ways to improve fitness and lifestyle choices.

2011: LAUNCH Energy

The LAUNCH: Energy forum took place in November 2011 at the Kennedy Space Center and highlighted innovations in sustainable energy systems. The forum featured innovations in fuel cell technology, electricity management, and clean cookstoves.

2012: LAUNCH Beyond Waste

LAUNCH Beyond waste took place in 2012 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This cycle highlighted nine innovations in the fields of waste-to-energy, ‘eWaste’, ‘upcycling’ and recycling, agricultural waste and conservation, medical waste, sustainable chemicals and materials, and improved sanitation. The forum also included sessions about how to accelerate these innovations towards real-world implementation.
In 2012, LAUNCH: Health Innovator Samuel Sia's company OPKO Health was awarded a contract to implement their diagnostic platform on the international space station. Numerous LAUNCH: Beyond Waste innovators were recognized for their projects in the fall of 2012. Joseph Aramburu was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs for project re:char and Ashnu Gupta was named India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum for his company Goonj.Attero Recycling : Nitin Gupta - India's leading provider of end-to-end electronic and electrical goods e-Waste management servicesf

2013: LAUNCH Systems and Micro-Challenge

In May 2013 LAUNCH convened first the LAUNCH 2020 Summit in Beaverton Oregon, a two-day event showcasing unique approaches to sustainability challenges with over 150 companies, NGOs, academics, and manufacturers in attendance. The summit also unveiled the LAUNCH 2013 Challenge Statement.
LAUNCH: Systems Forum will take place in September 2013 at the Jet Propulsion Lab and will have a focus on transforming fabrics manufacturing to increase equity and sustainability. In 2013 LAUNCH also accepted submissions for its first 'micro-challenge,' directed at student researchers and entrepreneurs. The Micro-Challenge has a focus on capturing data from the materials supply chain and using it to better understand the materials system. In 2013 LAUNCH was highlighted by Harvard's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation as one of the 'Top 25 Innovators in Government' putting it in contention for the Ford Foundation's 'Innovators In Government' Award unveiled in the fall of 2013. In May 2013, LAUNCH alumnus SEaB Energy won the Resource Revolution Award in the Category 'Energy from Waste.'

List of Innovators

InnovatorYearForumProject Name
Susan Addy2010WaterElectroChemical Arsenic Remediation
Ron Garan2010WaterManna Energy Limited
Julien Harou2010WaterHydroPlatform
Shahram Javey2010WaterThe Barnacle
Stephen Kennedy Smith2010WaterLarge-Scale Vertical Hydroponic Ag System
April Rinne2010WaterWaterCredit
Mark Sobsey2010WaterLow-Cost Bacterial Water Tests
Andrew Tinka2010WaterFloating Sensor Network
Mark Tonken2010WaterSubsurface Vapor Transfer Irrigation
Mark van Iersel2010WaterAffordable Soil Moisture Sensors
Jonathan Attwood2010HealthZamzee
Dieterich Lawson2010HealthMedic Mobile
Aydogan Ozcan2010HealthLUCAS
Ramesh Raskar2010HealthNETRA
Ben Reis2010HealthHealthySocial / Food Hero
Matt Sanders2010HealthiMetrikus MediCompass Connect
Samuel Sia2010HealthmChip
Erick Toledo2010HealthThe Chlorine Bank
Gijsbert van de Wijdeven2010HealthBioneedle Technologies Group
David Van Sickle2010HealthAsthmapolis
Mark Bryant2011EnergyThermofluidics
Sorin Grama2011EnergyPromethean Power Systems
Burt Hammer2011EnergyHydrovolts
Craig Jacobson2011EnergyPoint Source Power
Yashraj Khaitan2011EnergySmart DC Microgrids
Nina Marsalek2011EnergySolanterns Initiative
Ashutosh Misra2011EnergyITN Energy Systems
Jamie Simon2011EnergyPowerzoa
Rene Nunez Suarez2011EnergyTurbococina
Frank Wang2011EnergyNanoTune Technologies
Jason Aramburu2012Beyond Wastere:char
Joseph Atnafu2012Beyond WasteSanergy
Lisa Dyson2012Beyond WasteKiverdi
Brooke Farrell2012Beyond WasteRecycleMatch
Nitin Gupta2012Beyond WasteAttero Recycling
Anshu Gupta2012Beyond WasteGoonj
Sandra Sassow2012Beyond WasteSEaB Energy
Jeff Toolan2012Beyond WastePylantis
Kiah Williams2012Beyond WasteSIRUM
Mark Browne2013SystemsBenign by Design
Rana Gupta2013SystemsGeckskin
Sam Harrington2013SystemsMushroom Materials
Oliver Heintz2013SystemsBark Cloth
Suzanne Lee2013SystemsBiocouture
Jay Nalbach2013SystemsCRAiLAR
Felix Puller2013SystemsQmilk
Candice Reffe2013SystemsBlue Flower Initiative
Akshay Sethi2013SystemsAmbercycle Recycling
Tara Sutherland2013SystemsCSIRO