The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is releasing to the public later this week computer codes to many of the types of applications the space agency used to send explorers to the moon and robotic probes to the far reaches of our solar system.

More than 1,000 codes will be released free of charge to anyone who wants them on Thursday, April 10, as part of NASA's new online software catalog.

"NASA is committed to the principles of open government," said Jim Adams, NASA's deputy chief technologist. "By making NASA resources more accessible and usable by the public, we are encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. Our technology transfer program is an important part of bringing the benefit of space exploration back to Earth for the benefit of all people."

Organized into fifteen wide categories, the new catalog covers project management systems, design tools, data handling, and image processing, along with solutions for life support functions, aeronautics, structural analysis, and robotic and autonomous systems.

The codes, Adams said, represent NASA's best solutions to a wide array of complex mission requirements -- able to be utilized by industry, academia and other governmental agencies, not to mention the general populace.

Each NASA code "has been evaluated for access restrictions and designated for a specific type of release, ranging from codes that are open to all U.S. citizens to codes that are restricted to use by other federal agencies," an agency news release said.

Managed by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, the space agency's Technology Transfer Program ensures technologies developed for exploration and discovery missions are made open for public use.

Software "is an increasingly important element of the agency's intellectual asset portfolio, making up about a third of our reported inventions every year," Adams said. "We are excited to be able to make that software widely available."

More information about NASA's Tech Transfer program and access to the online software catalog can be found at: https://technology.nasa.gov/.