Technology readiness levels were conceived at NASA in 1974 and formally defined in 1989. The original definition included seven levels, but in the 1990s NASA adopted the nine-level scale that subsequently gained widespread acceptance.
Original NASA TRL Definitions (1989) :Level 1 – Basic Principles Observed and Reported :Level 2 – Potential Application Validated :Level 3 – Proof-of-Concept Demonstrated, Analytically and/or Experimentally :Level 4 – Component and/or
Breadboard Laboratory Validated :Level 5 – Component and/or Breadboard Validated in Simulated or Realspace Environment :Level 6 – System Adequacy Validated in Simulated Environment :Level 7 – System Adequacy Validated in Space The TRL methodology was originated by Stan Sadin at NASA Headquarters in 1974. These documented an expanded version of the methodology that included design tools, test facilities, and manufacturing readiness on the Air Force Have Not program. The Have Not program manager, Greg Jenkins, and Ray Chase published the expanded version of the TRL methodology, which included design and manufacturing. Leon McKinney and Chase used the expanded version to assess the technology readiness of the ANSER team's Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST) concept. ANSER also created an adapted version of the TRL methodology for proposed Homeland Security Agency programs. The
United States Air Force adopted the use of technology readiness levels in the 1990s. In 1995,
John C. Mankins, NASA, wrote a paper that discussed NASA's use of TRL, extended the scale, and proposed expanded descriptions for each TRL. that examined the differences in
technology transition between the US Department of Defense (DOD) and private industry. It concluded that the DOD takes greater risks and attempts to transition emerging technologies at lesser degrees of maturity than does private industry. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that use of immature technology increased overall program risk. The GAO recommended that the DOD make wider use of technology readiness levels as a means of assessing technology maturity prior to transition. In 2001, the US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology issued a memorandum that endorsed use of TRLs in new major programs. Guidance for assessing technology maturity was incorporated into the
Defense Acquisition Guidebook. Subsequently, the DOD developed detailed guidance for using TRLs in the 2003 DOD Technology Readiness Assessment Deskbook. Because of their relevance to Habitation, 'Habitation Readiness Levels (HRL)' were formed by a group of NASA engineers (Jan Connolly, Kathy Daues, Robert Howard, and Larry Toups). They have been created to address habitability requirements and design aspects in correlation with already established and widely used standards by different agencies, including NASA TRLs. More recently, Dr. Ali Abbas, Professor of chemical engineering and Associate Dean of Research at the University of Sydney and Dr. Mobin Nomvar, a chemical engineer and commercialisation specialist, have developed Commercial Readiness Level (CRL), a nine-point scale to be synchronised with TRL as part of a critical innovation path to rapidly assess and refine innovation projects to ensure market adoption and avoid failure.
In the European Union The European Space Agency adopted the TRL scale in the mid-2000s. Its handbook and it was implemented in the subsequent EU framework program, called
Horizon 2020, running from 2013 to 2020, and has been retained in the EU's following framework programs. This means it is applied not only to space and weapons programs, but everything from nanotechnology to informatics and communication technology. ==See also==