On Thursday, NASA's Deputy Administrator Dava Newman visited the Marshall Space Center. She visited the center's Composites Technology Center as a part of her tour of NASA facilities across the nation. She took up her position on May 15 after being confirmed by the US Senate.

On her visit, she even saw a 21-foot composite laying robot at the center. It was not the first time for Newman to visit Marshall, as she has carried out her first space flight experiment at the center in the 90s. Newman said that things have changed a lot at the center and now, so many exciting projects are taking place there.

"If NASA can push and lead in these technological developments then the changes of how we build flight systems go right into industry. It can go from government back into industry", said Newman.

The new robot has the ability to create composite material from carbon-fiber strands. This feature will allow for the development of new construction techniques that will make advance composite material cost effective.

Materials engineer Justin Jackson has praised NASA for investing in technology that will make space travels more efficient and less expensive. John Vickers, manager for the NASA National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, has termed the development to be a 'game changer'.

Technology and innovation have led NASA to excel in its new missions and move forward on its development of the new Space Launch System, affirmed Newman.