NASA engineer at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala, have teamed up with an Arkansas inventor to take aim on one of the summertime’s greatest pests – the mosquito. 

In 1995, Alvin Wilbanks of Environment Products and Research, Inc. of Osceola, Ark., met with MSFC Technology Transfer Office’s industrial outreach representative to Arkansas, Dinah Higgins.  Mr. Wilbanks discussed his ideas for developing the mosquito killing system.  Mrs. Higgins suggested that NASA-derived technologies could be incorporated into the design.  Mrs. Higgins also was able to suggest incorporating molding technologies that would benefit the company once the product entered production.

Mr. Wilbanks submitted a request for technology assistance to the MSFC Technology Transfer Office where it was evaluated by the office’s technology application board.  From there it was forwarded to Jeff Martin and John Bush, engineers in Marshall’s Astronomic Laboratory, for study and action.

 The NASA engineers suggested a number of improvements to cut costs and improve efficiency that was subsequently adopted by the Arkansas firm.  MSFC also referred Mr. Wilbanks to a non-profit agency that assisted him rapidly producing the molds used to manufacture the base and top structure of the new product. 

The MKS (Mosquito Killing System) that has resulted from the collaboration of NASA and private industry is a revolutionary new mosquito control device.  Unlike existing electronic insect killing devices, the MKS actually attracts mosquitoes to itself.  The invention relies on the insect’s natural ability to sense heat and breathing to find its prey.  The patented device uses a heat source to provide an image to attract the insects, coupled with gently air currents that simulate breathing.  A pheromones attractant is also used to further attract the insect into the device.  The system will attract insects over a one-acre area.  Once the inside the device’s killing zone, the mosquitoes are electrocuted. 

The MKS includes a number of safety considerations including secure mounting points and tip-over safety switch.  It also has an energy-conserving photoelectric cell to activate the machine at dusk and turn it off at dawn.  Using 110-volt alternating current and the energy-saving photoelectric feature, the device should cost about $6 per month to operate.  Functional and attractive, the device fits well into any backyard décor.