Ever had a brilliant idea in the shower and thought, “This could change the world!”? Well, you’re not alone. But there’s quite a journey between your “eureka” moment and actually changing the world. NASA, being NASA, actually created a systematic way to measure how close any technology is to being ready for prime time. They call it the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) system, and it’s basically a 9-step program for your inventions to graduate from “crazy idea” to “actually working in space.”

Let’s break this down in a way that doesn’t require a Ph.D. in rocket science.

TRL 1: The Shower Thought Stage

Where good ideas come to take their first breath

Remember that time you thought, “What if we could teleport tacos directly into people’s mouths?” That’s basically TRL 1. It’s the stage where you observe some basic scientific principle and think, “Hey, this could be something!” This is where Einstein was when he was like, “E=mc² seems legit” (although his ideas were probably a bit more sophisticated than our taco teleporter).

At this stage, you’re basically the person at the party saying “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” The only difference is you’ve got some actual science to back up your wild ideas.

TRL 2: The “No, Really, I’m Serious About This” Stage

When you start sketching on napkins

This is where you graduate from shower thoughts to actually putting pen to paper. You’re starting to figure out how you might actually use your brilliant idea. Like, “Okay, so maybe we could use quantum entanglement for the taco teleportation system…” You’re not building anything yet, but you’re starting to think about how you could.

This is also the stage where your friends start giving you concerned looks at dinner parties.

TRL 3: The “Look, I Can Prove It!” Stage

Time to hit the lab

Now we’re getting somewhere! This is where you actually start doing experiments to prove your concept might work. It’s like going from saying “I bet I could build a better mousetrap” to actually testing different spring mechanisms in your garage.

In our taco teleporter example, you might successfully teleport a single molecule of hot sauce across your lab. It’s not quite door-to-door taco delivery, but hey, it’s progress!

TRL 4: The “It Works! (In Perfect Conditions)” Stage

Welcome to the laboratory

At this point, you’ve got all the basic pieces working together in a controlled environment. Think of it as having a prototype that works perfectly… as long as nobody breathes on it wrong. It’s like having a self-driving car that can navigate flawlessly around your empty parking lot at 2 AM.

Your taco teleporter can now successfully beam an entire taco… as long as it’s in a vacuum, at absolute zero temperature, and nobody’s looking at it (quantum mechanics can be weird like that).

TRL 5: The “Real World-ish Testing” Stage

Time to leave the comfort zone

Now we’re testing our technology in conditions that are closer to reality. Not quite the real world, but something that simulates it. It’s like taking your self-driving car from the empty parking lot to a test track with actual obstacles.

Your taco teleporter is now being tested with different types of tacos, various salsas, and even the occasional burrito (living dangerously!).

TRL 6: The “Almost There” Stage

A taste of reality

This is where your technology needs to prove itself in conditions very close to reality. It’s like testing your self-driving car on actual roads, but with a professional driver ready to take over.

The taco teleporter can now handle any type of taco, in any weather condition, though it still occasionally scrambles the guacamole.

TRL 7: The “Real World Demo” Stage

Time to show off

Now we’re testing the actual system prototype in its intended environment. For NASA, this means space. For our taco teleporter, this means successfully beaming tacos between actual restaurants and hungry customers.

This is where you start getting really excited because you can see the finish line. Your technology is working in the real world, even if it’s not quite ready for mass production.

TRL 8: The “It’s Actually Ready” Stage

Everything’s checked and double-checked

The technology has been tested, qualified, and proven to work. All systems are go! Your taco teleporter has passed all health and safety inspections, successfully delivered thousands of test tacos, and even handled the dreaded fish taco without any quantum entanglement issues.

TRL 9: The “In Service and Killing It” Stage

Mission accomplished

This is it – your technology is fully operational and being used in its intended environment. SpaceX is at this level with their Falcon 9 rockets. The International Space Station is at this level. And in our parallel universe, Taco Bell is now offering instant quantum delivery.

Why This Matters (Beyond Tacos)

While we’ve had some fun with our taco teleporter example, the TRL system is actually incredibly important for several reasons:

Risk Management: It helps organizations understand exactly how much more development a technology needs, making it easier to manage risks and allocate resources.
Communication: It provides a common language for discussing technology maturity across different industries and organizations. When someone says “It’s at TRL 4,” everyone knows exactly what that means.
Investment Decisions: Whether you’re NASA deciding which technologies to fund or a venture capitalist looking at startups, understanding TRLs helps you make better investment decisions.
Project Planning: It helps teams set realistic goals and timelines for technology development. You can’t jump from TRL 2 to TRL 8 overnight (unless you’ve already perfected that time machine).

Beyond NASA

While NASA created the TRL system for space technology, it’s now used across many industries:

Pharmaceutical Companies: Tracking drug development
Defense Contractors: Developing new military technologies
Energy Sector: Developing renewable energy solutions
Automotive Industry: Developing new vehicle technologies

The Hidden Wisdom in TRLs

The beauty of the TRL system isn’t just in its practical application – it’s in the philosophy behind it. It recognizes that innovation isn’t a single “eureka” moment, but rather a long journey of incremental progress. It teaches us that there’s value in every stage of development, from the initial crazy idea to the final working product.

It also reminds us that failure is an essential part of the process. Not every TRL 1 idea makes it to TRL 9, and that’s okay. Each attempt, each experiment, each failure teaches us something valuable that we can apply to our next attempt.

Conclusion: What’s Your TRL?

Next time you have a brilliant idea, try to figure out its TRL. Are you at the shower thought stage, or have you moved on to actual experimentation? Understanding where you are in the development process can help you plan your next steps and set realistic expectations.

And remember, every world-changing technology started at TRL 1. The smartphone in your pocket, the internet you’re using to read this, even the humble zipper – they all began as basic observations and wild ideas.

So keep having those shower thoughts. Keep sketching on napkins. Keep running those experiments. Because while not every TRL 1 idea makes it to TRL 9, every TRL 9 success started as a TRL 1 idea.

Just maybe hold off on investing in taco teleportation technology for now. We’re still working on that one.

Understanding NASA’s Technology Readiness Levels: From Shower Thoughts to Moon Shots