Space Ordinals grew from decades of field experience in demanding environments.
William “Bud” Nail, III is President of Technological Services Company and VideComp Inc. (and, as he puts it, also the janitor and chief bottle washer). Through Tale Gate Books he publishes information about Space Ordinals and related work.
Between earlier roles and his current positions, Bud spent a couple of decades as a manufacturing engineer for some of the world’s smallest and largest companies. He then spent another couple of decades in the aerospace industry — first as a NASA employee and later as a consultant to NASA and various aerospace companies.
For the last several decades he has focused on R&D and problem-solving for government agencies (known by their initials), their suppliers, and technology startups. His work has contributed to several successful ventures.
The ideas behind Space Ordinals grew directly from field experience in industrial plants, rocket test facilities, and disaster recovery. In those environments, conventional numerals often fail when orientation is uncertain, when markings are damaged, or when conditions make precise reading difficult.
Space Ordinals were developed as a practical response to those real-world problems — symbols that remain clear when rotated, partially obscured, or subjected to the kind of wear common in demanding settings.
Throughout his career, Bud has been both a mentee and a mentor to engineers, technicians, and innovators. One of his favorite activities is pouring into young people. Several organizations regularly send new hires to spend time with him in what they affectionately call “Bud’s Boot Camp.”
His work has been recognized with NASA’s Exceptional Engineer Medal, the Manned Flight Awareness Award, and SSC Subcontractor of the Year. He has also been featured in NASA Tech Briefs, Innovation, and Mechanical Engineering magazines.
Space Ordinals are freely available to industry and individuals for use and commercialization with no restrictions beyond the simple attribution required by the Creative Commons license. The goal is for the system to be useful, not locked away.