As in a warehouse on land, RFID readers would be positioned in key locations within and outside the spacecraft to collect data, he said. The technology could also be used to manage the complex vehicles and systems used in space exploration, he noted.

Such applications are only viable if the technology can withstand the atmospheric conditions in outer space, Schramm said.

The RFID chips used in the test will be developed by NASA partner Intermec Inc., an Everett, Wash.-based manufacturer of RFID and supply chain systems.

An Intermec spokesman said the company is confident that plastic RFID technology will work in outer space conditions. He also noted that commercial applications could result from the use of the technology in such conditions.

Aerospace and defense agencies and corporations have been using RFID technology in recent years for supply chain inventory management, said Michael Liard, an analyst at technology consultancy ABI Research in Oyster Bay, N.Y. However, he noted, this is the first time he had ever heard of testing RFID in space.