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Whatever you’re using daily, it’s probably a NASA spinoff product
By CHUCK HLAVA
Houston, we have products – and lots of them.
NASA hasn’t just been sending rockets, spaceships and astronauts into space for 50 years with no benefits to the public. All that exploration has had far-reaching effects with everyday products invented by NASA. We’re talking about everyday use for the home, recreation and work.
In short, you eat, sleep and play with the creations and spinoffs from NASA. If you clean, wipe or just dust, thank your lucky stars in space because that’s where it probably came from.
Starting with what’s hot – or cold – let’s go with NASA’s heat pipe technology. Your home refrigerator benefits from that, so do computers. Let’s not forget restaurant appliances that help serve all that good food – hot or cold.
You like to run? Comfy running shoes come courtesy of NASA. The space agency wanted flexible bellows for astronaut space suits. So they came up with the bellows and they’ve filtered down to the running shoes. There’s more.
Like jet pilots, astronauts are subject to G forces in space. To relieve the G-Force NASA engineers came up with Anti G Force foam called Tempur. Now you buy the namesake mattresses and pillows.
Insulation is big in NASA’s spaceships and a variety of insulation has reached the public market place from thermal components generated for space exploration. Homeowners with water purifiers can thank the space agency for that, too.
Moving into technology, NASA brought in security systems, surveillance and time-lapse cameras and computer tracking tagged people roaming a restricted area.
If you’re hungry, the space agency has improved foods for astronaut diets. It is very picky about the food and it not only has to taste good but be healthy. Try to get that combination in a restaurant. NASA tested an innovative fat substitute that not only cut calories but extended shelf life. The packaged food has to have a shelf life of nine months for shuttle missions and a year for the International Space Station. Bon appétit.
The list doesn’t stop there. As a matter of fact, at first glance, it just doesn’t stop.
Health spinoffs include sun glasses that keep out 99 percent of the harmful rays, exercise machines, better eye exam machines and more. Biodegradable lubricants and fluids for machines were developed.
NASA also noticed something while looking to reduce aircraft fuel consumption. The engineers saw that V-shaped grooves pointing in the direction of the flow reduced friction by 10 percent. They labeled them ‘riblets’ because of their shape. It not only reduced the use of fuel in aircraft but produced less drag and more speed. Before long, competitive swimsuits for women were manufactured with riblets in the front.
If you feel ambitious and want to research all the inventions and spinoffs from space exploration there are a few good books on the market.
You’ll find all these and lots more in Inventions From Outer Space by David Baker, It Came From Outer Space by Marjolijn Bijlefeld and the Spinoff series of soft cover books from NASA.
NASA hasn’t just been sending rockets, spaceships and astronauts into space for 50 years with no benefits to the public. All that exploration has had far-reaching effects with everyday products invented by NASA. We’re talking about everyday use for the home, recreation and work.
In short, you eat, sleep and play with the creations and spinoffs from NASA. If you clean, wipe or just dust, thank your lucky stars in space because that’s where it probably came from.
Starting with what’s hot – or cold – let’s go with NASA’s heat pipe technology. Your home refrigerator benefits from that, so do computers. Let’s not forget restaurant appliances that help serve all that good food – hot or cold.
You like to run? Comfy running shoes come courtesy of NASA. The space agency wanted flexible bellows for astronaut space suits. So they came up with the bellows and they’ve filtered down to the running shoes. There’s more.
Like jet pilots, astronauts are subject to G forces in space. To relieve the G-Force NASA engineers came up with Anti G Force foam called Tempur. Now you buy the namesake mattresses and pillows.
Insulation is big in NASA’s spaceships and a variety of insulation has reached the public market place from thermal components generated for space exploration. Homeowners with water purifiers can thank the space agency for that, too.
Moving into technology, NASA brought in security systems, surveillance and time-lapse cameras and computer tracking tagged people roaming a restricted area.
If you’re hungry, the space agency has improved foods for astronaut diets. It is very picky about the food and it not only has to taste good but be healthy. Try to get that combination in a restaurant. NASA tested an innovative fat substitute that not only cut calories but extended shelf life. The packaged food has to have a shelf life of nine months for shuttle missions and a year for the International Space Station. Bon appétit.
The list doesn’t stop there. As a matter of fact, at first glance, it just doesn’t stop.
Health spinoffs include sun glasses that keep out 99 percent of the harmful rays, exercise machines, better eye exam machines and more. Biodegradable lubricants and fluids for machines were developed.
NASA also noticed something while looking to reduce aircraft fuel consumption. The engineers saw that V-shaped grooves pointing in the direction of the flow reduced friction by 10 percent. They labeled them ‘riblets’ because of their shape. It not only reduced the use of fuel in aircraft but produced less drag and more speed. Before long, competitive swimsuits for women were manufactured with riblets in the front.
If you feel ambitious and want to research all the inventions and spinoffs from space exploration there are a few good books on the market.
You’ll find all these and lots more in Inventions From Outer Space by David Baker, It Came From Outer Space by Marjolijn Bijlefeld and the Spinoff series of soft cover books from NASA.
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