20 Amazing NASA Inventions That Dramatically Changed Everyday Life

NASA's primary mission is to explore and understand space, but many technologies developed for space exploration have come to be used in everyday life. We come across such inventions every day, and they improve the quality of life here on Earth.

Water gun

NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson, creator of the Stealth bomber, came up with a water pistol. A performance model appeared in 1989 and was much better than what was previously on the market. At the same time, the Super Soaker water gun became one of the 20 best-selling toys in the world.

Memory foam

It's true that everyone sleeps better thanks to NASA. The resilient foam found in Tempurpedic mattresses was developed for space flight. It was created for spacecraft seats to minimize inconvenience for astronauts during landings. Memory foam is a unique component that can distribute pressure evenly over the entire surface, subsequently restoring its original shape. Some commercial airlines use this invention to equip seats in aircraft cabins. Foam is used in medicine for bedridden patients with musculoskeletal disorders and in prosthetics.

Insulation materials

Let's remember the time when NASA was looking for ways to ensure the safety and viability of spacecraft and began experimenting with insulating materials. Astronauts needed protection from the huge temperature changes in space. Today, insulation materials in various forms are widely used in construction.

Rubber swimming suit

NASA invented riblets - small, invisible to the naked eye grooves smaller than a scratch. They are used on the surface of aircraft and racing yachts to reduce friction. In collaboration with Speedo, NASA developed a swimsuit using the technology. These grooves on it increase the swimmer's speed by 10-15% and allow him to glide easily in the water. However, after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, these costumes were banned for participation in competitions.

Portable cordless vacuum cleaner

When cleaning the house with a hand-held vacuum cleaner, no one thinks that they are using a NASA technical achievement that astronauts used on the Moon. For example, during the Apollo mission, NASA required a portable, independent device to collect samples from the surface of the Moon. Black and Decker came up with the first battery-powered devices in 1961, but NASA's developments helped refine the technology into lightweight cordless vacuum cleaners, cordless medical devices and more.

Filters for water

Everyone knows that water is the basis of life. Since we cannot live without it, converting contaminated water into drinking water has been an amazing and valuable achievement. Water filtration technology dates back to the 1950s, but NASA needed to know how to purify water more efficiently and keep it clean over the long term for the needs of astronauts aboard spacecraft and to prevent disease. Within a few years, many companies took advantage of NASA technology and created millions of filters that are now used every day.

Clear braces

Some items have unusual beginnings. Ceradyne and NASA's ceramics program contributed to the introduction of clear braces. They were developed using technology that is used to track heat-seeking missiles. Clear braces are stronger than iron braces, and their smooth, round shape prevents damage to the mouth.

Unbreakable lenses

The chance that your glasses won't break when dropped on the ground is due to the invention of plastic lenses by the FDA in 1972. Firstly, plastic is cheaper than glass, lighter and absorbs ultraviolet radiation better. Since there are many unexpected threats in space in the form of flying particles, NASA needed to create a special protective coating for astronaut helmets. Soon, the Foster-Grant company, which specializes in the production of sunglasses, in collaboration with NASA, created unique lenses coated with a plastic protective layer that are 10 times stronger than glass or uncoated plastic.

Dry freezing

Eating in space is also necessary. In orbit, astronauts live and work in microgravity, which means dry and bulk food will float freely around the spacecraft. This is why dry freezing is necessary. Before the Apollo mission, NASA was intensively researching food preparation processes for space flights. In collaboration with Nestle, the agency came up with the method of dry freezing - a process that results in dehydration of products that are quickly frozen and placed in vacuum packaging. Before use, you must add water, and the product will restore its properties, smell and taste.

Treadmills

The simulators were invented by NASA, since in orbit, astronauts are required to engage in physical activity in order to stay in shape, and their muscles do not atrophy in zero gravity. At zero gravity, the human skeleton also gradually becomes weaker.

Insulin pump

Thanks to researchers from the Mars Viking spacecraft space program, NASA has taken on the problems of diabetes patients. Interplanetary travel takes a huge amount of time, and issues related to the health of astronauts become important. Medical experts at the Goddard Space Flight Center have invented a device that can monitor a patient's condition, namely blood sugar levels, and, if necessary, inject insulin into the body. Today this invention is known as an “insulin pump,” and diabetes patients have been using it since the 1980s.

Infrared thermometer

In the past, taking a patient's temperature was difficult. Until 1991, it was measured mainly with mercury thermometers and it was difficult to examine the indicators. Diatek and NASA have developed infrared thermometers with a special sensor. It is inserted into the ear, which is much simpler, and the results are more accurate and faster.

Tomograph

In the 1960s, following the Apollo lunar landing program, NASA developed a technology known as digital photographic processing (DPI), which allowed images of the Moon to be processed on computers. These tomographs and MRIs began to be used in medicine to obtain images of the human body for diagnosis.

Improved software

With the cooperation of NASA and Google, 3D programs were created to map Mars and the Moon, and weather maps for forecasting. Recently, both companies have tackled the challenges of managing colossal amounts of data. As a result, training simulation programs, photo processing programs, etc. were created.

Anti-icing system

KATS (Kelly Aerospace Therma Systems), in collaboration with NASA, has created the Thermawing de-icing system, the actual air conditioning system for single-engine aircraft. The system is based on a flexible, electrically conductive graphite foil that is attached to the leading edge of an aircraft wing. When the foil is heated, the ice melts.

Cochlear implant

In the 1970s, Adam Kissia, a junior engineer at NASA who worked on the reusable space shuttle program, created a cochlear implant. Despite the fact that the engineer did not have a medical education, he took up the problem of the deaf and created a hearing aid based on telemetry, electronic sensing, sound and vibration sensors. The device uses digital impulses to stimulate the auditory endings, which transmit signals to the brain.

Mine clearance device

As a result of cooperation between NASA and the Thiokol Propulsion company, a special technology was created that made it possible to destroy mines from a safe distance using solid rocket fuel. The technology is based on a device that operates on the principle of an electric lighter - when ignited, the fire burns a hole in the shell of the mine, burns out the explosive and neutralizes the mine without detonation.

Solar battery

NASA founded the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology association, whose members include 28 countries. The goal of his activity was to create an unmanned aircraft for flying at high altitude for several days in a row. To maintain its activities, new technology was needed that allows the aircraft to be energy autonomous. The result was a solar cell based on monocrystalline silicon, light in weight and inexpensive. It produced 50% more energy than traditional ones.

Smoke detectors

Although NASA did not create the first smoke detector, it did develop a new and more practical version in the 1970s in collaboration with Honeywell Corporation. The new detector was equipped with a self-charging nickel-cadmium battery. In orbit, similar detectors with more sensitive sensors were installed on board the first space station Skylab for fire and gas safety of the crew, which fully met expectations.

Prostheses

One of the most significant inventions of NASA is considered to be prosthetic limbs for humans and animals based on gentle and extremely practical technologies obtained from the research of Environmental Robots Inc. The company has achieved excellent results in the development and creation of artificial muscles and space robotics in collaboration with NASA engineers.