Here are some great NASA spinoffs that many are
not aware of.
Water purification — In
the closed environment of space, keeping water clean is vital.
If and when we colonize the Moon, or Mars, water purification
will be all the more critical.
Air purification — \Clean air is just as important as clean
water, and so air scrubbing was a priority for NASA. Boosted by
NASA technology, air scrubbing is a big business, both for the
home and for the planet. It is possible that NASA’s efforts to
enlist bacteria in an air-purification push will prove to be the
biggest breakthrough of all.
Carbon capture —
As NASA notes, “Metabolic wastes—mainly evaporative water loss,
urine, utility water, expired carbon dioxide, and feces amount
to 10 to 14 pounds per man per day.” In space, such accumulation
is an enormous burden. NASA knew that carbon is also an energy
source, and so with good science, carbon waste can become carbon
fuel. Thus carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere could
become, potentially, the basis of a new energy source, clearing
the air while powering human civilization. In other words, this
new system could become a closed loop of abundant, and clean,
energy.
Temper Foam —
NASA started out trying to keep astronauts from being crushed or
killed by G-forces and impacts. “The material now known as
Temper Foam, not only provides better impact protection, but
also enhances passenger comfort on long flights because it
distributes body weight and pressure evenly over the entire
contact area.”
Shock absorbers for
buildings — NASA’s efforts to cushion astronauts and their
rockets have turned into a new technology that cushions people
and their buildings: “With NASA funding, North Tonawanda, New
York-based Taylor Devices Inc. developed fluidic shock absorbers
to safely remove the fuel and electrical connectors from the
space shuttles during launch. The company is now employing the
technology as seismic dampers to protect structures from
earthquakes. To date, 550 buildings and bridges have the
dampers, and not a single one has suffered damage in the wake of
an earthquake.”
Freeze-drying food
— One of the early challenges NASA faced was bringing food into
space. Such nutrients had to be kept minimal, had to be kept
clean, and had to be easy to clean up. At the same time, they
had to be satisfying and tasty and now it is a new terrestrial
industry.
3-D food printing —
Even now, the 3-D printing of anything is difficult to
understand. Fortunately, we do not have to understand how it is
done; we can just get the benefits.
Advanced ceramics —
As NASA wrote in 2006, “To meet the requirements of the next
generation of both rocket and air-breathing engines, NASA is
actively pursuing the development and maturation of a variety of
ceramic materials.” In the years since, advanced ceramics have
been used to develop and safeguard all manner of structures in
challenging environments, from wings to engines to antennas.
Powdered lubricants
— In space, where every ounce counts, it’s vital to make
everything as light and efficient as possible. Thanks to
technology transfers, everyone has access to lubricants that
weigh little and last long.
Scratch-resistant
lenses — Plastic lenses are far superior to glass lenses because
they do not shatter. However, early plastics scratched easily.
So NASA figured out how to use an electric discharge of organic
vapor to make a thin plastic film that was both tough and
translucent. That helped considerably with space-helmet visors
and now many eyeglasses are no longer glass.
Other items from the
space program. These include cordless power tools,
flame-resistant firefighter gear, the integrated circuit that
gave rise to the microchip, and thin, lightweight insulation.
Improvements to kidney dialysis, a lightning detector, automated
credit card transactions, radar, jet aviation, and synthetic
rubber.
Contrary to popular
belief, NASA had nothing to do with the development of Tang,
Velcro, or Teflon, although it did use and popularize these
products.
Incidentally, the
first meal on the Moon included bacon squares, cubes
of sugar cookie, a fruit drink, and coffee. Fly me to
the moon