Did you know that the cordless vacuum you use to clean up your pet’s hair has its origins on the moon? Back in the 1970s, NASA’s Apollo astronauts needed a special drill to collect samples from the moon’s surface. The drill had to be small, lightweight, and have its own power source. NASA teamed up with Black & Decker to create this tool, and the technology they developed led to the creation of the Dustbuster, a cordless vacuum we use today. This innovation also inspired other cordless tools and devices.
NASA played a big role in popularizing freeze-dried food. In the 1960s, they needed lightweight and nutritious food for astronauts that wouldn’t create crumbs in zero gravity. They worked with the Army Natick Laboratories to develop meals that could be prepared quickly with room temperature water. This technology was later used to create meals for seniors and homebound individuals. Freeze-dried ice cream, a fun treat, became popular even though it may not have actually been eaten in space.
NASA’s innovations in fabrics have made their way into our everyday clothing. Materials designed to protect astronauts from space conditions are now used in athletic wear and outdoor gear. For example, cooling gel packs in headbands and shorts help joggers stay cool. NASA’s technology is also used in UV-blocking fabrics for swimwear and casual clothes, helping to keep us comfortable and protected from the sun.
NASA developed a special coating to prevent spacecraft windows from fogging up, which is now used in scuba masks, ski goggles, and car windows. They also helped create scratch-resistant lenses for glasses. When plastic lenses replaced glass ones, they scratched easily. NASA’s innovation led to durable coatings for eyeglasses, making them more resistant to scratches.
For the Apollo 14 mission, NASA needed special tires for their lunar workbench. Goodyear developed tires that stayed flexible in extreme cold. This technology was later used to create winter tires for cars, which remain pliable in cold temperatures, improving safety on icy roads.
NASA developed a shock-absorbing foam in the 1960s to make airline seats safer and more comfortable. This foam, known as temper foam or memory foam, is now used in sports helmets, hospital beds, and mattresses. It molds to the shape of the object pressing against it and returns to its original shape, providing comfort and support.
NASA used aluminized Mylar to protect satellites and spacesuits from solar radiation. This shiny, lightweight material is now used in space blankets, jackets, and emergency gear. It’s also found in Mylar balloons, which stay inflated longer than regular balloons. Mylar’s insulating properties are used in homes and commercial buildings to help control temperatures.
In the 1980s, NASA used a small computer called the Shuttle Portable Onboard Computer (SPOC) on space missions. This technology influenced the development of consumer laptops, incorporating features like fan-based cooling. The Grid Compass, a commercial version, became popular with government agencies and the military.
There’s a myth that NASA spent a lot of money inventing a pen that writes in space. In reality, the Fisher Pen Company created the space pen in 1965. It writes upside down and in zero gravity, making it perfect for space missions. Both NASA and the Soviet space program used these pens instead of pencils, which could break and create dangerous debris.
The camera in your smartphone owes its existence to NASA’s CMOS image sensor. Developed to capture high-quality images in space, this technology was refined and used in DSLR cameras and GoPros. Its small size and low power needs made it ideal for mobile phones, leading to the widespread use of cameras in smartphones today.
These NASA inventions show how space technology can improve our daily lives. From vacuums to cameras, NASA’s innovations continue to make a big impact on the world.
Imagine you are an engineer at NASA tasked with designing a new cordless tool for astronauts. Using materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and other recyclables, create a prototype of your tool. Think about its purpose, how it will be powered, and what makes it unique. Present your prototype to the class and explain how it could be used in space and on Earth.
Conduct an experiment to understand the process of freeze-drying. Research how freeze-drying works and try to simulate the process using a home freezer and a vacuum pump (if available). Compare the texture and taste of freeze-dried fruits with their fresh counterparts. Discuss how this technology benefits astronauts and people on Earth.
Work in groups to design a piece of clothing or accessory using the concept of space fabrics. Consider incorporating elements like UV protection, cooling technology, or lightweight materials. Host a fashion show in class where each group presents their design and explains how NASA’s innovations inspired their creation.
Explore the science behind scratch-resistant coatings. Use different materials to simulate lenses and test various coatings to see which provides the best scratch resistance. Document your findings and discuss how NASA’s technology has improved everyday items like glasses and car windows.
Investigate the properties of memory foam by conducting a series of tests. Measure how it responds to pressure and heat, and compare it to other types of foam. Create a presentation on how memory foam is used in different industries and how NASA’s development of this material has impacted our lives.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Did you know that the cordless vacuum you use to clean up your pet’s hair has its origins on the moon? Hi, I’m Erin McCarthy, and this is The List Show. Back in the 1970s, NASA’s Apollo astronauts were busy taking samples of the moon’s crust to send back to Earth. They didn’t have a problem scooping up dust from the surface, but to get a better picture of the lunar soil, they needed to design a new drill to retrieve core samples. The new machine had to be small and lightweight to fit on the lunar lander and have its own power source. NASA hired Black & Decker to create the tool, and the company developed a computer program to optimize the drill’s design. It ended up being so successful that the company continued using the program in new consumer products. In 1979, they released the Dustbuster, a cordless, lightweight handheld vacuum built on the same principles as the moon drill. It weighed only about two pounds and recharged its batteries in its own charging bracket. Black & Decker also developed cordless power tools, hedge trimmers, and medical devices based on the Dustbuster’s technology.
Since NASA was established in the 1950s, the technology it developed for space has been licensed to companies to make products. These are called spin-offs in NASA lingo, and today we can find them in cars, baseball helmets, and even our phones. I’m going to share a few of them with you today.
Take freeze-dried food, for example. Though NASA didn’t invent the process, they were one of the major reasons the technology took off. In the 1960s, NASA began developing space food for its astronauts. The food had to be nutritious but also lightweight, shelf-stable, and easy to eat in space, meaning no crumbs that could fly around in zero gravity and clog delicate equipment. They started off with food in what were essentially toothpaste tubes but eventually collaborated with the Army Natick Laboratories. The lab had been working on freeze-dried meals for the military and had developed a product that required boiling water and waiting 20 minutes for the food to become edible. NASA needed a product that could be reconstituted in 10 minutes with room temperature water, and under NASA’s funding and direction, that became a reality. While the food lab continued to experiment with freeze-dried items for astronauts, NASA licensed the technology to other government agencies. In the mid-1970s, Texas organizations launched a program to provide nutritious freeze-dried meals based on NASA’s tech for elderly residents, and in New York, a company called Skylab Foods developed NASA-style freeze-dried meals for seniors and homebound individuals. Possibly the most famous astronaut food of all time, freeze-dried ice cream, may or may not have ever made it to space. It is said that the ice cream went up on Apollo 7, but when crew member Walter Cunningham was asked about these reports decades later, he said they didn’t know; obviously, they never had any of that. Whether astronauts ever enjoyed it or not, the Styrofoam-like bar of freeze-dried chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream was a big hit with kids, and today it can be found in gift shops and theme parks around the world.
Some NASA innovations are so ubiquitous we don’t even realize we’re using them. Fabrics developed to keep astronauts protected from the inhospitable environment of space have made their way into athletic wear and outdoor apparel. A bioengineer at Johnson Space Center launched a brand called Technic Clothes in 1982, using spacesuit cooling system technology. The line of headbands and running shorts aimed at joggers featured small pockets where cooling gel packs could be inserted to transfer heat away from the skin. Another product based on NASA materials was the Support Her Bra, a stretchy knit sports bra designed to prevent abrasion and provide memory bounce. More recently, NASA technology has been used in UV-blocking cooling fabrics in swimwear and casual apparel. Astronauts on the International Space Station tested performance fabrics as part of the Space Tech Study, evaluating the textiles’ ability to wick sweat, resist bacterial growth, and control odor—all important considerations for anyone potentially colonizing Mars.
You can see right through some of NASA’s inventions, and that’s the point. When its spacecraft windows fogged up before launches, NASA developed a fogless coating for the glass that was later licensed to more than 60 companies. Made of liquid detergent, deionized water, and fire-resistant oil, the solution is used to keep scuba masks, ski goggles, car windows, fireproof helmets, and eyeglasses fog-free. Speaking of glasses, NASA also helped create scratch-resistant lenses. When the FDA mandated in 1972 that all eyeglasses had to be shatter-resistant, manufacturers replaced glass lenses with plastic. The downside was that plastic got scratched easily. In a completely unrelated series of events, NASA scientist Theodore J. White Evan Jr. was working to improve water purification systems on spacecraft. To that end, he developed a way to apply a specific kind of thin plastic coating. NASA realized this innovation had other applications, including making scratch-resistant coatings for space helmet visors. With the help of sunglasses company Foster Grant, the technology was soon applied to plastic lenses, resulting in 5 million pairs of sunglasses in just three years. Today, anti-scratch coating is included in almost all eyeglass and prescription sunglass purchases.
For the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, the crew landed on the moon to explore sites of interest. To make their work easier, NASA designed a portable workbench on wheels dubbed the Modularized Equipment Transporter, or MET. Astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell, who dragged it across the lunar landscape, called it the “rickshaw.” The rickshaw’s tires were engineered by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for the Johnson Space Center to withstand the harsh lunar environment. They remained rubbery at minus 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Here on Earth, summer tires would go stiff and lose traction in winter. Studded winter tires were one attempt to solve that problem, but they introduced their own issues, like chewing up road surfaces. Once the special moon tires had been developed, Goodyear and other manufacturers began offering winter tires that were formulated to stay pliable at cold temperatures. The Goodyear tires included another NASA innovation: their cords, which give stability to the tire shape, were made of the same super-strong material as in the parachute lines of NASA’s Viking lander, which touched down on Mars in 1976.
NASA was the driving force behind developing a shock-absorbing foam in the mid-1960s to make airline passengers safer. After creating seat cushions with this foam, engineers realized it would not only protect passengers in case of a crash but also be more comfortable on long flights because it distributed the sitter’s weight evenly. It was called slow spring-back foam, but when a NASA-affiliated company began licensing the product to other manufacturers, it was renamed temper foam. NASA calls temper foam its most recognized and widely used spin-off. Temper foam has been used in Little League baseball helmets, Dallas Cowboys football helmets, and in other sports equipment to protect athletes. The foam gives support to hospital beds for patients and cushions prosthetic limbs for people and thoroughbred horses. It’s also used in motorcycle and helicopter seats. One of temper foam’s benefits is that it can match the contour of the object pressing against it and then return to its previous shape once the object is removed—almost like it has memory. As you might have guessed, temper foam, also known as memory foam, is a key component of Tempur-Pedic mattresses and dozens of other bedding products.
Another NASA invention we see regularly is aluminized Mylar. This super lightweight, silvery sheet is shiny on one side to reflect heat. When it faces inward, it keeps heat in. Satellites were dressed up in Mylar to reflect solar radiation. Mylar also insulated spacesuits. It was eventually licensed to sports outfitters to make lightweight, heat-conserving space blankets, jackets, ski parkas, and emergency equipment. Marathoners often wrap themselves in Mylar sheets after they complete a race, presumably to stay warm and let everyone know they just ran over 26 miles. You might also see the material in Mylar balloons, which stay inflated a lot longer than latex balloons because Mylar is far less porous than latex. Aluminized polymer sheets were also a crucial part of the Apollo missions; they insulated the command modules and the astronauts inside from solar radiation and space temperatures that could swing between 400 and negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The shiny film was so efficient at reflecting radiation that companies began using it as insulation in homes and commercial buildings. The Quantum International Corporation developed its radiant barrier products using NASA’s Mylar sheeting to reflect solar radiation and keep interior temperatures either warm or cold—kind of like how a thermos can keep coffee hot or water cold for hours. The radiant barrier technology has been adapted for use in commercial refrigerated trucks and passenger vehicles too.
NASA added its tech to an early laptop in the mid-1980s. On a space shuttle mission in 1983, NASA astronauts first used the Shuttle Portable Onboard Computer, or SPOC. This small navigation monitoring computer was adapted from a commercial machine called the Grid Compass, which featured a flat screen, full-sized keyboard, and clamshell-style hinged construction. NASA modified the design, incorporating components that would eventually end up in consumer laptops, such as fan-based cooling. They also added some flourishes that didn’t find much use on computers here on Earth, like Velcro strips on the bottom to keep it from floating away. Based on its partnership with NASA, the Grid Compass became popular with other government agencies and the military, as well as energy and telecommunications companies.
Before we get to our last NASA invention for today, let’s dispel the myth that NASA invented the space pen. As the legend goes, NASA realized that normal pens wouldn’t write in the microgravity environment of space, so it spent a lot of money trying to invent a pen that did. Meanwhile, the Soviet space program gave their cosmonauts pencils, supposedly illustrating what happens when common sense takes a back seat to bureaucracy. In reality, the Fisher Pen Company invented the pen that writes upside down in 1965, addressing a real need. Compared to pencils, pens pose less risk of breaking or sending stray graphite dust near critical components aboard a space shuttle. Fisher’s space pen worked so well that NASA and the Soviets ended up buying the pens for their programs.
Now that that’s out of the way, our final NASA invention is one that a lot of us use every day: the camera in your smartphone. It started with the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor, or CMOS, which NASA developed to capture high-quality images on spacecraft. A NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer named Eric Fossum refined the CMOS capabilities over several years, licensed the invention, and began to partner with companies like Kodak and Intel to create custom sensors. The sensors found a home in DSLR cameras and in the GoPro, where a lightweight, high-definition video camera could shine. But it took mobile phones to really make the technology ubiquitous. Its small size and low power requirements made it a perfect fit for cell phones. By 2013, more than a billion CMOS image sensors had been produced, with many ending up inside smartphones. It’s probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that this NASA innovation helped launch the careers of thousands of Instagram influencers. But on the other hand, there was that whole “one giant leap for mankind” thing, so I guess let’s call it even.
Our next episode is all about lost treasures. If you know about a famous film, painting, or actual pirate treasure that’s lost to humanity, drop it in the comments for a chance to be featured in that episode. We’ll see you then!
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This version maintains the informative content while ensuring clarity and readability.
NASA – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a United States government agency responsible for the nation’s civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. – NASA launched a new satellite to study the Earth’s climate changes.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. – The development of new technology has made it possible to explore distant planets.
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite expanse that exists beyond the Earth and its atmosphere, where stars, planets, and other celestial bodies are located. – Astronauts train for years to prepare for missions in space.
Food – Substances consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism, especially important for astronauts during space missions. – Scientists at NASA are developing new ways to grow food in space to support long-term missions.
Fabrics – Materials made by weaving, knitting, or bonding fibers together, often used in the creation of space suits and other aerospace applications. – The special fabrics used in space suits help protect astronauts from extreme temperatures.
Lenses – Curved pieces of glass or other transparent materials used to focus or disperse light rays, commonly used in telescopes and cameras. – Powerful lenses in telescopes allow astronomers to observe distant galaxies.
Tires – Rubber coverings, typically inflated, placed around wheels to provide traction and absorb shock, also used in space rovers. – Engineers designed special tires for the Mars rover to navigate the rocky terrain.
Foam – A lightweight material made by trapping gas bubbles in a liquid or solid, often used for insulation in spacecraft. – The spacecraft’s foam insulation helps protect it from extreme temperatures during re-entry.
Mylar – A type of strong, flexible polyester film used in various applications, including space blankets and insulation. – Mylar is used in spacecraft to protect sensitive instruments from heat and radiation.
Cameras – Devices used to capture images or videos, essential for documenting space missions and exploring other planets. – Cameras on the space probe sent back stunning images of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
