Spinoffs from Space!

"The greatest gain from space travel consists in the extension of our knowledge. In a hundred years this newly won knowledge will pay huge and unexpected dividends."

- Professor Werner von Braun

Significant impacts and benefits from the space program include a dollar return of $2 to $1 for every dollar spent on the space program.  Lives have been made better and have been saved here on Earth due to the medical and technological breakthroughs that have come out of space research. Just a few of the spinoffs from the space program are listed in the chart above and on the list below.  

Better than 1,300 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S. industry, improved our quality of life and created jobs for Americans. The Space Shuttle Program alone has generated better than 100 technology spinoffs that are incorporated into the tools you use, the foods you eat, and the biotechnology and medicines you use to improve your health. Some of the shuttle's contributions are noted in the chart above and in the list below.

3-D Biotechnology
Developed for space shuttle medical research, the 3-D biotechnology is a rotating cell-culture device that simulates the microgravity of space. This allows researchers to grow cells in three dimensions. The device may one day help researchers find cures for dangerous infectious diseases and offer alternatives to patients who need organ transplant surgery.

Artificial Heart
Technology used in space shuttle fuel pumps led to the development by a NASA and renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey of a miniaturized ventricular-assist pump. The tiny pump_a mere 2 inches long, 1 inch in diameter, and weighing less than 4 ounces_is currently undergoing clinical trials in Europe, where it has been successfully implanted into more than 20 people. 

Artificial Limbs
In responding to a request from the orthopedic-appliance industry, NASA recommended that the foam insulation used to protect the shuttle's external tank replace the heavy, fragile plaster used to produce master molds for prosthetics (artificial limbs). The new material is light, virtually indestructible, and easy to ship and store.

Automotive Insulation

Materials from the space shuttle thermal protection system are used on NASCAR racing cars to protect drivers from the extreme heat generated by the racing car engines.

Better Balance
Devices built to measure the equilibrium of space shuttle astronauts when they return from space are now widely used by major medical centers to diagnose and treat patients suffering from head injury, stroke, chronic dizziness, and disorders of the central nervous system.

 Blood Serum Research
An astronaut's body, once freed of gravity's pull, experiences a redistribution of body fluids that can lead to a decrease in the number of red blood cells and produce a form of space anemia. Monitoring and evaluating blood serum was required to understand these phenomena. However, existing blood-analysis technology required the use of a centrifugation technology that was not practical in space. NASA developed new technologies for the collection and real-time analysis of blood as well as other bodily fluids without the need for centrifugation.

Bioreactor
Developed for space shuttle medical research, this rotating cell culture apparatus simulates some aspects of the space environment, or microgravity, on the ground. Tissue samples grown in the bioreactor are being used to design therapeutic drugs and antibodies. Some scientists believe the bioreactor will routinely produce human tissue for research and transplantation.

Byte Out of Crime
Image-processing technology used to analyze Space Shuttle launch videos and to study meteorological images also helps law enforcement agencies to improve crime-solving videos. The technology removes defects due to image jitter, image rotation, and image zoom in video sequences. It also may be useful for medical imaging, scientific applications and home video.

Computer Joysticks

Computer games can now be played with all the precision and sensitivity needed for a safe and soft space shuttle touchdown. A game-controlling joystick for personal computer-based entertainment systems was modeled after controls used in shuttle simulators. Astronauts use the joystick to practice runway landings and orbit maneuvering.

Faster Diagnostics
NASA technology was used to create a compact laboratory instrument for hospitals and doctor offices. This device quickly analyzes blood, accomplishing in 30 seconds what once took 20 minutes to accomplish with conventional equipment.

Fire-Resistant Foam
A unique foam developed for space shuttle thermal insulation and packing is now being used as thermal and acoustical insulation in aerospace, marine, and industrial products. Since it's also fire resistant, it's also being used for fire barriers, packaging, and other applications requiring either high-temperature or very low-temperature insulation in critical environments. For example, use of these foam products by airframe manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Airbus provides major weight savings while retaining good thermal and acoustical properties in various products.

Fire Sighting

A sensitive, gas infrared camera used by NASA observers to monitor the blazing plumes from the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters is also capable of scanning for fires. Firefighters use this hand-held camera to pinpoint the hotspots of wildfires that rage out of control.

Gas Gauges
A gas leak-detection system, originally developed to monitor the shuttle's hydrogen propulsion system, is now being used by the Ford Motor Company to produce a natural gas-powered car.

Jet Stripping
NASA developed a tool that uses powerful jet streams of water to strip paint and primer from the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters. A commercial version of this water jet is now being used to treat turbine-engine components, airframe components, large aerospace hardware, ships and other mechanical devices using only pure water. No hazardous chemicals are needed.

Jeweler's Gem
Jewelers no longer have to worry about inhaling dangerous asbestos fibers from the blocks they use as soldering bases. Space shuttle heat-shield tiles offer jewelers a safer soldering base with temperature resistance far beyond the 1,400°F generated by the jeweler's torch.

Land Mine Removal
The same rocket fuel that helps to launch the space shuttle is now being used to save lives_by destroying land mines. A flare device which uses leftover fuel donated by NASA, is placed next to the uncovered land mine and is ignited from a safe distance using a battery-triggered electric match. The explosive burns away, disabling the mine and rendering it harmless.

Lifesaving Light
Special lighting technology developed for plant-growth experiments on space shuttle missions is now being used to treat brain tumors in children. Doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee use light-emitting diodes in a treatment called photodynamic therapy, a form of chemotherapy, to kill cancerous tumors.

Meal Systems for the Elderly

Meal systems for the elderly uses NASA's food preparation expertise to improve the nutritional status of elderly people.  

Product Labeling
NASA needs to identify, track, and keep records on each of the thousands of heat-shield tiles on the space shuttle. This need required a labeling system that could be put on ceramic material and withstand the rigors of space travel to be readable after a flight. NASA developed high data-density, two-dimensional, machine-readable symbol technology used to mark individual tiles. This novel method of labeling products with invisible and virtually indestructible markings can be used on electronic parts, pharmaceuticals, and livestock_in fact, on just about anything.

Quick-Fit Fasteners
Fastening items in space is a difficult task. A Virginia company developed a fastener for NASA that can be pushed on, rather than turned. These quick-connect fasteners are flexible and strong, and they have been used by NASA astronauts since 1989. The product is now in use by firefighters and nuclear power-plant repair technicians, and it has other commercial applications as well. 

Rescue 911
Rescue squads have a new extrication tool to help remove accident victims from wrecked vehicles. This handheld device requires no auxiliary power systems or cumbersome hoses and is 70% cheaper than previous rescue equipment. The cutter uses a miniature version of the explosive charges that separate devices on the space shuttle.

Slick Products

A lubricant used on the transporter that carries a space shuttle to the launch pad has resulted in a commercial penetrating-spray lube, which is used for rust prevention and loosening corroded nuts. It's also a cleaner and lubricant for guns and fishing reels, and it can be used to reduce engine friction.  

Taking Temperatures

Infrared sensors developed to remotely measure the temperature of distant stars and planets for the Space Shuttle Program led to the development of the hand-held optical sensor thermometer. When it is placed inside the ear canal, the thermometer provides an accurate reading in 2 seconds or less.
 

Toys for Tots

Already successful with its Nerf® toy products, Hasbro, Inc., wanted to design a toy glider that a child could fly. In benefiting from NASA wind-tunnel and aerodynamic expertise used in the Space Shuttle Program, Hasbro improved the flying distances and loop-to-loop stunts of its toy gliders.  

Tracking Vehicles on Earth
Tracking information originally used for space shuttle missions now helps to track vehicles here on the ground. This commercial spinoff allows vehicles to transmit a signal back to a home base. Many cities today use the software to track and reassign emergency and public works vehicles. The technology is also used by vehicle fleet operations, such as taxis, armored cars, and vehicles carrying hazardous cargo.

There are many more practical benefits to space exploration. Advances in space technology have a dramatic effect on Earth technology. Benefits range from new ergonomic solutions for people who do repetitive work to industrial medical X-ray machines. Click here for links to more detailed descriptions of some of the new technologies that have benefited life on Earth.

Click here to take a short tutorial of a large variety of spin-offs.

 
A workman inspects the results of convergent spray technology used to resurface a bridge on Interstate 65 near Lacon, Alabama. Originally developed as a heat-resistant coating to the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters. This environmentally friendly technology reduces the required worktime from days to hours.

Click here for the 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 on-line Spinoff Magazines from NASA featuring spinoffs from the following disciplines.  

  • Space Operations
  • Space Science
  • Space Access and Technology
  • Aeronautics
  • Health and Medicine
  • Transportation
  • Public Safety
  • Consumer/Home/Recreation
  • Environment and Resources Management
  • Computer Technology
  • Industrial Productivity and Manufacturing Technology
  • Technology Transfer & Commercialization

Marshall Space Flight Center used technology from astronaut space suits to improve the safety of firefighter attire. This new attire is lightweight, fire-resistant, and heat-protective.

The Technology Transfer Program at NASA helps business take advantage of NASA research to benefit technologies in the home, in hospitals, at the mall, at the airport, in the sports stadium, in museums, on farms, for science, at the firehouse, and for the environment. Click here for descriptions of all of the benefits that NASA has helped bring to your daily life.

The commercial development of the space frontier is one of the greatest opportunities facing our nation. It is the growth of business into space that will continue to bring the benefits of space down to Earth and enrich the everyday lives of people here on Earth.  

NASA is encouraging businesses through the Space Product Development (SPD) Program. This program helps to ensure the continued economic growth of the U.S. and to bring the opportunities for new advances, technological understanding, products, and jobs to the public. Click here to read more about the SPD Program.  

The NASA Commerical and Technology Network (NCTN) highlights the successful transfer and commercialization of NASA-sponsored research and technology through information dissemination, technical assistance, technology licensing, cooperative research and development (R&D) and other forms of collaboration and partnership. Click here for a variety of NCTN stories that illustrate technology transfer and commercialization methods, and highlight the benefits of NASA technology to U.S. enterprises, U.S. economic growth and competitiveness, and the quality of life.

Astronaut relaxation techniques that use biofeedback have fostered stress-relieving commercial products. Bio-Ball® is a baseball game in which deep muscle relaxation controls events rather than joystick manipulation. Music Magic® is an interactive piano keyboard that responds to different levels of deep muscle relaxation.  

Click here for a free NCTM Spinoffs Screen Saver!

Click here for the a bimonthly publication from NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology featuring stories on technology transfer and commercialization activities and accomplishments.  

IPIX fish-eye spherical cameras seamlessly blend two 180-degree images into one image. 360-degree panoramas can be viewed over the Web and are used by real estate agents and museums.  

Click here to visit the Space Technology Hall of Fame at the U.S. Space Foundation. Its purpose is threefold: (1) to honor the innovators who have transformed technology originally developed for space use into commercial products; (2) to increase public awareness of the benefits of space spinoff technology; and (3) to encourage further innovation. You can even nominate a technology for induction into the Space Technology Hall of Fame!  

Download Aerospace Technology Spinoffs for a compliation of 10 outstanding NASA spinoffs prepared by the Foundation.  

Check out the U.S. Competitive Advantage, a quarterly newsletter of the NASA Regional Technology Transfer Centers, that highlights successful technology transfer and commercialization projects with U.S. industry.  

Search the Spinoffs Network Database. This database will help you to find products/services that incorporate NASA technology in such areas as health and medicine, environment, public safety, consumer/home/recreation, transportation, computer technology, and industrial productivity.

Search the NCTM Database. Use the keywords "success story" or "spinoffs" to uncover stories posted on the Web sites of NASA Commercial Technology Network.

Studies of astronauts floating in microgravity have yielded data useful in the design of ergonomic chairs that relieve the body of back and leg pain, as well as muscle fatigue in the workplace.  

Questions to think about:

  • What is the best reason to fund the space program?  Why?  

  • Which of the spinoffs that you read about was a complete surprise to you?  

  • What other kinds of technology transfers do you envision coming out of future space programs to the Moon and Mars?  

In the next chapter, you will read about the goals and activities of the first phase of the International Space Station Program, the international cooperative venture called Shuttle-Mir.   

Next... Shuttle-Mir