50+ everyday objects/technologies that society has gained from space exploration	Show Index

Besides the obvious benefits that space programs have given us so far like weather and communication satellites, the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, GPS, Starlink, and others, how many of you are aware of the many other ways that the space programs have helped all of us in our everyday lives?

Unfortunately, it's not difficult to find many people with negative comments about spending money and time on space programs and space exploration in general.
But the truth is that space exploration helps ALL of humanity!
Please take a good read of this list and share with others what you've learned here about just how much the human race has been blessed with advancements brought about by the pursuit of expanding our (space) horizens.

This is a short list of just over 50 of the well over 1000 different inventions/innovations from which the human race has benefitted:

1. CAT scans and MRIs

NASA's digital signal technology, originally used to recreate images of the moon during the Apollo missions, is the underlying technology that makes CAT scans and MRIs possible.

2. Camera phones

In the 1990s, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory invented a light, miniature imaging system that required little energy in order to take high quality photographs from space. This technology has become standard in cell phone and computer cameras.

3. Insulin pumps

Needing to monitor astronauts' vital signs in space, the Goddard Space Flight Center created monitoring systems that have been adapted to regulate blood sugar levels and release insulin as needed.

4. Satellite navigation

Even before humans were sent into space, NASA built satellites that could communicate with people on the ground. Today´s more refined versions enable us to make long-distance phone calls and drive our cars to our destinations (aka GPS) without ever using those old-fashioned paper things called ‘maps’.

5. LASIK

Technology used to track astronauts' eyes during periods in space in order to assess how humans' frames of reference are affected by weightlessness has become essential for use during LASIK surgery. The device tracks a patient's eye positions for the surgeon.

6. Baby formula

A nutritious, algae-based vegetable oil invented by NASA scientists who were searching for a recycling agent to use during long space missions is now an additive in many infant formulas. It contains two essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the human body that is now incorporated into more than 90 percent of baby formulas on the market.

7. Vacuum-sealed food

The vacuum-sealed food that lines our supermarket shelves is another NASA spinoff invented to make sure food in space wouldn’t spoil. Vacuum packaging prevents microorganisms from spreading, ensuring astronauts don’t get sick in space.

8. Solar cells

Out of a need to power space missions, NASA has invented, and consistently improved, photovoltaic cells, sharing the advancements with other companies to accelerate the technology.

9. Water filtration

In the 1970s, NASA developed filtration systems that utilized iodine and cartridge filters to ensure that astronauts had access to safe, tasteless water. This filtering technology is now standard and used by companies to provide clean water to millions of people every day.

10. Better tires

After the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company invented the material used in NASA's Viking Lander parachute shrouds, the company began using it in its everyday radial tires. The material is stronger than steel and adds thousands of miles of life to the tires.

11. Portable computers

The first portable computer, the Grid Compass, was used on multiple shuttle missions in the 1980s. Nicknamed SPOC (Shuttle Portable On-Board Computer), the computer could communicate with onboard devices and was used to launch satellites off space shuttles.

12. Adjustable smoke detectors

In partnership with the Honeywell Corporation, NASA improved smoke detector technology in the 1970s, creating a unit with adjustable sensitivity to avoid constant false alarms.

13. Invisible braces

After NASA and Ceradyne invented a clear material that could protect radar equipment without blocking the radar's signal, Unitek Corporation/3M teamed up with Ceradyne, using the material to invent invisible braces. So if you had clear braces on your teeth, thank the space program.

14. Freeze-dried foods

During long space missions where every ounce of weight and inch of space aboard a shuttle must be maximized, freeze-dried foods have become a staple. Freeze-dried foods are incredibly light, and they retain their nutritional value. Once reconstituted, they are also easier and more pleasant to eat than former meal sources that were packed into squeeze tubes.

15. Artificial limbs

Innovations originally designed for space vehicles, including artificial muscle systems, robotic sensors, diamond-joint coatings, and temper foam, make artificial human limbs more functional, durable, comfortable and life-like.

16. Scratch-resistant lenses

After NASA developed scratch-resistant astronaut helmets, the agency gave a license to Foster-Grant Corporation to continue experimenting with scratch-resistant plastics, which now comprise most sunglasses and prescription lenses.

17. Improved mammography imaging

Algorithms that NASA developed to correct for the out-of-focus problem that the Hubble space telescope initially suffered after its debut were later used to help improve imaging taken for mammograms.

18. Lifeshears (Jaws of life)

The pyrotechnic mechanism used to detach a space shuttle from its rocket boosters after launch is the same used in Lifeshears, but in a smaller scale. Lifeshears are a tool that can be used in emergency situations to cut into cars or collapsed buildings to rescue people trapped inside.

19. Grooved pavement

The requirements for landing space shuttles led NASA scientists to do extensive research on minimizing hydroplaning - when vehicles slide uncontrollably on a wet surface - on runways. They discovered that cutting grooves into runways helps channel water away from the runway and significantly reduces accidents. Many highways and airports now have grooved pavement.

20. Air purifiers

In the sealed, artificial environment of a spacecraft, attempts to grow plants have led to ethylene buildup. NASA invented an air purifier for the International Space Station that is now used widely on Earth - everywhere from restaurants, to hospitals, to refrigerators - to remove ethylene, which hastens decay, as well as other particulates and pathogens.

21. Memory foam

Memory foam was originally invented as a pad for astronaut seats that would mold to their bodies during the high forces of takeoff and landing, then return to a neutral state. This eliminated the need to customize seats to individual astronauts' body sizes.

22. Treadmills

Long term weightlessness can lead to muscle atrophy and a decrease in bone density. NASA engineers created treadmills and other workout machines to allow the astronauts to work out while on their space missions. The cardiovascular equipment that we all use at the gym was developed based on NASA’s inventions.

23. Home insulation

NASA began experimenting with insulation technology for the Apollo space crafts and suits, leading to the invention of common construction insulation.

24. Infrared ear thermometers

Infrared ear thermometers, which allow for instant temperature capture without the risk of picking up pathogens and causing cross-infection, utilize the same technology developed for assessing the temperature of distant planets by measuring the amount of energy emitted by the eardrum.

25. Ice-resistant airplanes

Ice is a real threat for shuttles in space, and NASA has devised multiple electronic solutions to prevent ice formation on spacecrafts, some of which are now used on commercial aircraft.

26. Dust Busters

During the Apollo moon landings, NASA partnered with Black & Decker to invent various battery-powered tools for drilling and taking rock samples in space. This led to the creation of the ultra-light, compact, cordless DustBuster.

27. LEDs

Intended for use to help in growing plants aboard space shuttles, NASA's LED technology has been utilized in the development of LED medical devices that relax muscles and relieve pain in soldiers, cancer patients, and those with Parkinson's disease.

28. 3D food printing

The ability to cook food on long space missions is no longer impossible with the invention of 3D food printers. This technology is now being refined for commercial use for the production of chocolates and other confections as well as to create nutritious foods for diabetics and others with specific dietary needs.

29. Computer mouse

While searching for a way to increase interaction with onboard computers and allow users to perform tasks like manipulate data, NASA and Stanford researchers developed the first mouse.

30. Athletic shoes

A shock-absorbent rubber molding designed for astronauts' helmets inspired what is now a common feature in the soles of modern athletic shoes. Sneaker company Avia's patented Compression Chamber midsole created in 1990 was invented with help from a NASA Apollo engineer.

31. Land mine removal

Thiokol Propulsion uses NASA's surplus rocket fuel to produce a flare that can safely destroy landmines. Fuel that is left unused from a launch will become a solid, which cannot be reused but can be used as an ingredient needed to create the Demining Device flare. It works by burning a hole through the mine without detonation.

32. Foil blankets (space blanket)

These metallic sheets, which are now used on Earth in extreme temperatures, evolved from a lightweight insulator NASA developed to protect spacecraft and people in space.

33. Bowflex

Inventor Paul Francis, with funding from Johnson Space Center, designed a "weightless weight trainer" that uses elastic resistance. This trainer was launched to the space station in 2000, and a commercial version of the technology launched in 2005 as the Bowflex, which quickly became popular in the gym market.

34. Firefighting and fire-resistant equipment

Firefighting equipment in the United States is based on lightweight materials developed for the U.S. Space Program. The polymers created for use in space suits have been valuable in creating flame-retardant, heat-resistant suits for firefighters. Newer suits also feature circulating coolant to keep firefighters from succumbing to heat and advanced breathing systems modeled after astronaut life support systems. NASA also helped develop a better short wave 2-way radio.

35. Food safety

NASA enlisted the aid of The Pillsbury Company to address two principal concerns: eliminating crumbs of food that might contaminate the spacecraft's atmosphere and sensitive instruments, and assuring absolute absence of disease-producing bacteria and toxins. Pillsbury developed the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) concept to address NASA's second concern. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has applied HACCP guidelines for the handling of seafood, juice, and dairy products.

36. Structural analysis software

NASA software engineers created computer programs to design, test, and analyze stress, vibration, and acoustical properties of a broad assortment of aerospace parts and structures. Originally created for spacecraft design, the NASA Structural Analysis Program, or NASTRAN, has been used to design everything from Cadillacs to roller coaster rides.

37. Correcting GPS signal

In the 1990s, NASA scientists developed software capable of correcting for GPS signal errors, enabling accuracy within inches; it is called Real-Time GIPSY (RTG). John Deere licensed the software and used it to develop self-driving farm equipment. As of 2016, nearly 70% of North American farmland is cultivated by self-driving tractors, which rely on RTG. Another user of RTG is Comtech Telecommunications, which is used in cell phones so that 9-1-1 emergency callers can be located.

38. Cochlear implants

In 1977, NASA helped NASA engineer Adam Kissiah obtain a patent for the cochlear implant, a device that provides hearing sensation to people that receive little to no benefit from hearing aids.

39. Shock absorbers for buildings

Shock absorbers designed to protect equipment during space shuttle launches are now used to protect bridges and buildings in areas prone to earthquakes.

40. Truck aerodynamics

NASA figured out physics tricks that reduce truck fuel consumption by 6,000 gallons a year.

41. Digital fly-by-wire

Until the space program, aircraft controls were directly, mechanically connected to remote parts on an airplane.

42. Cloud-free satellite imagery

As NASA states: "If you've ever used Google Earth to scope out a location from above, you can thank NASA for the cloud-free views that let you see the landscape's details.

43. Crop forecasts

NASA satellite data helps crop yields.

44. Gigapan photography

This is more from the Mars programs, but NASA research figured out how to combine many small digital photographs into a single large photo. We use it for a lot of things now.

45. Aerodynamic swimsuits

Competitive swimmers can thank NASA for its wind-tunnel tested designs.

46. Winglets

Key aerodynamic advances made by NASA researchers led to the little curl-ups at the end of commercial airline wings.

47. Rechargeable batteries for hearing aids

Early research by NASA to develop better silver-zinc batteries has gone on to now being used in hearing aids, not only being rechargeable, but also recyclable.

48. Cardiac pump

NASA figured out how to simulate fluid flow through rocket engines; now the same technology can keep people who are waiting for heart transplants alive.

49. Openstack cloud computing platform

NASA's description: "An effort at Ames Research Center to standardize NASA websites, dubbed Project Nebula, unexpectedly led to a breakthrough in cloud computing technology."

50. Wireless headsets

Along with two airline pilots who'd invented a prototype of a wireless headset, NASA built a light, hands-free communication system that would allow astronauts to communicate with teams on Earth. The technology was utilized in the Mercury and Apollo missions.

51. Neutral body posture specifications

A NASA Skylab study published specifications on neutral body posture that has informed seat designs in everything from office chairs to airplanes.

52. Scratch-resistant, UV-reflective lenses

Starting out as research into effective scratch-resistant coatings on astronaut helmet visors now has made its way into sunglasses, ski goggles and even welding masks.

53. Aerodynamic improvements to big rigs

Aerodynamic research into the right curves and contours has reduced fuel consumption by over 5,000 gallons a year per truck.

54. Special insulative coating for pacemakers

Hundreds of thousands of people have already benefited from their pacemaker utilizing this material developed by a NASA researcher working on a supersonic jet of all things.

55. Super strong sutures

In a search for a better type of seal for containers returning samples from Mars, a new kind of ultra-strong Teflon-like material was invented that happened to also be just perfect for use inside the body by surgeons.

56... And even more...

So there you go!  I hope this short but incredible list has helped broaden your knowledge about the many advancements that the world has gained from what many see as needless space exploration, but CLEARLY, is anything but!  :)