![]() for use in NASA space robotics and extravehicular activities have now been adapted to create more functionally dynamic artificial limbs. The artificial muscle systems with robotic sensing and actuation capabilities originally developed by Environmental Robots Inc. NASA’s collective innovations in robotics and shock-absorption materials have spurred the private sector to come up with new and improved solutions for human and animal prostheses. Rightly deciding to make the most out of this new wonder material, Goodyear broadened the scope of the technology and went on to manufacture new consumer-grade radial tires with a tread life that’s estimated to be 10,000 miles greater than conventional radial tires. The material they came with utilized a chain-like molecular structure that gave it incredible strength in comparison to its weight. In order to build parachutes strong enough to ensure a safe landing for the Viking spacecrafts on the Martian surface, NASA contracted the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to develop a fibrous material that is five times stronger than steel. Due to their instant popularity, invisible braces remain one of the most successful products the orthodontic industry has ever introduced. They heard about TPA and believed it would be the perfect material for making invisible braces because it’s both translucent and strong enough to withstand prolonged use. Simultaneously, another company called Unitek was considering a new design for dental braces that would be more aesthetically pleasing by foregoing the use of shiny metallic materials. ![]() A company called Ceradyne worked with NASA’s Advanced Ceramics Research department to develop TPA as a material intended to protect the infrared antennae of heat-seeking missile trackers. Invisible braces came into being thanks to the existence of translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA). That computer program led to the development of a cordless miniature vacuum cleaner, cordless medical instruments and many other cordless tools we use every day. With the help of Black & Decker, a computer program was developed to optimize the design of the drill’s motor and insure minimal power consumption. Thanks to this invention, NASA has literally helped millions of people sleep better at night.įor the Apollo space mission NASA was in need of a portable, self-contained drill that was powerful and durable enough to extract core samples from beneath the lunar surface. Originally designed for NASA aircraft seats to help minimize the impact experienced by astronauts during landings, temper foam, or memory foam, is commonly used in a variety of products including mattresses, pillows, furniture and safety equipment. The open cell polyurethane silicon has a unique property that allows it to evenly distribute the weight and pressure on top of it to provide excellent shock absorbency. Even when compressed to 10 percent of its size, memory foam will always return to its original shape. Athletic shoe companies have since adopted this technology and used it to make better shoes that lessen the impact on your feet and legs as you’re walking and running. It even included specially-made boots that provided ventilation while also putting an extra spring in an astronaut’s steps. The space suit designed for the Apollo missions was an extremely sophisticated piece of technology. Of the over 6,300 patents that NASA currently has under its belt, here are 12 that have had the biggest impacts on our everyday lives. These inventions have had the effect of improving our quality of life here on Earth and have since inspired new technologies with the potential to boost a nation’s economy. By remaining faithful to this mandate, NASA has actually generated a great number of consumer products that people all over the world use everyday without having any idea they resulted from research into space exploration. The Space Act was even put in place to ensure that the research conducted and discoveries made by NASA provide a benefit to the general public in addition to furthering our knowledge of the cosmos. However, the fact of the matter is that since its formation in 1958, NASA has gone well beyond simply making contraptions to send into space. This has left a lot of people wondering whether their money could be better spent in areas that might be in greater need of more immediate financial support. It’s no big secret that a number of countries have invested a substantial portion of tax payer dollars into space-based programs.
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