SUMMER 2019 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 67
tech
zone NASAand cut weight. It was the first time all the
components of a system were on a chip, rather
than using individual transistors and circuit
components. This led to the PC revolution in
the 1980s... and we know the rest of the story.
- Email: Yep – the first emails were
otherworldly. During the Apollo years, Mission
Control ran two broadcast channels. One was
for the massive television audience to hear when
missions were telecast, the other for private
communication between mission controllers
and the astronauts. They also had messaging
pads where they typed messages and
transmitted them – electronic mail. - Cordless Tools: Would you believe that the
Dustbuster, the first cordless vacuum cleaner,
began as a portable, self-contained drill on the
Apollo missions invented by Black & Decker?
They needed to extract core samples from the
surface of the moon, which involved getting past
the coat of dust on top. Now, we use cordless
power drills and screwdrivers every day – as well
as Dustbusters and Swiffers. - Scratch-Resistant Lenses: Everyone who’s
ever worn glasses or sunglasses has jumped for
joy since these lenses began appearing in the
1970s. Originally, the abrasion-resistant lens
coating was used to protect plastic surfaces of
Gemini and Apollo spacecraft and other
equipment from harsh environments. - Flame-Resistant Clothing: We’re used to
seeing firefighters, military, and other emergency
responders dash into burning scenes and come
out safely, due to their fire-resistant gear. This
invaluable contributor to our safety emerged
from the tragedy of the Apollo 1 launch pad fire
in 1967, which killed all three astronauts. Their
spacesuits were not flame-resistant. - Space Blankets: If you’ve ever run a road
race, or a marathon, chances are you’ve had a
heat or space blanket. Same if you’ve covered
garden vegetables or fruit trees to protect against
frost. They reduce heat loss from the body –
which was the intent when NASA invented
them in 1964. They were also more resistant to
the hostile environment of space. Now, they
keep our gardens and us warm. - Memory Foam: The foam that keeps our
seats feeling cushy began as a need to keep
astronauts comfortable in their spacecraft
without having to switch out custom seats to fit
different body types. NASA released it to the
public in the early 1980s – and revolutionized
the chair and seat industry. - Formulaid: This huge step up in nutritional
baby formula began as an algae-based vegetable
oil by two NASA scientists studying algae’s
potential as a recycling agent for long-duration
space travel. It is now in most enriched baby
foods in the U.S., and in 65 different countries. - Freeze-Dried Foods: Most of us have eaten
freeze-dried foods at some point, especially
campers and backpackers. The military uses
MREs (meals ready to eat) daily. While the
process was invented in 1906 and used for blood
serum preservation in World War II, freeze-
dried foods were refined for the Apollo
astronauts and then broke big in the U.S.
starting in the 1970s, because of the public
fascination. We all wanted to follow suit. Q
Scratch-resistant lenses, memory foam, freeze-dried foods, space blankets,
and even ingredients found in baby food were originally developed for space
travel. As with so many industries, the space program spawned an evolution in
technology and left a legacy which we still rely on today.All photos via iStockphoto.com