We all know very well that NASA often attributed excessive budgets and, according to its critics, budgets wasted on issues of space, far from the problems of everyday life of the natives of the Earth. In this post, we will not explain you all about the importance of the astronomical discoveries made by its engineers, as here, in this post we are going to show that their work also has an impact and helped a lot simply to improve life on our planet.
Top 10 Amazing NASA Inventions That We Use In Our Daily Life
NASA often attributed excessive budgets and, according to its critics, budgets wasted on issues of space, far from the problems of everyday life of the natives of the Earth. In this post, we will not explain you all about the importance of the astronomical discoveries made by its engineers, as here, in this post we are going to show that their work also has an impact and helped a lot simply to improve life on our planet.
Hence, now let’s take a moment to look around you, at the objects that you have in the office or in your house, even on the street. Many of them we owe to the researchers of this space agency. Although they are working on developing innovations for space missions, but, still many of their ideas have served companies to improve their products.
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Little by little what was originally a project to improve the space rocket cameras or the design of a new spacesuit ends up being applied in the design of the clothes that we use daily or the sensors of the cameras with which we take selfies that are so successful in social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and much more.
Though most of the following objects are well known, and we even have more than one in our house, but have you ever stood to think about what their origin had been? So, if you want to explore all the inventions of NASA then simply explore the whole list that we have mentioned below.
The cameras of mobile phones or smartphones
In the 90s NASA scientists got down to work to develop image sensors that would reduce the size of the cameras that were used on the spacecraft, but maintaining the quality of the image. Hence, they came up with the image sensors of complementary metal oxide or CMOS semiconductors.
Its manufacture turned out to be simpler and more profitable than the sensors that were used at the time, encouraging the rest of the technology industry to use them. And not only that even they consumed a third part of the rest.
However, decades later this technology has been improving and we are already using them in our smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets and much more.
Scratch Resistant Lenses
In the 60s, NASA went to work on a more resistant material for the viewers of the helmets of astronauts. Dr. Wydeven proposed covering the viewfinder with a thin film of plastic by an electric discharge of an organic vapor.
The investigation lasted more than 10 years, but later it served to the glass manufacturers to comply with the regulations established in 1972 by the Federation of Drugs and Foods, which obliged them that all lenses should be shock tested for safety of the consumers.
Laptop
If we say that NASA is the creator of laptops is, then it seems quite unrealistic, but they are one of the main agents that have contributed to its development throughout history so that we now have them in our homes and we can take them to the university or work.
The GRiD Compass is considered as the first laptop in the world. It was designed by Bill Moggride in 1979, which took three years to sell the first unit, guess who? The Government of the United States that later gave NASA one of these models for one of its missions, going from being the first laptop to also be the first to reach space, which doubles the record.
Wireless headphones
In this story, NASA is not alone, as the United Airlines company was the driving force that decided to find a way to create lighter headsets for their pilots. The game included Courtney Graham, the company’s pilot and Keith Larkin, a Plane-Aids employee specialized in the manufacture of these devices.
Together they ended up creating the MS-50 model, a headset with a headband and an acoustic tube connected to a small transistor for the microphone. The idea was very successful and ended up attracting the attention of NASA.
Graham and Larkin ended up creating their own company called Pacific Plantronics INC and collaborated with the space agency to incorporate their creations into the helmets of the astronauts.
While over time, they had made their way to commercial devices for homes around the world, such as Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones, laptops and even the current smart speakers that control our homes.
Sneakers
Astronauts must face really complicated situations and, although hundreds of essential elements for a space mission can go through our heads, the spacesuit is undoubtedly one of the great inventions of space agencies.
After inventing a rubber mold for the helmets, they applied it to the shoes. This technique allowed the creation of shock absorbers in the lower part of the shoe and that eventually ended up in the sports that we use today for sporting or for our own convenience.
The computer mouse
No, they are not an invention of Steve Jobs, or the tech giant Microsoft, or IBM, as it seems that everything related to computers has its origin in this powerful trio, but there are very important exceptions.
Bob Taylor, who at the time was working at NASA, was looking for new ways to make computers before the 60s, more interactive and easier to use. Doug Englebart, head of the mouse development project at the Stanford Research Institute, proposed his ideas to Taylor, who eventually funded the project.
At that time they should not have been aware that their invention would end up in all the houses and offices since at that time the computers were big companies and did not arise for the general public.
Structural Analysis Software
We all know very well that how NASA has developed thousands of advanced computer programs simply to solve structural problems and automate a few of their tasks.
But, the well-known US-Based space agency NASA has also developed a very advanced system, known as structural analysis software (NASTRAN). It is an extremely complex program that simply predicts how various elements of the design will react in different conditions.
While now if we talk about its uses, then let me clarify that it is basically, used to design complicated structures, roller coasters, Cadillacs, etc..
Transparent braces
How is it possible that our brackets are linked to the tracking of missiles? As it turns out that the TPA or transparent polycrystalline aluminum that was developed for the work with missiles ended up being used to create transparent dental orthodontic appliances more discreet than normal.
The characteristics of the TPA as the superior resistance to steel, its properties to absorb light and be transparent, and the possibility of making it soft and round made it the perfect option for those people who wanted to fix their teeth but without drawing attention to the smile.
Anti-Icing Systems
This discovery is easier to imagine, but, we all know that airplanes, rockets to reach space must suffer from really low temperatures. In order to be able to withstand this extreme climatic change, NASA has spent years studying new forms and materials to improve the strength of its rockets.
The efforts began in 1944 with the opening of the Helio Research Tunnel, where a resistance system was developed that combines thermal antifreeze and mechanical de-icing to maintain aerodynamic profiles, such as the wings of the aircraft, free of ice.
Since then they have been testing and developing new systems such as hot air or electro-thermal anti-ice system that ended up being approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States.
Video Enhancing and Analysis Systems
VISAR (Video Image Stabilization and Registration) is basically developed by NASA simply to help the agents of FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) to analyze video footages perfectly. Moreover, it is also used for enhancing the video images from nighttime and videos recorded from cheap cameras.
So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below. And if you liked this top list then simply do not forget to share this post with your friends and family.
