Every day, in a variety
of
ways,
American
lives are touched by space technology. Since 1976, over 1,500
documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S. industry, improved
the quality of life, and created jobs. The Apollo program
has helped change the way of life in America. Here
are some of the contributions
of the Apollo program:
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Cool suits, which kept Apollo astronauts comfortable during moon walks, are today
worn by race car drivers, nuclear reactor technicians, shipyard workers,
people with multiple sclerosis and kids with a congenital disorder known
as hypohidrotic ectodermal displasia. |
|
Special kidney dialysis machines
were developed as a result of a NASA developed chemical process that
could remove toxic waste from used dialysis fluid. |
|
A cardiovascular conditioner developed for astronauts in space led to the development
of a physical therapy and athletic development machine used by football
teams, sports clinics and medical rehabilitation centers. |
|
Athletic shoe design and
manufacture also benefited from Apollo. Space suit technology is incorporated
into a shoe's external shell. A stress-free "blow
molding" process adapted from NASA space suit design is also
used in the shoe's manufacture. |
|
Insulation barriers made of aluminum foil laid over a core of propylene or mylar,
which protected astronauts and their spacecraft's delicate instruments
from radiation, is used to protect cars and trucks and dampen engine and
exhaust
noise. |
|
Vacuum metallizing techniques led to an extensive line of commercial products,
from insulated outer garments to packaging for foods, from wall coverings
to window shades, from life rafts to candy wrappings and from reflective
blankets to photographic
reflectors. |
|
Water purification technology used on the Apollo spacecraft is now employed in
several spinoff applications to kill bacteria, viruses and algae in community
water supply systems and cooling towers. Filters mounted on faucets can
reduce lead in water supplies. |
|
Freeze-dried food solved the problem of what to feed an astronaut on the long-duration
Apollo missions. |
|
A hospital food service system employs a cook/chill concept for serving food.
The system allows staff to prepare food well in advance, maintain heat,
visual appeal and nutritional
value while reducing operating costs. |
|
A hollow retroreflector, a mirror-like instrument that reflects light and other
radiation back to the source, is used as a sensor to detect the
presence of hazardous gases in oil fields, refineries, offshore platforms,
chemical
plants, waste storage sites and other locations where gases could
be released into the
environment. |
|
A process for bonding dry lubricant to space metals led to the development of
surface enhancement coatings, or synergistic coatings, which are used in
applications from pizza making to laser manufacture. Each coating is designed
to protect a specific metal group or group of metals to solve problems
encountered under operating conditions, such as resistance to corrosion
and wear. |
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