International Space Station Spinoffs |
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. These spinoffs stem from technologies created to support construction of the ISS, as well as from work performed on the ISS. |
SpiraFlex®
Resistance Exercise Device - The SpiraFlex
system, presently aboard the International Space
Station, is used by the crewmembers as a primary
countermeasure against musculoskeletal degradation
caused by microgravity. Using SpiraFlex technology,
Schwinn Cycling & Fitness, Inc., launched
an international fitness program for health clubs
and select retail distributors, called RiPP™
(Resistance Performance Program). |
ZipNut, a
fastening device that is pushed rather than turned,
was originally developed for shuttle flight STS-29
and then selected to be a key mechanical element
for robotic assembly of the International Space
Station. Installation time of space station trusses
was improved greatly since the bolts could be pushed
into place rather than having to be turned like
conventional nut/bolt combinations. On Earth, the
ZipNut can be used for a variety of applications,
including firefighting, aerospace, gas fittings,
and manufacturing. In 1999, 45 stainless steel
1-1/8 Heavy Hex ZipNuts were used by the Department
of Energy Savannah River Project to speed up maintenance
in a high radiation area during a nuclear outage.
The ZipNuts were successful and reduced worker
radiation. |
The Personal
Cabin Pressure Altitude Monitor and Warning System is
a hand-held, personal safety device to warn pilots
of potentially dangerous or deteriorating cabin
pressure altitude conditions before hypoxia becomes
a threat. Invented by a NASA Applied Research
and Development Engineer to give space shuttle
and International Space Station crew members
an additional, independent notification of any
depressurization events, the device benefits
both pressurized and non-pressurized aircraft
operations. Applications beyond aviation and
aerospace include scuba diving, skydiving, mountain
climbing, meteorology, altitude chambers, and
underwater habitats. |
The AiroCide
TiO2 is an air-purifier that kills 93.3 percent
of airborne pathogens that pass through it, including
Bacillus anthraci, more commonly known as anthrax.
It is essentially a spinoff of KES Science & Technology,
Inc.’s Bio-KES system, a highly effective device
used by the produce industry for ethylene gas
removal to aid in preserving the freshness of
fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The TiO2-based
ethylene removal technology that is incorporated
into the company’s AiroCide TiO2 and Bio-KES
products was first integrated into a pair of
International Space Station plant-growth chambers
known as ASTROCULTURE™ and ADVANCED ASTROCULTURE.™
Both chambers have housed commercial plant growth
experiments in space. |
A series
of autonomous Robotic Arms developed to
recover crew or tools outside of the International
Space Station have found application on Earth,
in fields ranging from human-collaborative medical
surgery to emergency response to chemical, biological,
and nuclear materials. The Robotic Arms can reach
around objects and clasp them with the use of gear-free
cable drives to manipulate its joints. With a human-scale
3-foot-reach, the arms are so quick that they can
grab a major-league fastball, yet so sensitive
that they respond to the gentlest touch. The commercial
manufacturer is also targeting markets such as
physical therapy, rehabilitation, assisted-living
aids, metrology, short-run manufacturing, and entertainment. |
Fast
Cooking: Ovens designed for NASA's Space
Station Freedom use new air impingement technology.
Jets of hot air at the top and bottom of the
oven are focused on the food, rather than heating
the oven cavity as in a traditional thermal oven.
By heating the food directly, foods cook faster
and more consistently, retaining flavor and texture. |
A technology
for waste water purification originally
developed for flight aboard the Space Station uses
a direct osmosis process followed by a reverse
osmosis treatment. Because the product extracts
water from a waste product, it is being used in
landfills. |
360º
Camera: - NASA technology used for guiding
space robots, in the space shuttle and space
station programs, as well as research in cryogenic
wind tunnels and for remote docking of spacecraft
employs panoramic cameras. Images are captured
in their entirety in a 360-degree immersive digital
representation, and the viewer can navigate to
any desired direction within the image. Several
car manufacturers already use this technology
to provide customers a look at their latest line-up
of automobiles, and the panoramic camera is also
being used to show hotel accommodations and for
non-invasive surgical procedures. |
Golf
Clubs: A material designed for the space
station aided in the development of Zeemet, a
proprietary, high-damping shape memory alloy
for the golf industry. The Nicklaus Golf Company
created a new line of golf clubs using Zeemet
inserts. Its superelastic and high damping attributes
translate into more spin on the ball, greater
control, and a solid feel. |
The Low
Vision Enhancement System (LVES) - is a video
headset that offers people with low vision a
view of their surroundings equivalent to the
image on a 5-foot television screen 4 feet from
the viewer. For many people with low vision,
it eases everyday activities such as reading,
watching TV, and shopping. Researchers used NASA
technology for computer processing of satellite
images and head-mounted vision enhancement systems
originally intended for the space station. |