SPIN-OFFS

Spinoff- A secondary benefit

    Here is a partial list of items we found that have come from the Space Program.  Once the International Space Station has been in operation for awhile, people on earth will benefit from some of the experiments done on the different missions.  Nasa has a web site dedicated to Space program Spinoffs.  Visit the site at http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html and see why the Space Program is a good thing for everyone here on earth! It is a partial list of the items that came from the space program that has benefited man kind.
 

Item -   HICOM
Purpose -  An central terminal for mobile telephones that makes service better
Earth benefit - Better mobile telephone service
Year developed - 1978

Item - Hubble Space Telescope-Galileo
Purpose - Helped to figure out part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Earth benefit - Can be used by archeologist  to enhance images
Year developed - 1994

Item - Foamless toothpaste
Purpose - In Space the astronauts can swallow this toothpaste after brushing their teeth. It's hard to get rid of regular toothpaste in zero gravity.
Earth benefit - Can be used with certain patients that can't spit.  Also can be used as the first toothpaste for little kids.
Year developed - 1984

Item - Composite materials
Purpose - Used in different parts of the space shuttle and
Earth benefit - Improves the performance of golf clubs, and tennis racquets, (graphite).
Year developed - 1976

Item - Space Suit Technology
Purpose - To develop a better space suit for the astronauts
Earth benefit - Better athletic equipment, footwear, ski boots.  Helps ski boots to bend.
Year developed - 1995

Item - Programmable Pace Maker
Purpose - Used to monitor astronauts heart beat in space
Earth benefit - Gives doctors the ability to monitor patients health
Year developed - unknown

Item - Insulation
Purpose - Keeps the astronauts warm or cool in different temperatures
Earth benefit - Protective clothing and thermal clothing
Year developed - 1976

Item - Lightning warning system
Purpose - locates lightning that might effect the astronauts space vehicle
Earth benefit - Safety item for flyers, boaters, golfers, and other

Item - NACA 6 - series - airfold
Purpose - Nasa developed this because a company came to them with the problem of heavy bicycle helmets.  They wanted a company that works with the space program to solve this problem.
Earth benefit - Light weight bicycle racing helmets from the Giro company.
Year developed - 1992

Item - Mowers, Suction systems
Purpose - A company needed to get more power out of their grass mowers, they went to a space flight company to solve this problem.  Space technology was used to create a more efficient suction mower.
Earth benefit - Highway departments, city and park departments use a more powerful grass cutter and vacuum which helps reduce work time.

Item - Hand tool and drill
Purpose - Used by astronuauts to get core samples as far as 10 feet down.
Earth benefit - Black and Decker redesigned the drill to create a cordless mini vacuum cleaner called the Dustbuster.  (This dustbuster was very popular when it was first introduced.  Your parents might still have one around)

Item - Antigravity pens
Purpose - To be used in the gravity free enviornment of a space craft.
Earth benefit - Pens that can be used while writing up, down, or sideways.

For more spinoff's, visit NASA's spinoff web site at
 http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html