Inventions we use every day that were actually created for space exploration

[NurseJackie]

I have to laugh AT all the whiners who HATE space travel and who ridicule it as being "nothing new" and that "nothing good ever came from it" etc. And then there are those who think that civilian space travel somehow "cheating" and repeating the past because "it's been done before", etc.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/08/space-race-inventions-we-use-every-day-were-created-for-space-exploration/39580591/

Inventions we use every day that were actually created for space exploration

Despite sending humans to Earth's orbit and the moon, the idea of humans surviving in outer space must seem like science fiction. Creating an environment that can sustain human life in the almost total absence of gravity, as well as no electrical outlets or oxygen, takes a lot of experimentation. That’s been the job of teams of dedicated scientists who have facilitated some of the most unforgettable moments in space exploration.

24/7 Tempo reviewed dozens of modern products that exist because of advancements in the field of space exploration. We compiled 30 common items that were invented for use in the race for space.

Unlike modern inventions we no longer use, these inventions are employed daily to save lives, improve environmental sustainability, and keep humans healthy.

1. Artificial limbs
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2. Scratch-resistant lenses
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3. Insulin pump
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4. Firefighting equipment
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5. DustBusters
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6. LASIK
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7. Shock absorbers for buildings
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8. Solar cells
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9. Water filtration
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10. Better tires
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11. Wireless headsets
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12. Adjustable smoke detector
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13. Invisible braces
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14. Freeze-dried foods
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15. Camera phones
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16. CAT scans
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17. Baby formula
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18. Lifeshears
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19. Grooved pavement
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20. Air purifier
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21. Memory foam
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22. Workout machines
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23. Home insulation
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24. Infrared ear thermometers
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25. Ice-resistant airplanes
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26. Portable computer
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27. LEDs
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28. 3D food printing
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29. Computer mouse
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30. Athletic shoes
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[Polly Hennessey]

1. Love it.

[multigraincracker]

2. Tang Drink Powder Orange juice.

Can't forget that one.

[unblock]

3. and pop tart wrappers!

[Aristus]

7. Tang actually pre-dates the space program.

But NASA adopted it because of its light weight in powder form, and because it was easy to reconstitute with water in a spacecraft.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. By number three, I couldn't help but wonder what our innovations would look like if we actually

decided as a society that researching the improvement of disabled people's lives should be centered, instead of afterthoughts.

[NurseJackie]

5. I take your point, but it's hardly an afterthought. That's a bit harsh.

I think that people who wanted it to be 'centered' would find it difficult to convince anyone to invest the money and research into such a narrowly-focused project. There's always going to be the "glamour" appeal and adventure-appeal that gets people's minds and imaginations going. Space exploration is much more "romantic" (if you will) and the other things will just follow naturally and in the advancing technological wake of all that has come before.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Regarding your opening sentence: Luddites

Who knew supposedly thinking liberals hold those views to the point of ridicule for the private party efforts.

[NurseJackie]

9. There are active posts right now that ridicule private space efforts...

... I think they're motivated by anti-Bezos and anti-Amazon irrational hatred. But alas, they fall back on the anti-science and anti-space-exploration arguments we heard in the 60's and 70's.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. I completely agree. Fueled by irrationality

[lame54]

15. Today we witnessed...

A Bond villian origin story


(kind of)

[IcyPeas]

8. who hasn't tried astronaut ice cream?

[multigraincracker]

10. neil-armstrongs-spacesuit-was-made-by-a-bra-manufacturer

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/neil-armstrongs-spacesuit-was-made-by-a-bra-manufacturer-3652414/

What you can learn with DuckDuckGo

[multigraincracker]

11. I was looking to see if those Depends that turn into jell

were made for space flights....never got that far.

[lagomorph777]

18. Yup - I saw an episode about that in a docuseries.

They were experts in working with difficult textiles; they brought in some key innovations (that were quite unrelated to lingerie).

[multigraincracker]

32. looks like he all of the support he needed

[lame54]

12. You've convinced me...

Employers should shit all over their employees for the greater good

[lagomorph777]

16. Really, that's what you got?

I think liberal thinkers can understand that innovation and regulation can coexist.

[lame54]

17. So can evil and good PR

[NurseJackie]

29. Well... you tried.

[Happy Hoosier]

37. Amazon pays a $15/hr minimum wage

And is giving raises above that. They support a national $15/hr minimum wage.

They are not union friendly, so that's not good, but they pay pretty well. So....

[lame54]

38. Pretty good pay for a temp job...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.marketplace.org/2021/06/18/amazon-workforce-turnover-dominance-investigation/amp

Bezo's business model is to create high employee turnover so to not have a "stagnant workforce"

His employees are expendable

[Happy Hoosier]

39. Warehouse work sucks, no matter how you slice it.

It's physically demanding, repetitive, boring.

I'm not arguing Bezos is some kind of great guy. But in the hierarchy of shitbirds, he's not near the top IMHO.

Yes, we need to change the narrative about labor rights.

But those poo-pooing this accomplishment are motivated by a dislike for Bezos, not on what the accomplishment actually means.

[lame54]

41. Bezo's IS the worst...

It's goes beyond not caring
It's deliberate
It's part of the equation
It's his business philosophy
Use them up and spit them out

"You're just mad because he successfully went into space."
Nooooooooooo

I'm mad because he successfully got the world to praise him even though he is a heartless greedy Piece-of-Shit

He is one dick-shaped rocket short of a Bond villian

Oh wait

[lagomorph777]

14. I was recently challenged by someone I know, to name anything good that came from the space program.

I named (in more general terms) a few of the technologies you mention (thanks for the great list!).

I also mentioned that my job in the commercial satellite biz would not exist without it.

This person said "Are you telling me that those satellites wouldn't be up there without rockets?"

Um, yes.

[NurseJackie]

20. Your acquaintance must have been thinking of hot-air balloon satellites.

This person said "Are you telling me that those satellites wouldn't be up there without rockets?"

[lagomorph777]

21. Frankly I was shocked.

This is a person who is usually fairly scientific in their thinking. And has known about my job up close for years.

[NurseJackie]

26. "What have the Romans ever done for us??"

[lagomorph777]

27. Hah!

The aqueduct.
What?
...they, they gave us the aqueduct...

Yes, they did give us that, that's true
And sanitation Yes, that too
The aqueduct I'll grant is one
thing the Romans may have done
And the roads, now they're all new
And the great wines too

Well, apart from the wines and fermentation,
And the canals for navigation
Public health for all the nation
Apart from those, which are a plus,
what have the Romans ever done for us?

[NurseJackie]

34. There's a Monty Python quote, quip, or image for EVERY occasion!

[lagomorph777]

35. I know, right?

[ProfessorGAC]

19. While I Agree In General...

...about the work in the 60s, I'm less enthralled by this new effort.
Aside from one of these taking off similar to an airplane, what's unique or novel about this current technology?
In the moon program, they were literally inventing new things out of necessity.
What tech is likely to come out of these current missions that we don't already have?
I'm questioning comparing the 2 initiatives.

[lagomorph777]

22. Re-usability. All three billionaire space ships are all about re-usability.

Imagine having to throw your car in the crusher after every trip to the grocery store.

Now compare that with the cost of driving one car for 10-20 years worth of errands, commuting, etc.

It's a massive change in the way we operate in space. It changes everything.

And I'm not talking about Space Shuttle style re-usability (which required hundreds of millions and months of effort to refurbish after every flight). I'm talking about taking off again within days, ultimately hours after landing.

[NurseJackie]

24. Miniaturization. Fuel efficiency. Safety. Lightweight composites. Strength.

The landing of a rocket... UPRIGHT... on a platform is truly cool.

[lagomorph777]

25. Yes - all critical pieces of re-usability, and all great things on their own merits.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. Partially Agree

But, the tech already existed. The government has been working on hyperflight for 30 years or so.
I agree with your premise, but I still don't see anything the world didn't already have.
The willingness to put the money into refinement is, however, a positive

[lagomorph777]

36. Hyperflight (hypersonic flight?) is not the main point here.

The main point is re-usability. It's not to be dismissed as trivial. The government spent billions and billions trying to achieve it with the Shuttle, and never really got there. These guys are radically changing the economics of space travel; Starship is expected to reduce the cost per kilogram of putting something in orbit, by a factor of 100. That sort of quantum shift will transform the global economy into an interplanetary economy.

[nolabear]

23. THANK YOU! There is so much shared R&D out of these projects.

I do not get the need to, not exactly ignore it, but to background it behind outrage about other things, as though it means nothing.

[Hoyt]

28. Impressive.

[DBoon]

31. Therefore today's billionaires should pay taxes at the 1968 rates

and NASA should be funded the same percent of the Federal budget as they were in 1968

Then we will start to see even more useful innovations from the space program.

[marked50]

33. Jury Out

Let's see what wonderful things come of this. Good/Bad/Costly/For those who can Afford/Other

[Johnny2X2X]

40. Space exploration does drive a ton of technology

Aviation might have driven more at its inception, or more aptly when we started using air planes in war. Everything had to be shrunk down so it would fit in the cockpit and weight less. So hand held radios, small instruments, many composite materials that were lighter. Plastics. Rubber. Radar. GPS. all sorts of technologies arose directly out of aviation.