Beyond Tang: The Beyond Tang: The Hidden Benefits of Hidden Benefits of the Space Programthe Space Program

Dr. Nadine G. BarlowDr. Nadine G. BarlowDept. Physics and AstronomyDept. Physics and AstronomyNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZFlagstaff, AZ

Space Program BenefitsSpace Program Benefits

US Space US Space Program has been Program has been around since around since 19581958

Technology Technology developed for developed for space program space program has often has often subsequently subsequently provided practical provided practical benefits to benefits to society.society.

NASA SpinoffsNASA Spinoffs

Health and Health and Medical SpinoffsMedical Spinoffs

ICU Monitoring SystemsICU Monitoring Systems

Developed from Developed from systems used to systems used to monitor astronauts monitor astronauts during the space during the space missions.missions.

Image ProcessingImage Processing Image Processing Image Processing

technology now used in CAT technology now used in CAT scans and MRI evolved from scans and MRI evolved from techniques originally techniques originally developed for analyzing developed for analyzing lunar and planetary images.lunar and planetary images.

Breast Cancer DetectionBreast Cancer Detection BioScan System detects new BioScan System detects new

cancer lesions by looking for heat cancer lesions by looking for heat caused by increased blood flow.caused by increased blood flow.

Infrared imaging technology Infrared imaging technology originally developed for originally developed for planetary and terrestrial planetary and terrestrial observations.observations.

Other Medical SpinoffsOther Medical Spinoffs

CCD Imaging

MolecularModeling

Telemedicine

RoboticSurgery

Transportation Transportation and Public Safety and Public Safety

SpinoffsSpinoffs

Highway MonitoringHighway Monitoring Monitoring of traffic at Monitoring of traffic at

multiple intersections multiple intersections and highways was and highways was developed from NASA developed from NASA Mission Control Mission Control technologytechnology..

Grooved Highways and Grooved Highways and RunwaysRunways

NASA research NASA research showed that showed that cutting thin cutting thin grooves across grooves across concrete runways concrete runways reduces the risk of reduces the risk of hydroplaning.hydroplaning.

These grooves These grooves improve aircraft improve aircraft tire friction tire friction performance in performance in wet conditions by wet conditions by 200-300%.200-300%.

Global Positioning Satellite Global Positioning Satellite TechnologyTechnology

Global satellites now Global satellites now provide very precise provide very precise positional information.positional information.

GPS units have GPS units have dramatically improved dramatically improved search and rescue search and rescue operations.operations.

Wide Area Wide Area Augmentation System Augmentation System provides detailed provides detailed information on information on aircraft locations.aircraft locations.

Other Transportation Other Transportation SpinoffsSpinoffs

Composite Materials

Fuel Cell Technology

Automatic Navigation Systems

Consumer Consumer SpinoffsSpinoffs

CommunicationsCommunications

Communication Communication satellites have satellites have revolutionized long-revolutionized long-distance telephone distance telephone communications.communications.

Much of the cell Much of the cell phone technology phone technology has been derived has been derived from space program from space program spinoffs.spinoffs.

Scratch-Resistant LensesScratch-Resistant Lenses

Coatings developed Coatings developed by NASA for by NASA for spacecraft have spacecraft have been adapted to been adapted to produce lenses produce lenses which are 10x more which are 10x more scatch-resistant scatch-resistant than ordinary glass than ordinary glass lenses.lenses.

Product CodingProduct Coding

NASA developed NASA developed computer-read bar computer-read bar coding to keep coding to keep track of shuttle track of shuttle parts.parts.

Now used to Now used to “scan” products at “scan” products at check-out check-out counters.counters.

Other Consumer SpinoffsOther Consumer Spinoffs

Camera ChipsChair Lifts

Fiber Optics

Environmental Environmental and Resource and Resource ManagementManagement

Weather SatellitesWeather Satellites

Weather satellites have dramatically Weather satellites have dramatically improved weather forecasts and severe improved weather forecasts and severe weather predictions.weather predictions.

Volcano and Wildfire Volcano and Wildfire MonitoringMonitoring

Resource MonitoringResource Monitoring

Remote sensing Remote sensing technology developed technology developed for analysis of for analysis of planetary images has planetary images has improved agricultural improved agricultural production.production.

Similar technology Similar technology can be used for can be used for natural resource natural resource management and management and disaster analysis.disaster analysis.

Other Environmental Other Environmental SpinoffsSpinoffs

Digital Maps

Ocean Studies Ozone Hole and Climate Studies

Computer Computer TechnologyTechnology

MiniaturizationMiniaturization

Much of the Much of the technology which technology which has led to smaller has led to smaller computers was computers was derived from derived from NASA’s need to NASA’s need to reduce weight on reduce weight on space missions.space missions.

Data Analysis ToolsData Analysis Tools

The need to sort The need to sort through huge through huge amounts of data amounts of data from space from space missions has led to missions has led to data analysis tools data analysis tools useful in many useful in many everyday everyday applications.applications.

Automatic Detection Automatic Detection TechniquesTechniques

Technology to develop Technology to develop rovers with autonomous rovers with autonomous hazard detection hazard detection capability is being used capability is being used in robots to explore in robots to explore hazardous environments hazardous environments on Earth.on Earth.

Scientific Scientific KnowledgeKnowledge

Greenhouse EffectGreenhouse Effect

The extreme The extreme greenhouse effect greenhouse effect identified on Venus identified on Venus in the 1960’s led to in the 1960’s led to more research into more research into global warming on global warming on Earth.Earth.

Climate ChangeClimate Change Mars is now believed Mars is now believed

to have once been to have once been much more Earth-much more Earth-like, with lakes and like, with lakes and possibly oceans of possibly oceans of liquid water. liquid water.

What happened to What happened to Mars to make it the Mars to make it the cold, dry world we cold, dry world we see today?see today?

Could something Could something similar happen to similar happen to Earth?Earth?

Sun-Earth ConnectionsSun-Earth Connections

SOHO and other SOHO and other Sun-observing Sun-observing spacecraft help us spacecraft help us determine when determine when flares and coronal flares and coronal mass ejections mass ejections might affect Earth might affect Earth and our orbiting and our orbiting spacecraft.spacecraft.

Search for LifeSearch for Life Consideration of possible Consideration of possible

habitats conducive to life habitats conducive to life elsewhere in the solar elsewhere in the solar system and universe has system and universe has led to discovery of life in led to discovery of life in extreme terrestrial extreme terrestrial environments.environments.

EducationEducation

Kids love space!Kids love space! Space-themed Space-themed

activities help to activities help to inspire many inspire many students to study students to study math and science.math and science.

For More On NASA For More On NASA SpinoffsSpinoffs

Go to Spinoffs page:Go to Spinoffs page:

http://http://www.sti.nasa.gov/ttowww.sti.nasa.gov/tto//