Apollo's Contributions to America
That's one small step for [a] man . . . one giant leap for mankind.
IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE
AMERICAN ASTRONAUT Neil Armstrong spoke those words as he became
the first human to set foot on the surface of the Moon. No more
flights to the Moon are scheduled now, and future ones will undoubtedly
be made differently, but the Apollo program has not really ended.
Thirty years after the triumph of America's first lunar landing,
the technologies developed to enable NASA to make manned space flights
and explore the Moon continue to enhance our way of life in America.
Transferring and commercializing Project Apollo's technologies have
contributed to strengthening the U.S. economy and bolstering our
country's global competitiveness.
Since 1976, about 1,300 documented NASA technologies have benefited
U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and created jobs for
Americans. These innovations have helped industry and manufacturing,
agriculture and food, environment and resource management, recreation,
health and medicine, transportation and public safety, and communications
and computers. Without our nation's space program, some everyday
products and processes we take for granted may not have been developed.
The following are some of Apollo's contributions:
- Scratch-resistant sunglass lenses were derived from a highly
abrasion-resistant coating developed to protect, from harsh environments,
the plastic surfaces of such aerospace equipment as the helmet
visors worn by moonwalking astronauts.
- Quartz watches and clocks became the new horizon for consumer
time accuracy after adapting a quartz crystal NASA used to obtain
a stable time base for all Apollo missions.
- Computer-aided tomography (CAT) scanners and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) technology used in hospitals worldwide came from
technology developed to computer-enhance pictures of the Moon
for the Apollo program. The industrial version of the CAT scan
inspects for imperfections in aerospace structures and components,
such as castings, rocket motors and nozzles.
- Patient monitoring equipment, commonly used today at nurse's
stations to monitor the heart rate and other physiological signs
of hospital patients, employs the same technology developed to
monitor astronaut vital signs during the Apollo missions.
- Personal and workplace computers have become smaller, lighter
and more efficient as a result of Apollo's computer and technology
requirements.
- Firefighters, racecar drivers and hazardous materials and shipyard
workers wear cool suits, which kept Apollo astronauts comfortable
during moonwalks. People with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy
and spina bifida wear them to lower body temperature. Kids with
congenital disorders that make their bodies intolerant of sunlight
wear adapted suits.
- A cardiovascular conditioner developed for space conditioning
studies for the Apollo program led to the development of a physical
therapy and athletic development machine used by football teams,
sports clinics and medical rehabilitation centers.
- Cordless power tools and appliances, such as drills and dust
vacuums, respectively, are based on technology used to develop
tools for the astronauts to drill below the Moon's surface to
collect lunar core soil samples. A company designed a computer
program so the drill's motor could use as little power as possible,
which has provided a strong technology base for developing battery-powered
tools and appliances.
- Athletic shoe design and manufacture also benefited from Apollo.
Spacesuit technology was incorporated into a shoe's external shell.
A stress-free "blow molding" process adapted from NASA spacesuit
design was also used in the shoe's manufacture.
- The space shoes used on the Moon are perfect for retaining
shock absorption, stability and flexibility in the athletic arena.
The midsole, similar to the rigid/flexible system in spacesuits,
and NASA's stress-free "blow-molding" process were incorporated
into athletic shoe design and manufacture, and the design can
also be configured for different sports.
- A special fabric developed for Apollo spacesuits is used in
heavier material to construct shopping centers roofs, sports stadiums
and airports. Fabric roofs are on the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan,
the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Olympic Stadium in Rome and airport
terminals in Denver. The fabric is light, flexible, durable, fire
resistant and moisture repellent. It expands and contracts with
temperature changes, lets in light and reflects heat, thus reducing
cooling and lighting costs.
- Insulation barriers made of aluminum foil laid over a core
of propylene or mylar were developed to provide radiation protection
and to maintain consistent spacecraft temperatures for Apollo
and subsequent missions. The insulation is used to insulate cars
and trucks; it also diminishes engine and exhaust noise.
- A unistix controller used by severely disabled people to operate
a typical highway vehicle was developed from the Apollo lunar
roving vehicle. The vehicle's rubber tires were the predecessor
to all-weather winter radial tires for automobiles.
- Vacuum-metallizing techniques used for a variety of purposes
on virtually all NASA spacecraft, including Apollo missions—mainly
thermal radiation insulation—led to an extensive line of
commercial products. These include insulated outer garments, packaging
for foods, wall coverings, window shades, life rafts, candy wrappings,
reflective blankets and 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.
Water-cleaning systems have been adapted for cleaning spas, hot
tubs and pools.
- A hospital food service system employs a cook/chill concept
for serving food. The integral heating system, developed for the
Apollo program, allows staff to prepare food well in advance and
maintain heat, visual appeal and nutritional value while reducing
operating costs.
- A hollow retroreflector, a mirror-like instrument that reflects
light and other radiations back to the source, was developed for
the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. It was further expanded for use
as an instrument or component in a variety of sensor applications,
including an efficient means of beam positioning in the laboratory.
It also has been used in monitoring 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, necessary
to accommodate lightweight Apollo components, led to the development
of surface enhancement coatings or synergistic coatings, which
are used in such applications as pizza making and laser manufacture.
Each coating is designed to protect a specific metal group or
a group of metals to solve problems encountered under operating
conditions, such as resistance to corrosion and wear.
For more information on how Project Apollo and other missions have
fundamentally changed our everyday lives for the better, visit http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/success/index.html
or http://www.spacezone.com/stawoe/stawoe.htm
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