NASA

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hits NASA H O W N A S A I M P R O V E S O U R Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E

2. Can You Hear Me Now? When friends and family call from all over the world, they sound as if they are right around the corner. The scope, clarity, and reliability of our long-distance telephone system is the result of communications satellite technology developed by NASA over a 30-year period.

3. Vital Signs for Critical Moments Countless patients recovering from heart attacks and illnesses owe their lives to monitoring systems used in intensive care units and heart rehabilitation wards. They were developed from the systems used to monitor astronauts during the first space missions in the early 1960s.

4. Planes, Trains, & Guitars The NASA Structural Analysis program, better known as NASTRAN, is a computer program that saves time and money by using a computerized design process to identify strengths and deficiencies of a product before it is manufactured. It was developed by NASA for human space flight and aeronautics. Private sector versions of this software are now used to design everything from electric guitars to skyscrapers.

5. Shedding New Light On Cancer New lighting technology originally developed by NASA for plant growth experiments in space is improving treatment of tumors and wounds. This technique uses focused light to activate medicines that kill cancerous tumors. The new light source is more efficient, versatile, accurate and less costly.

6. S.O.S. To Space NASA’s development of space-based beacon locators created an international, satellite-based search and rescue system that saves thousands of lives. The system detects and locates transmissions from emergency beacons on ships, aircraft or individuals and alerts rescue authorities 24 hours a day year-round.

7. Shuttle Technology Helps Hearts NASA Supercomputer experts teamed with cardiac surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, to develop a ventricular assist device to function as a “bridge to heart transplant” by pumping blood throughout the body to keep critically ill patients alive until a donor heart is available. The battery-powered heart pump uses the same technology used on the main engines of the Space Shuttle.

8. New Fields and Better Yields NASA research and methods to grow plants in space produced world record crops on Earth using hydroponics. Hydroponics uses intense lighting and high levels of carbon dioxide to grow crops in water. A laboratory wheat crop yielded five times more grain than a typical field-grown crop. NASA’s methods are being utilized to increase potato production.

9. Keeping An Eye On Hurricanes NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitor weather patterns from space to enhance hurricane track, landfall and intensity forecasts. Measurements from NASA’s Earth observing satellites help to improve predictions about hurricanes and tropical systems affecting coastal regions.

10. Wildfires are a continual concern for the western United States. In the summer of 2000, wildfires consumed 8.4 million acres in this region. NASA worked with the U.S. Forest Service to develop a rapid-response capability for wildfires based on data from NASA’s satellites that broadcast daily images of fire patterns nationwide, helping federal, state and local governments manage wildfires more effectively. Wildfire Management

11. Getting the Groove on Safety NASA found that cutting thin grooves across concrete runways reduced the risk of hydroplaning. The grooves create channels for excess water to drain, improving aircraft tire friction performance by 200-300%. The use of grooves on highways has contributed to an 85 percent reduction in highway accidents.

12. Benefits For Animal Research NASA developed the hind limb suspension technique to simulate the effects of weightlessness on astronauts’ physiology. Variations of this technique have been used for almost 25 years by animal researchers to study bone, muscle and cardiovascular atrophy. The technique is the model of choice for independent medical experts and researchers worldwide.

13. Lifeshears This powerful hand-held rescue tool quickly cuts through cars or other enclosures to free people involved in dangerous situations. It was jointly developed by Hi-Shear Technology Corp., firefighters and NASA, and uses the same power source used to separate solid rocket boosters from Space Shuttles.

14. Age of the Universe In 2003, NASA released the results of a one-year observation of the cosmos by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Explorer satellite. Using the WMAP portrait, scientists have estimated that the universe is 13.7 billion years old, with a remarkably small 1 percent margin of error.

15. Keeping Cells In Suspense The crew onboard Space Shuttle Columbia’s final mission used a device invented by NASA called a bioreactor. The bioreactor helps researchers turn cell cultures into functional tissue that can be used for experiments, transplants and drug development.

16. Cleaner Cars A hydrogen experiment onboard Columbia’s final mission produced a flame100 times weaker than a birthday candle. This research could lead to cleaner-burning cars by helping scientists improve burning of hydrogen and other fuels in engines and furnaces. Pratt and Whitney and General Electric are using space flight combustion research to improve their jet engines.

17. Astronaut Food Safety Sets the Standard The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture credit NASA for today’s food safety system, known as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). Developed for astronauts, the system includes preventative food safety and hazard recognition. It has become the accepted safety standard for the food industry worldwide.

18. Breast Cancer Diagnosis Mammographies are essential for the detection and treatment of breast cancer. As a result of technology developed through the Hubble Space Telescope program, biopsies of suspicious breast lumps can be performed with a needle instead of a scalpel. Needle biopsies are less intrusive and significantly less expensive.

19. NASA Develops Science Curricula NASA is helping to develop new science curricula for 100 million elementary and middle school students. The new curricula will be designed to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, math and space exploration.

20. Big Functions in Small Packages Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are extremely small devices and sensors. MEMS applications are directly traceable to the miniature accelerometers NASA developed in the 1970s to measure changes in speed of activity levels of people during human space flight. This technology is used in consumer products to trigger automobile airbags, regulate pacemakers and keep washers and dryers balanced.

21. Drinking Water for the World A water filtration system that provides safe, affordable drinking water for the world is the result of work done by NASA engineers who developed a system of devices to sustain astronauts living onboard the International Space Station. The devices turn wastewater from respiration, sweat, and urine into drinkable water.

22. Sophisticated Dummies A robotic vision system designed at NASA to determine the position and orientation of bar code targets without the use of lasers led to the development of sophisticated crash test dummies and computer crash test models that provide repeatable, computerized evaluations of laceration injuries. Triangle Research & Development Corporation, of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, collaborated with Goddard through a Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR). These dummies and models are now being used by automobile and component manufacturers in vehicle testing worldwide.c A robotic vision system designed at NASA led to the development of sophisticated crash test dummies and computer crash test models that provide repeatable, computerized evaluations of injuries. These dummies and models are now being used by automobile and component manufacturers in vehicle testing worldwide.

23. An Ounce of Prevention Icy airplane wings can be a serious safety hazard during takeoff. One sheet of ice no thicker than a compact disc can reduce lift by 25 percent or more. An anti-icing fluid developed by NASA engineers helps stop ice from ever forming. This fluid contains food-grade ingredients that make it safe for our environment.

24. 40-Year Old Springs Back to Life Temper foam originated in 1966 when it was developed to absorb shock and improve protection and comfort in NASA’s airplane seats. Four decades later, there are no bounds to its benefits. It has padded helmets, protected patients from bedsores, and comforted feet. The original product maker is still pushing temper foam into new arenas, including automotives, amusement parks, prosthetics, and modern art.

25. A Shining Example NASA developed a parasol-type sunshield made of thin, shiny insulation used to protect spacecrafts on nearly every mission. The silvery insulation is used to create slim thermal blankets to warm marathon runners, patients in operating rooms, and outdoor enthusiasts. Perhaps no one can appreciate these benefits more than victims of the earthquake that razed Pakistan, Afghanistan and India in October 2005.