17 space technologies used in everyday life

Space exploration is, indirectly, a means of accelerating the advancement of technology for terrestrial use.

In other words, by seeking to develop technology in space, humanity ends up benefiting, creating adaptable solutions .

The most interesting thing is that these solutions are not restricted to innovative products.

Thanks to space technology, even control over food quality can be improved.

Another field that has evolved significantly due to space technology is navigation, whose advances have led to the development of better landing strips.

Check out 17 discoveries credited to space research and how they migrated from rockets to homes and other facilities on Earth.

You might be surprised at how much space technology is used in everyday life.

1. Smartphone camera

One of the challenges NASA and other space agencies have always faced is the size of the cameras used to record videos.

After all, the internal space of a spacecraft is always limited, which makes the use of large cameras with long cables impossible.

It was then, in the 1990s, that studies carried out in space led engineer Eric Fossum to create a new sensor for video cameras .

Called CMOS-APS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor active pixel), this new sensor resulted from the combination of Japanese techniques and innovative chip construction technologies.

The initiative was so successful that to this day the material is used in DSLR cameras in most smartphones .

2. Water filter

Another challenge all space exploration has faced is the lack of water in space. Then drinking water is even more challenging.

Therefore, all water that astronauts take into space must be reused , which requires simple and effective filtration technology.

This is how the iodine cartridge filtration system was born, which stands out for its great efficiency in eliminating bacteria and microorganisms.

This space technology has been used on Earth in domestic filters and even for cleaning swimming pool water.

3. Infrared thermometer

The health sector is probably one of the areas that has benefited most from advances in space technology.

Thanks to it, measuring temperature , especially in babies and children, is no longer a problem, with the creation of the infrared thermometer.

This is the technology used to determine the temperature of planets millions of light years away, based on the variation in color that each of them emits.

4. Memory foam

You may have heard about the NASA pillow.

What not everyone knows is that NASA, although it was actually part of this discovery, never used this space technology in its missions.

This story happened in 1966, when the American space agency sought to develop a material that would mold itself to the bodies of astronauts.

It was then that researchers Charles Yost and Charles Kubokawa, hired by NASA, developed a foam with high energy dissipation , called viscoelastic.

The idea was that it would be a material used in the seats of spaceships and that it would serve as a shock absorber for possible impacts.

The project ended up being shelved, but fortunately the two Charleses realized that the material had the potential to be commercialized outside of the space domain.

Thus, in 1976, the patent became public domain, which opened the way for the use of polyurethane viscoelastic foam to be used to manufacture pillows, mattresses and sports accessories .

5. Running shoes

One of the possible setbacks an astronaut may have to face in space is impacts.

Without gravity, any object can become a weapon , since in a vacuum, movement never ceases.

For this reason, NASA is always looking for new materials that help absorb impacts , such as viscoelastic.

Among these materials is the rubber used as a lining for astronauts' helmets which, because of its great cushioning capacity, began to be used in the manufacture of running shoe soles .

6. Capsule thermometer

Space exploration takes astronauts to extreme conditions , where the body is tested to the limit.

For this reason, space agencies often conduct experiments to assess the human body's reaction to the harsh conditions of outer space.

One way to monitor this is through body temperature, which NASA believes needs to be measured continuously.

How can this be done considering that, when leaving a spaceship, the astronaut is wrapped in a heavy suit, which makes it impossible to use a thermometer, even an infrared one?

Once ingested, it travels through the digestive system and measures body temperature .

After that, the equipment began to be used by athletes from different sports, including racing drivers and hockey players.

7. Enriched formula

Of course, in space, there is no way to cook, much less grow food or go hunting.

So the solution is to send ready-made food supplies to the crews, who need to find everything they need to have energy in canned food .

It was with this in mind that, in the 1980s, NASA carried out a project called Closed Environment Life Support System (CELSS), in which the cultivation of algae to feed astronauts was tested.

Although the project failed, it ended up giving rise to another, carried out in 1994 by the company Martek.

This is how Formulaid was born, an artificial food rich in fatty acids , which, coincidentally (or not), are the basis for baby nutrition.

Of course, it didn't take long for space technology to be commercialized in baby food form .

8. Compression garments for pregnant women

In 1969, a hospital in the United States was dealing with a serious case, in which a mother had been suffering from persistent bleeding for weeks.

That's when one of the doctors on duty decided to ask engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center for help.

The solution found was to dress the patient in the G suit , which is used to prevent pilots and astronauts from losing consciousness in extreme flight conditions.

In the case of a mother with postpartum hemorrhage, just a few changes were enough for her condition to improve in less than 12 hours.

Then, the medical equipment industry just had to make some adaptations so that the suit could be fully used in a hospital environment .

There are even projects to improve space technology funded by Bill Gates' foundation, since, after the adoption of the suit, deaths from postpartum hemorrhage fell by half.

9 Grooving

Space exploration technology does not need to be highly sophisticated to produce good results.

One of them is the application of so-called grooving, a type of groove in the transverse direction of aircraft landing strips .

They were developed by NASA in response to the challenging landing process of heavy space shuttles, vehicles with little aerodynamics and stability.

Landing them safely on a conventional runway was a highly risky task, considering the imminent risk of skidding .

10. Winglets

It will always be in the interest of NASA and any agency or company in the industry to save fuel .

To give you an idea, a space shuttle needs 3 million liters just to take off , which corresponds to a weight of 728 tons.

Therefore, any savings that can be generated are very welcome, no matter how small.

One of the ways NASA found to do this was to reduce the turbulence generated by the aircraft , especially that caused by the friction of the wings with the air.

This is how its engineers developed Winglets, a type of vertical wing installed on the tip of aircraft wings, capable of generating savings of up to 9%.

11. Video compression

Everyday space technology is capable of producing what was unthinkable a few years ago.

One of them is video compression, which has gained tremendous momentum thanks to NASA and its research.

To solve the problem of gigantic video files generated by astronauts, the agency invested heavily, hiring companies to solve this and other problems.

One of them was Optivision, which created the first card capable of compressing videos at rates of 25 to 30 fps in MPEG files, a feature now available on any cell phone.

12. Wireless equipment

Another space technology adapted to everyday life after meeting NASA's needs was the use of wirelessly operated tools, that is, without wires or sockets .

It all started with a request sent by NASA to Black & Decker, which was given the mission of developing drills and drills capable of operating in a vacuum, without the need for power outlets.

So if you have a tool that doesn't need a power outlet to work, thank the US Space Agency and the brave engineers at B&D.

13. Exercise machines

One of the problems that affect astronauts is the rapid loss of strength and muscle tone , due to low gravity.

And in space, weights “don’t weigh”, so how can you maintain physical fitness?

The answer to this problem came from a project led by researcher Paul Francis, who suggested using machines to do guided exercises .

It was so successful that, today, it is difficult to see a gym without having at least one of the “children” of these machines.

14. Food safety standards

It was not at all easy to send the first manned missions into space.

In addition to the colossal expenses on the aircraft, NASA had to deal with several issues involving the astronauts' own survival, starting with food.

With this in mind, a partnership was established with the Pillsbury Company, which immediately detected the absence of quality and food safety protocols.

15. Earthquake Dampers

Imagine the risks of collision when a rocket needs to detach from a spacecraft hundreds of kilometers above the ground.

To solve this gigantic problem, NASA hired Taylor Devices, whose mission was to create a space technology that would soften the impacts caused by the fuel tubes.

To this end, she created a system of shock absorbers filled with combustible fluid, which would later be adapted to provide shock absorption against earthquakes in bridges and buildings .

16. Digital controls in aircraft

Space exploration technology also gave rise to digital controls in aircraft.

The first ones on record were used in the Apollo program, which represented a great advance for navigation , making it possible to memorize maneuvers and store data .

16. Hospital monitors

Did you know that hospital monitors were initially created to send data about astronauts' health back to Earth?

Of course, it didn't take long for this space technology to be “transplanted” to healthcare units, where it is widely used in hospital beds.

17. Thermal insulation

It would be reckless to expose astronauts to the brutal temperature variations in space.

Furthermore, it was necessary to protect the equipment, some of which contained components sensitive to thermal fluctuations.

This is how radiant insulation barriers came about , a type of silver material used even to protect buildings against extreme temperatures.