The legacy of the Cold War and the early space race is not just about global tension and conflict: It also yielded the birth of the modern technological age. With the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and subsequent lunar missions, many events and activities were planned around the United States, including a gala hosted by NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in July We can now take a look back and see how the technological know-how required to support the space race essentially built the modern world as we know it today.
Life would be unimaginable without these many advancements that we now take for granted. Space is a different place than it was before the Cold War.
For one thing, the Earth is now surrounded by a vast network of satellites, which provide continuous broadband communications and high-definition television, data used for weather reporting, navigation and positioning, and more. This is in addition to the specialized spacecraft that support scientific and military objectives. We also maintain a continuous human presence in space on board the International Space Station, in partnership with a number of countries. How has space technology helped us down here on Earth?
The global positioning system GPS was originally developed by the military for precision navigation and weapon targeting purposes. The GPS developers probably did not foresee how this technology would transform almost every industry, as well as day-to-day life, on a global scale. Using maps and travel atlases and stopping to ask for directions are now largely anachronisms.
GPS has enabled ride-hailing services, as well as package tracking and delivery. It has improved our fitness by tracking our workouts and our safety by quickly providing our location in emergency situations. GPS will be there in the future to facilitate emerging technologies such as self-driving cars and package deliveries by drone.
Infrared ear thermometers — a NASA-derived advancement — measure the amount of energy emitted by the eardrum in the same way the temperature of stars and planets is measured, using infrared astronomy technology. Artificial limbs have drastically improved using advanced space program shock absorbing materials and robotics.
Deep space exploration missions depend on excellent digital image processing technology developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL. Department of Education. Take a look at ten ways space research has impacted life as we know it on earth. Car crash technology Technology utilizing remotely detonated explosive bolts of energy to free the Space Shuttle from its rocket boosters on blast-off have since been adapted for a much more earth-bound purpose.
Fire detection technology Space research and testing led the way for the development of a terrestrial detection tool that uses high-resolution optical sensors to monitor forests for fires. Mine-clearing technology What was first developed as a type of surplus rocket fuel has since been used in the creation of a device that can safely destroy land mines. Healthcare 4. Pill transmitters Pill transmitters were first created to act as a manageable and effective way to monitor the health of astronauts.
Heart health Space exploration has yielded a number of monumental benefits in the preservation of heart health. Chromosome analysis Another medical breakthrough that resulted from state-of-the-art image-processing technology is chromosome analysis.
Environment and energy 8. Clean energy After developing the Space Shuttle Main Engine, NASA and its affiliate researchers refined the technology and used the expertise gained to create clean energy technology. Water purification After developing a method to filter water for manned space missions, NASA modified its water purification technology to be put to use worldwide.
The impressive impact of technology We can thank some of the best minds of our time for enabling the previously untapped worlds of space exploration and also for developing — often unintentionally — paths toward some truly groundbreaking advances in modern technology.
Request More Information. Talk with an admissions advisor today. First Name Please enter your first name. Last Name Please enter your last name.
Contact Information Email Address Please enter your email address. Phone Number Please enter your phone number. ZIP Code Please enter your five digit zip code. Program Program of Interest Please choose a program. Credential Degree Level Desired Please choose a campus. Lifeshears are a tool that can be used in emergency situations to cut into cars or collapsed buildings to rescue people trapped inside. The requirements for landing space shuttles led NASA scientists to do extensive research on minimizing hydroplaning — when vehicles slide uncontrollably on a wet surface — on runways.
They discovered that cutting grooves into runways helps channel water away from the runway and significantly reduces accidents. Many highways and airports now have grooved pavement.
In the sealed, artificial environment of a spacecraft, attempts to grow plants have led to ethylene buildup. NASA invented an air purifier for the International Space Station that is now used widely on Earth — everywhere from restaurants, to hospitals, to refrigerators — to remove ethylene, which hastens decay, as well as other particulates and pathogens. Memory foam was originally invented as a pad for astronaut seats that would mold to their bodies during the high forces of takeoff and landing, then return to a neutral state.
This eliminated the need to customize seats to individual astronauts' body sizes. Because prolonged exposure to zero-gravity leads to bone loss and muscle atrophy, NASA created workout machines to enable astronauts to maintain physical fitness while in space. NASA began experimenting with insulation technology for the Apollo space crafts and suits, leading to the invention of common construction insulation. Infrared ear thermometers, which allow for instant temperature capture without the risk of picking up pathogens and causing cross-infection, utilize the same technology developed for assessing the temperature of distant planets.
Ice is a real threat for shuttles in space, and NASA has devised multiple electronic solutions to prevent ice formation on spacecrafts, some of which are now used on commercial aircraft. The first portable computer, the Grid Compass, was used on multiple shuttle missions in the s. Intended for use to help in growing plants aboard space shuttles, NASA's LED technology has been utilized in the development of LED medical devices that relax muscles and relieve pain in soldiers, cancer patients, and those with Parkinson's disease.
The ability to cook food on long space missions is no longer impossible with the invention of 3D food printers. This technology is now being refined for commercial use for the production of chocolates and other confections as well as to create nutritious foods for diabetics and others with specific dietary needs.
0コメント