Space Factoids

Did you know?

• Satellite fuel – Satellites are powered by the sun.
• Global market – 50 countries have now launched their own satellites – Russia launching the highest number.
• Orbiting satellites – There are approximately 2,200 satellites currently in orbit around the Earth or visiting other planets.
• Global positioning satellites – satellites orbiting the Earth, monitoring stations, and navigation receivers provide accurate positioning for ships, ground vehicles, airplanes and hand-held use. This technology has both military and non-military uses.
• Tsunami tracking – a satellite circling the Earth receives transmissions from undersea detectors. It provides accurate information on tsunami size and strength.
• Archaeology – Space Shuttle radar images help locate ancient cities, roads, and ruins. This helps pinpoint archaeological areas faster. This technology helped locate the lost city of Ubar which is located in Oman.
• Firefighting equipment – Apollo technology has been used to produce a lighter breathing system for firefighters. The new system weighs about 20 pounds (9 kg) and has a mask with greater peripheral vision.
• Firefighting strategy – European Space Agency satellite data provides information for fire locations which has helped develop more recent firefighting strategies.
• Radiant energy barrier – technology used to keep astronauts comfortable in the spacecraft despite extreme outside temperatures, is now being used as solar comfort window products that provide an engineered solution to heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter.
• Cordless tools – A handheld drill developed by Black & Decker and NASA for moon soil samples has been modified for use in a line of cordless tools. This cordless technology is now used in building construction, home handyman areas, gardening, and the operating room.
• Scratch resistant lenses – Combining NASA space helmet visor technology with Foster Grant’s internal research, scratch resistant lenses are now used for sunglasses and prescription lenses.
• Anti-corrosion coatings – coatings developed to cover and protect rocket launch structures from exhaust, temperature changes, ocean spray, and fog. Coatings containing zinc dust and potassium silicate resist corrosion. Today these coatings are used on statues, bridges, pipelines, military tanks, and power stations.
• Liquid-cooled garments – for the Apollo program, water-cooled garments were developed to protect astronauts from the Moon’s high temperatures. These garments can reduce body heat by 40 – 60%. Currently, this technology is used by race car drivers, nuclear reactor workers, lumber mill workers, and military assigned to desert stations. In addition, people with medical conditions like Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (lack of sweat glands), cystic fibrosis, and bad burns can benefit from these garments.
• Corrective back brace – NASA technology was used to develop a back brace for people with scoliosis. This brace is an alternative to surgery.
• Foam cushioning – a protective foam cushion developed to provide impact protection and distributes body weight over the entire cushion on the Space Shuttle and airlines, is now used for helmets, wheelchair cushions, and other medical needs.
• Infection control – technology used for research aboard the International Space Station is opening up a new way to keep hospital patients safe from infections. Using plasma – electronically charged gas – Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial is developing ways to kill bacteria and viruses that can cause infections in hospitals.
• Spinal care technology – developed to measure changes in the spinal muscles of astronauts is now available for better chiropractic care.
• Bio-degradable lubricate – developed for the massive track system on the shuttle mobile launch transporter is now used for rust protection, loosening nuts and for hydraulic brake applications.
• Heat sheets – initially designed for astronauts are now used here on Earth for accidents and  sporting events to help patients/athletes stay warm and dry after exercise or any kind of physical exertion. They are made from a vacuum-metallized, heat-reflective (IR-reflective) material, that helps conserve body heat and prevent hypothermia.
• Tempur mattress – was originally developed by NASA to help relieve the enormous G-forces experienced by astronauts during lift off, flight and descent. After 10 years of further research and this revolutionary material relieves the pressure that causes poor sleep; tossing and turning; and aches and pains and gives the user a good night’s sleep.
• Vision research – Landstat and Skylab technology is used to check the human eye for refractive error and cornea or lens obstruction.
• NASA’s Embedded Web – operates experiments on satellites without the need for a built-in computer in every instrument. This same technology is now used for new ‘Intelligent Ovens’ –  refrigerated cooking units, retrofitted with a cooling device and ‘smart’ chip to allow the oven to be accessed in real-time by cellular phone and over the internet so that dinners are ready-to-eat as soon as the family arrives home.
• Hang gliders – resulted from early NASA investigations into using them as a method of returning payloads from space to Earth. Now, hang gliders are used for both recreational and commercial use.
• Active pixel sensor – Improved space image technology requires less power, is less expensive and is smaller than previous technology. It has provided better images for camcorders, digital cameras, night vision and x-rays.
• Ventricular assist device – DeBakey Blood Pump – Using Space Shuttle turbine technology, a small blood pump has been developed and used temporarily until a heart transplant is available or used to help pump blood while an injured heart repairs itself. It might also have potential as a permanent implant.
• Radiant barrier –  Metallized plastics were used for the Apollo missions to enable astronauts to have a temperature controlled working area. These special plastics insulate the spacecraft from extreme hot and cold. Today, this technology is used in the construction industry, food transportation, and other areas where temperature control is important.
• Chemical analyzer – designed to serve as a quality control tool for parts destined for the Space Shuttle –is now the fastest, most accurate method for analyzing the soil removal capabilities of floor care products to improve carpet cleanliness and indoor air quality.
• Windows – the special technology to measure oxygen atoms outside space vehicles is now being used in the glass industry to produce super-efficient energy-saving windows.