It Came from Outer Space

Everyday Products and Ideas from the Space Program

Marjolijn Bijlefeld, Robert L. Burke (Autoren)

Buch | Hardcover

264 Seiten

2003
Greenwood Press (Verlag)
978-0-313-32222-8 (ISBN)

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What do anthrax protection, golf clubs, and cordless power tools have in common? Each was invented or improved with technology first developed for the space program. Since NASA's inception 45 years ago, hundreds of everyday devices and products have emerged from the research and development required to put rockets into space and humans on the moon. To expand our knowledge of the universe, scientists and engineers with the space program constantly confront new challenges in vehicle design, life support, communications, and astronaut health and well-being. The solutions to these challenges have often benefited those of us who remain on Earth. This book tells the story of 67 of the most consumer-friendly products born of space-related research.

Discover the fascinating histories of commonplace items that we now take for granted. One model of ergonomic chairs was based on the position of astronauts at rest in Skylab. Improvements in health-rate monitors resulted from the need to track changes in an astronaut's heart rate. Even swimsuits and ballpoints pens have been improved by space technology. This book also includes extensive information on the history of NASA, and on the technology-transfer centers that help make such product improvements happen. Lesson plans and resources offer additional sources of information on this remarkable subject.

MARJOLIJN BIJLEFELD is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of The Gun Control Debate: A Documentary History (Greenwood, 1997), People For and Against Gun Control (Greenwood, 1999), and Food and You: A Guide to Healthy Habits for Teens (Greenwood, 2001). ROBERT BURKE is a business and technology writer.

ContentsContentsContentsIntroduction viiAirline Deicer—"Ice Zapper" 1Anthrax Protection 2Anti-Fog Spray 4Anti-Shock Trousers 5Athletic Shoe Improvements 7Baby Food 8Better Braces 10Biofeedback Improvements 10Bionic Eyes 12Breast Biopsy System 13Burn Treatment 15Child Presence Sensor 16Cold-Weather Clothing 17Cool Suits 19Cordless Tools 21Digital Nose 23Doppler Radar—Helping Aircraft Avoid Danger 24Ergonomic Chairs 26Fire Safety 28Food Preparation 30Fresher Vegetables 33Glasses and Sunglasses Improvements 35Golf Ball Improvements 37Golf Club Improvements 38Hang Gliders 40Healing Light 42Heart Monitor Improvements 44Heart Pump 46Heart Rate Monitor 48Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator 49Infrared Detector Improvements 50Infrared Thermometer 52Insulin Pumps 53Joysticks for Computers 55Knee Brace Improvements 57Landmine Removal 59Laptop Computers 61Laser Angioplasty 62Memory Foam 63Memory Metals 65Microthermal Fabrics 67Osteoporosis Detection and Prevention 68Pacemaker Improvements 71Pill Transmitters 72Pool Filters 73Quantum Tubers 75Race Car Insulation 77Railroad Anti-Icer 78Rescue Cutters 79Riblets for Drag Reduction 80Robotic Surgery 82Satellite Radio 84Saving Harbor Porpoises 86Self-Contained Ecosystems 87Self-Righting Life Raft 89Ski Boot Improvements 91Smart Surgical Probe 92Space Pen 93"Space Rose" Perfume 94Stadium Roofs 96Toy Gliders 97Traffic Intersection Safety 98Video Camera Improvements 100Virtual Reality 102Weather, Climate, and Geologic Mapping 104Wildfire Control 105ZeoponiX 107Appendix A: A Brief History of NASA Stephen J. Garber and Roger D. Launius 109Appendix B: Regional Technology Transfer Centers 117Appendix C: NASA Field Centers and Facilities 123Appendix D: NASA's Space Product Development Progam 129Appendix E: Lesson Plans 135Appendix F: What's on the Web 201Appendix G: Glossary 225Index 239

Erscheint lt. Verlag	30.8.2003
Sprache	englisch
Maße	178 x 254 mm
Gewicht	737 g
Themenwelt	Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Technikgeschichte
	Technik ► Fahrzeugbau / Schiffbau
	Technik ► Luft- / Raumfahrttechnik
ISBN-10	0-313-32222-8 / 0313322228
ISBN-13	978-0-313-32222-8 / 9780313322228
Zustand	Neuware