What Does NASA Science Do For Me?

• NASA’s research and technology development have numerous benefits for everyday life on Earth, including satellite weather maps, water purification systems, and improved safety features in modern aircraft.
• The NASA Spinoff program has facilitated the licensing and development of over 2,000 technologies for commercial use by other companies and agencies since its creation over 50 years ago.
• Some notable examples of NASA spinoffs include solar cells, memory foam, firefighting equipment, highway safety grooves, and image stabilization technology for binoculars and video cameras.
• Not all technologies commonly attributed to NASA were actually developed by the agency; examples include Tang, a powdered drink mix, and microwave ovens, which were independently developed before being associated with NASA.
• The full archive of NASA Spinoff magazine, dating back to 1976, is available online for viewing, providing insight into the many ways in which NASA’s research and technology have improved daily life on Earth.

It is easy to forget that all of the hard work, technology, and money that NASA pours into space research actually comes back down to Earth. In fact, many of NASA’s missions and research focus on our planet! NASA also has many other projects with partners that use their research to enrich everyone’s lives here on Earth- and this is not including such notable achievements as satellite weather maps!

The NASA Spinoff program was created over fifty years ago to facilitate the licensing and development of NASA’s technologies for commercial use by other companies and agencies. This program helps “spin off” NASA’s technology for use by others here on Earth and, in some cases, in space. To date, over 2,000 spinoff technologies have been documented by the NASA Spinoff program.

Some notable examples of NASA spinoffs include:

• Solar Cells
• Water Purification
• Memory foam for your cozy bed and chairs
• Firefighting equipment, especially lightweight fireproof clothing and masks with much-improved air filters
• Highway safety grooves, which help your car go around curves without slipping off by giving your tire better traction
• Many safety features in modern aircraft, such as de-icing technologies for wings, chemical detectors and imaging for plane maintenance, improved flight controls, and many more
• Image stabilization for your binoculars and video cameras
• The Dustbuster
• Healthier baby food

…and many more! Check out this Wikipedia page for a more extensive list of the technologies that NASA has had a direct role in developing, many of which we now take for granted.

It is worth noting that there are a few technologies commonly thought to have been created by NASA that were actually independently developed. Tang is a great example; it was developed by General Foods in 1957 and attained fame when used during food testing by NASA in the 60s (even though some astronauts were not fans of the powdery, not-quite-orange juice). The microwave oven is another famous technology often falsely thought of as a NASA development. It was, in fact, created shortly after World War 2, when radar technicians discovered that it wasn’t such a good idea to stand in front of active equipment! Thankfully, they found out via a melted candy bar and not from severe burns!

Every year, NASA releases a report on its program, and the 2025 edition of the NASA Spinoff magazine is now available! You can view the entire NASA Spinoff archive, dating back to 1976, here.

Originally posted by Dave Prosper: May 2013
Last Updated by Kat Troche: March 2025

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