50th Anniversary Essay Competition Winners
Jackson Warley
7th Grade,
Renaissance Academy → in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Teacher: Mr. Ron Hamilton
Prize: $5,000 College Scholarship and VIP trip for 4 to the STS-125 launch at the Kennedy Space Center
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Topic: Describe how you benefit today in everyday life due to NASA aerospace technology and spinoffs from the last 50 years.
Since NASA's inception fifty years ago, the technology it has developed has changed everyday life dramatically. NASA technologies adapted for use outside the space program include smoke detectors with adjustable sensitivity, memory foam, "space blankets", advanced microencapsulation technology, foamless toothpaste, "space pens", advanced heat-resistant composites and other inventions. However, it is not only NASA technology that has been beneficial to us all; it is also the underlying spirit and principles of NASA.
It seems that to some people it is hard to think of anything used in everyday life that was developed by the space program. In fact, we are surrounded by these objects. You may have seen pens that write at all angles in stores. These were developed for use in space. Have you ever been to a camping store? If so, you will have seen reflective "space blankets". These (as their name would suggest) were also developed for the space program. If you play football you may have used a shock absorbing helmet. These make use of memory foam (also known as temper foam); a material developed by NASA for use in aircraft seats. You might also have slept in a bed made of this material. If you have ever watched television transmitted from a satellite dish, you have made use of another NASA inspired technology. Although NASA did not technically invent television satellite dishes, it has developed ways to clarify signals hence reducing signal "noise".
Just because there is NASA developed technology used for non-aerospace applications doesn't mean that you use it in your day to day life. Some NASA technology is used more frequently for industrial applications. This includes a noteworthy invention that is used to clean up oil spills. It consists of microcapsules of beeswax that stimulate the natural microbes to consume the oil. This makes use of NASA microencapsulation technology developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Not only does this product stimulate microbial life to remove the oil, the beeswax spheres actually absorb oil into their hollow centers and dispose of it safely. It is important that the oil is not allowed to settle, another reason why this technology is so effective. This is just one example of NASA inspired technology that benefits our daily lives indirectly by improving the condition of the overall environment.
The final thing that benefits us in everyday life isn't even a piece of technology. This is, quite simply put, the overall spirit of NASA. NASA heeds the basic human calling to explore the unknown and in doing so, gives people motivation, albeit not through advanced technology. One-hundred years ago, before NASA was founded, the idea of humans in space would have seemed impossible. Now, it is commonplace. Through daring and determination, even the wildest dreams can be realized. "Failure is not an option." Never give up, even under the most grim circumstances. These are the concepts through which NASA has inspired us over the fifty years that it has existed.
To learn more about some of the technologies mentioned, follow these links:
NASA Spinoff
A service of the NASA IPP, providing NASA's premier annual publication of successful commercial and industrial applications of NASA-sponsored technology.
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NASA Home and City
Discover how space exploration impacts your daily life.
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