NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image above: NASA helps make things you use every day. Credit: NASA

NASA is part of your life. Did you know that? Well, maybe you say,
"No, it isn't." Let's take this quiz to see:

Do you . . .	Yes	No
Ride a school bus?
Talk long-distance on the phone?
Wear athletic shoes?
Use a computer?
Drink water?

 
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, NASA is a part of your life.

	This Is the Way We Go to School You want to ride to school safely. NASA likes safe rides, too. That is why they have computers that study parts of a vehicle. This computer software can study a part before it is made. People who build trucks and busses use this software. It makes your bus ride safer.
	Talking Around the World NASA has worked on satellites for years. They work to make them better. We use satellites to connect phones. The things that NASA has learned have helped the phone system. Do you talk long-distance on the phone? Talking to people across the world is better now. NASA's work on satellites makes far-away people sound as if they are next door.
	I Want Two Pair When men first went to the Moon, they wore space suits. NASA had a special way of making the suits. Someone had an idea. They made rubber parts of shoes in the same way that NASA made the suits. This way of making athletic shoes helps them to feel better on your feet.
	A Mouse Click Away How can you use a computer without a mouse? It would be hard. But, this is what people used to do. Then, someone came up with an idea. Money from NASA helped to study the idea. And the computer mouse was born.
	Get the Lead Out Astronauts need clean water. Where do you get clean water in space? Parts of a spacecraft give off water. But, it is not clean. NASA has a way to make water clean. They made filters. People have water filters in their homes now. Filters clean out the germs and lead.

 
So, is NASA a part of your life? If you use any of these things, the answer is yes. All of the things in this story are called "spinoffs." A spinoff is what you get when you make new things out of something already made. There are many NASA spinoffs besides the ones in this story. NASA's spinoffs touch our lives everyday.