NASA Spin-off

NASA Spin-off

NASA spin-off technologies are spin-offs of technology that have been commercialized through NASA funding, research, licensing, facilities, or assistance. NASA also publishes an annual journal titled Spinoff which features products whose development can be linked to NASA, for example through NASA funding (such as SBIR or STTR awards), licensing (from NASA patents), facilities (such as product testing at NASA facilities), NASA assistance (such as former NASA scientists helping to design a product), or NASA research. A lot of the technology that came from space spin-off is an important part of today's world, for example the ultra sound is an important part of many births. More examples down below.

In 1957, notable science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein was asked to appear before a joint committee of the House and Senate after recovering from one of the earliest known carotid bypass operations to correct a blocked artery that was causing transient ischemic attacks; in his testimony, reprinted in the book Expanded Universe, he characterized the technology that made the surgery possible as merely one of a long list of spinoff technologies from space development.

For more than 50 years, the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program has connected NASA resources to private industry, referring to the commercial products as spin-offs. Well-known products that NASA claims as spin-offs include memory foam (originally named temper foam), freeze-dried food, firefighting equipment, emergency "space blankets", Dustbusters, cochlear implants, and now Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuits. NASA claims that there are over 1650 other spin-offs in the fields of computer technology, environment and agriculture, health and medicine, public safety, transportation, recreation, and industrial productivity. Contrary to common belief, NASA did not invent Tang, Velcro, or Teflon.

In 2008, NASA announced an interactive Web feature, NASA @ Home and City, which uses Flash animation to show some examples of everyday products claimed to be spin-offs.

Below are 27 abstracts of products claimed to be NASA spin-offs.

Read more about NASA Spin-off:  Mistakenly Attributed Spinoffs, History of The Spinoff Publication, See Also, Notes

Famous quotes containing the word nasa:

    If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create something the size of NASA to make one.
    H. Ross Perot (b. 1930)