Memory foam mattress

Infant formula

The first laptop

Mobile camera

Today's view

Aerospace gives people a special feeling of "high and cold", thinking of advanced fighter jets and majestic space stations, which ordinary people can't see, touch or use.

Recently, the well-known American website "GOBankingRates" counted 25 technologies from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in our daily life, covering our "food, clothing, housing and transportation". They come from the distant sky, but facilitate our daily life.

Food: Infant formula, freeze-dried fruit, food safety packaging

Currently, more than 90% of infant formula in the United States contains microalgae. It was originally the product of NASA research, the purpose of the research was to test the potential use of algae as an oxygen "recycler" in space travel.

Freeze-dried fruit is a common snack. But NASA developed freeze-drying technology to make the fruit in the Apollo mission more portable, and the technology can retain 98% of the nutrients at 20% of the mass.

NASA's safety quality control methods for the development of space flight food have now become a food industry standard to protect the food safety of consumers around the world.

Life: memory foam mattresses, scratch-resistant lenses, UV-proof sunglasses, cordless vacuum cleaners, Nike air cushion sneakers, space blankets, ski boots

Comfortable memory foam mattresses can fully fit the human body and relieve pressure, making them a must-have for many families. Memory foam was not originally used to make mattresses. It was originally developed by NASA to cushion the impact of spacecraft landing on astronauts.

Compared to ordinary glass, scratch-resistant lenses have a longer lifespan. In fact, the scratch-resistant coating is a "by-product" accidentally discovered by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) when studying diamond hard coatings for aerospace.

In the 1980s, two scientists from JPL developed welding glasses that absorb, filter and scatter the strong light emitted during welding. Later, the technology was widely used in UV-proof sunglasses.

Originally, Black & Decker was commissioned to develop a portable device for extracting samples from below the lunar surface for the Apollo and Gemini missions. The technology was improved to become a "cordless vacuum cleaner."

Nike air cushion sneakers use the "blow-molded rubber molding" technology patent obtained by former NASA engineer M. Frank Rudy, and the original application of this technology was space suits.

The space blanket is insulated and heat-retaining, and is a must-have for outdoor survival and marathon sports. But it was originally developed by NASA to protect spacecraft and astronauts in low-temperature conditions.

In addition, the technology used by NASA in the joints of space suits was improved and used in ski boots, improving athletes' control over skiing.

Home: Pool purification systems, home insulation

To combat the freezing temperatures of space, NASA created an insulation called Radiant Barrier out of aluminized polyester. Aluminized polyester is now used in most home insulation, according to JPL.

In the 1960s, NASA developed an electrolytic silver iodide filter to provide clean drinking water for astronauts, and it is now widely used to purify swimming pools.

Travel: Aircraft de-icing systems, precision GPS, road anti-skid grooves, better tires

According to NASA's technology transfer program, civil aircraft can fly in extremely cold weather, mainly thanks to a NASA-developed thermoelectric de-icing system called Thermawing.

Precision GPS technology developed by JPL is installed in many mobile phones, and its data comes from JPL's global network of GPS receivers. Even if you don't have a wireless connection, you can still use GPS positioning on your phone.

NASA's Langley Research Center developed anti-skid groove technology to prevent aircraft accidents on wet runways. Later, the technology was widely used on highways.

In the 1970s, Goodyear developed new tire materials for NASA's "Viking" Mars rover for parachute systems. The technology was later used to improve ordinary tires, increasing their life by 10,000 miles.

Electronic products: mobile phone cameras, laptops, high-power solar cells, wireless headphones, mice, CAT scanners

In the 1990s, NASA asked JPL scientists to create a tiny camera that could be installed on spacecraft while ensuring the quality of photography. JPL said that now one-third of mobile phone cameras use this technology.

According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, "GridCompass" is the world's first laptop computer and was first used on a space shuttle mission in 1983. It is one of NASA's inventions.

The crystalline silicon solar cells used in homes originally came from the lightweight solar energy system developed for electric aircraft by the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology Alliance under NASA.

NASA developed wireless headphones for astronauts to facilitate their communication. Now, this technology has entered thousands of homes.

According to JPL, a NASA researcher developed the computer mouse in the 1960s, allowing users to operate on the computer screen and make computers more interactive.

JPL originally developed the CAT scanner, which scans aerospace components to get advanced digital images to detect defects. Now, it has become a common medical instrument.

Health Care: Cochlear Implants, Invisible Braces, Ear Thermometers

Adam Kiser, an engineer at the Kennedy Space Center, used his experience working on electronics, sound and vibration sensor systems in the space shuttle program to develop an early artificial cochlear implant using electrical pulses instead of technology that amplifies sound.

Invisible braces are more aesthetically pleasing than traditional metal braces. They are made of transparent polycrystalline aluminum oxide, a material originally developed by NASA to track heat-seeking missiles.

Now, many parents use ear thermometers to measure the temperature of sick babies or young children. JPL said that this thermometer uses infrared dissection technology invented by NASA and Diatek.

Of these 25 technologies, there is always one that you have seen, touched, or used before. Aerospace technology is not only used in the high space, but also improves our quality of life after it is "landed". This is also one of the driving forces for humans to continue to explore and fly higher and farther.

(Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, July 8)

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