Shuttle Spinoffs: Space Technology That Benefits You
/ CBS News
(NASA) More than 200 patients received a second chance at life with tiny heart pumps developed from space shuttle fuel pump technology. Just 1 inch in diameter and weighing less than 4 ounces, the miniaturized ventricular assist pumps were developed by NASA
and renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey.(Image Credit: Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)
Green Lubricants
(NASA) Sporting equipment and cars are kinder to the environment
with NASA’s high-performance, biodegradable lubricants developed
for the enormous crawlers that move
the space shuttles to and from the launch pads in Florida.(credit: LubriMatic Green)
Rescue Tool
(NASA) Rescue squads have a new extrication tool to help remove accident victims from wrecked vehicles. The hand-held device requires no auxiliary power systems or cumbersome hoses and is 70 percent cheaper than previous rescue equipment. The cutter uses a miniature version of the explosive charges that separate devices on the shuttle. (credit: NASA.gov)
Firefighting Infrared Camera
(NASA) Firefighters locate hot spots in wildfires and in buildings by scanning the flames with this sensitive infrared hand-held camera, first used by NASA to observe the blazing plumes from shuttles.
Life-Saving Light
(NASA) Special lighting technology developed for plant growth experiments on space shuttle missions is being studied to treat brain tumors in children. Doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee are working with light emitting diodes in a treatment called photodynamic therapy, a form of chemotherapy, to kill cancerous tumors. (credit: NASA/Getty Images)
Home Insulation
(NASA) Homeowners are insulating their homes with the same lightweight,
flexible aerogel NASA uses to insulate cryogenics on space shuttles. The insulation is many times thinner and more effective than standard fiberglass insulation, yet can be handled and installed with the same traditional methods.
Automotive Insulation
(NASA) NASCAR racecars shield drivers from extreme engine heat using materials from the same thermal protection system used to safeguard NASA astronauts onboard the space shuttle. Their lives depend on it. (credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Prosthesis Material
(NASA) Responding to a request from the orthopedic appliance industry, NASA recommended that the foam insulation used to protect the shuttle's external tank replace the heavy, fragile plaster used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material is light, virtually indestructible and easy to ship and store. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Land Mine Removal Device
(NASA) The same rocket fuel that helps launch the space shuttle is now being used to save lives— by destroying land mines. A flare device, using leftover fuel donated by NASA, is placed next to the uncovered land mine and is ignited from a safe distance using a battery-triggered electric match. The explosive burns away, disabling the mine and rendering it harmless. (credit: LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images)
Video Stabilization Software
(NASA) Image-processing technology used to analyze Space Shuttle launch video and to study meteorological images also helps law enforcement agencies improve crime-solving video. The technology removes defects due to image jitter, image rotation and image zoom in video sequences. The technology also may be useful for medical imaging, scientific applications and home video. (credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)