Apollo Moon landing tech we still use today

Some useful knowledge to keep in mind

Aerospace

Noun
The branch of technology and industry concerned with both aviation and space flight

Apollo 11

The space flight which succeeded in landing the first humans on the Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Michael Collins remained in orbit.

Apollo Program

The United States’ third human space flight program, dedicated to sending man to the Moon.

Command module

Noun
The detachable control compartment of a manned spacecraft

Lunar module

Noun
A small craft used for travelling between the Moon’s surface and an orbiting spacecraft formally known as lunar excursion module.

Technology

Noun

The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.
Machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge
The branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences

Lunar tech: fact or fiction table

Product	Invented by NASA?	Used in Apollo Program?	More information
Compression chambers in athletic footwear¹	Yes	Yes	Invented for Avia by Alexander Gross, who worked on the design of the Moon landing space suits.
The motor of the Dustbuster²	Yes	Yes	Invented by Black & Decker, using the same computer program they developed to design Apollo Lunar Surface Drill’s motor.
Space blankets³	Yes	Yes	Spinoff of the reflective material used on Apollo lunar landing vehicles to control temperatures.
Fire-proof materials⁴	Yes	Yes	Developed by Celanese Corporation to better protect astronauts from heat and fire.
Seismic shock absorbers⁵	Yes	Yes	Invented by Taylor Device Inc., who worked with NASA to design dampers for rocket launch towers.
LASIK (laser eye surgery)⁶	Yes	No	Spinoff of laser technology developed in the 1980s to help space vehicle docking.
Memory foam⁷	Yes	No	Was actually invented for airline travel rather than space travel.
Invisible braces⁸	Yes	No	Spinoff of research into materials for missile launchers.
Scratch-resistant lenses⁹	Yes	No	Developed in the 1970s using abrasion-resistant coating technology from NASA.
CMOS sensors used in phone and GoPro cameras¹⁰	Yes	No	Invented by Eric Fossum in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab during the 1990s.
Velcro¹¹	Myth	Yes	Invented by a Swiss engineer in the 1940s, but used during Apollo missions.
MRIs¹¹	Myth	No	Not invented by NASA, but the agency did help advance the technology over the years.
Barcodes¹¹	Myth	No	Not invented by NASA; however, the agency did create a special type of barcode for use in space shuttle inventories.
Tang¹¹	Myth	Yes	Invented by General Foods, but popularised by NASA after its use during early manned spaceflights.
Cordless power tools¹¹	Myth	Yes	Originally invented by Black & Decker before the company worked with NASA to design new cordless power tools for space.
Solar panels¹¹	Myth	Yes	Not originally invented by NASA but used in many space missions; the agency has also helped advance solar technology.
Quartz clocks¹¹	Myth	Yes	Originally invented in the 1920s, but a highly accurate quartz clock was developed through a NASA partnership in the 1960s.
Smoke detectors¹¹	Myth	No	Not originally invented by NASA, but the agency developed a specific type for use in the Skylab (Apollo’s successor)
Teflon ¹¹	Myth	Yes	Originally invented by DuPont, but used by NASA in space suits, heat shields and cargo hold lining.
Space pen¹²	Myth	Yes	Invented by Fisher Pen Co., independently of NASA (who then bought the Fisher Space Pen for Apollo astronauts).
Vacuum-sealed food¹³	Myth	Yes	Not originally invented by NASA, but used in Apollo missions.

Sources

‘Spinoff From a Moon Suit’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 1991. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
‘Spinoff from a Moon Tool’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 1981. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in May 2019.
‘Reflecting on Space Benefits: A Shining Example’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 2006. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
‘Polymer Fabric Protects Firefighters, Military, and Civilians’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 2008. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019
[1] ‘Shock Absorbers Save Structures and Lives during Earthquakes’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 2015. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
[1] ‘The Right Track for Vision Correction’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 2003. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
‘Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 2005. Sourced from NASA Spinoff in June 2019.
‘Invisible Braces’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 1989. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
‘Sunglass Lens’. Originally published in NASA Spinoff, 1984. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in June 2019.
‘CMOS Sensors Enable Phone Cameras, HD Video’. Originally Published in NASA Spinoff, 2017. Sourced from NASA Spinoff Database in July 2019.
NASA Spinoff – Frequently Asked Questions. Sourced June 2019.
NASA – The Fisher Space Pen. Sourced June 2019.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Food in Space. Sourced July 2019.

NASA technology advancements: what do we still rely on?

Athletic footwear

Apollo technology compression chamber midsole

In their quest for an athletic shoe superior in shock absorption and durability, the footwear company Avia turned to Alexander Gross, an aerospace engineer who worked on the space suit design for the Moon Landing.¹ His task was to design a shoe that wouldn’t break down and compress over time and use, but instead maintain its stability and cushioning.

Gross utilised the technological discoveries of NASA to create the Avia Compression Chamber midsole. Inspired by a bellows system used in the joints of space suits to allow both movement and rigidity, the Compression Chamber consisted of a series of horizontal bellows within a pressurised shell filled with a low-density foam.

The result was a durable, lightweight shoe that could withstand the equivalent of 400 miles of running without wear and tear that’s still in stores today.

The Apollo astronauts didn’t just take pictures and plant flags on the Moon; they also needed to collect samples from the lunar landscape for analysis back on Earth.² But to collect samples of the soil below the Moon’s surface, NASA needed a drill that would not only cut through hard rock but also be light and compact enough to get to the Moon in the first place. It also needed to be independently powered.

NASA tasked the Black & Decker Corporation with creating this tool, the process for which the company developed a special computer program. This program created a motor for the drill that both optimised its design but minimised its power consumption.

Black & Decker later used that same computer program to produce a range of improved motors for battery-operated tools, including the famous Dustbuster, which all required the same light, compact and long-lasting-battery design as the NASA drill. The Dustbuster went on to revolutionise the cleaning of many a household with its compactness, cordless-ness and weightlessness.

Ever wondered why paramedics sometimes wrap what looks like alfoil around their patients? You’ll find the answer in NASA’s Apollo Program.

To protect astronauts from all types of temperature extremes, NASA developed a thin, reflective material that could both deflect heat in some circumstances and maintain it in others.³ It can be seen, for example, on the base of the Apollo lunar landing vehicles.

After NASA’s supplier of the material closed down, a former employee began selling blankets made out of the material.

Now known as ‘space blankets’, they are used by hikers, marathon runners, campers, emergency workers and more to control body temperatures in trying conditions. Even sun shields and computers utilise this material!

Fire-proof materials

Since the early 1960s, NASA had been sponsoring research into fire-resistant materials; in particular, a fibre called Polybenzimidazole (PBI).⁴ After all, if NASA were going to be sending astronauts into the extreme temperatures of space, they needed all the protection they could get.

After a tragic fire during the launch pad test of Apollo 1 in 1967 – which destroyed the command module and killed all three crewman – NASA ramped up its efforts. Celanese Corporation was contracted to develop PBI textiles specifically suited for use in space.

The resulting fabric was fire and heat-resistant, did not melt, and maintained its integrity even after exposure to heat and flame. It could also withstand chemicals, abrasions and mildew.

While still being used in aerospace today, PBI is used in the gear of fire brigades around the world, keeping countless firefighters safe while they selflessly help others. The fibre is also used in motorsports, and even in the production process of flat-panel display TVs, making it one of the most prevalent NASA technologies in your life.

You’ve probably seen images of rockets and spacecraft sitting patiently on a launch pad, held in place by the ‘arms’ of the service tower. Those arms deliver things like fuel and gas to the rocket, but must very quickly swing away moments before launch.⁵

To prevent the arms from damaging themselves or the rocket in the abrupt swing, NASA enlisted Taylor Devices Inc. to develop dampers for the Apollo Program, a pump-like device which isolates (and minimises) shock with hydraulic fluid.

NASA subsequently employed it on launches throughout the Space Shuttle Program in the 1970s – and use it even now for launches to the International Space Station.

In the 1990s, however, Taylor Devices recognised another use for its dampers as seismic shock absorbers, stabilising buildings during earthquakes by absorbing the energy released by the quakes. Seismic dampers are now installed in hundreds of buildings and structures around the world, and the lives they’ve potentially saved are countless.

Holding up glasses

Other discoveries of NASA that came after Apollo

While 2019 saw the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Moon Landing, it would be remiss of us not to include NASA technology advancements that came after – but nonetheless had the same impact:

LASIK. This vision-correcting surgery stems from technology developed in the 1980s to aid the autonomous rendezvous and docking of space vehicles to satellites.⁶
Memory/temper foam. Memory foam dates back to 1966 (so before the Moon Landing), but it wasn’t intended for space travel. Instead, it was originally developed to improve shock absorption and protection in aeroplane seats and is now in everything from mattresses to wheelchairs to shoes.⁷
Invisible braces. Many an embarrassed teenager has NASA and its contractors to thank for developing the technology that lead to invisible braces. Made from a transparent ceramic called translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA), invisible braces came from research into materials that could be used for antennae protection on missile trackers.⁸
Scratch-resistant lenses. In the 1970s, companies began to make sun- and prescription glass lenses with plastic, following new regulations that required shatter-resistant lenses.⁹ The problem was that plastic scratched easily, which reduced visibility. So, abrasion-resistant coating technology from NASA was brought in to help create a lightweight, compliant and scratch-resistant lens still used today.

And some things that aren’t actually NASA spinoffs…

With NASA’s history filled with success and innovation, naturally, some truths end up distorted.

This is particularly true of technologies that weren’t invented by NASA or its contractors, but are mistakenly attributed to them anyway. These include:¹⁰

Velcro. A Swiss invention predating NASA by about a decade, Velcro was used during Apollo missions as a handy way to anchor equipment but wasn’t invented for this specific purpose.
MRIs. While NASA didn’t develop this technology, it has helped advance it over the years, which possibly contributed to the misconception that it was a NASA invention.
Barcodes. NASA did, however, create a particular type of barcode for use in space shuttle inventories.
Tang (drink mix). Tang was introduced in 1957, but its use by John Glenn (the first American man to orbit Earth) during his 1962 mission lead to the product’s popularity and space connection.
Cordless power tools. Cordless power tools were first introduced to the market in 1961 by Black & Decker before the company was contracted by NASA. However, NASA does claim the Dustbuster (a cordless tool) as an official spinoff, since its creation was made possible by Black & Decker’s work with them.
The Fisher Space Pen. Contrary to popular belief, NASA didn’t spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a ballpoint pen that would work in space while the Russians simply used pencils. NASA astronauts did initially use pencils to write in space until Fisher Pen Co. – an independent company using their own funds – developed a ballpoint pen that could work in space.¹¹ Both NASA and Russian astronauts subsequently used the Fisher Space Pen.

Will your belongings still be useful 50 years from now?

Imagine that; technology from the 1960s got people all the way to the Moon and back – and it’s still put to good use in your shoes, televisions, household appliances and more!

To make sure your technology is protected for another 50 years to come, why not consider home and contents insurance? It’s quicker and easier than flying to the Moon, and a whole lot cheaper!

Get a quote today from our free home and contents insurance comparison service.

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NASA sources