Found in space
Brady Haran looks at more than 40 years of space milestones and some of the inventions they have inspired
October 1957
The USSR’s Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite in space
Global positioning systems
Developed by the US forces since 1973, the GPS system, made possible by satellite technology, is now readily available and is used by everyone from cab drivers and fishermen to cartographers and pilots
7 January 1958
The US launches its first satellite, Explorer 1
Heat pipe systems
Heat pipes, in which a fluid alternately condenses and evaporates to keep temperatures inside a spacecraft stable, are among the most widely used spin-off technologies of space exploration
October 1958
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is founded
Aluminised plastic film and “space food”
The aluminised plastic film that developed into thermal space blankets for astronauts is used in food wrappers, medical bags and as home and car insulation. Astronauts’ freeze-dried “space food” is used by hikers, and infant milk formula is enriched by a micro-algal additive developed for space travellers
April 1960
The first weather satellite is launched
Weather satellites
Designed by NASA, satellite-to-ground systems were offered free to the entire world. Satellite photos not only offer a convenient way of predicting the weather, but can help many people avoid potentially dangerous cyclones
April 1961
Russian beats the US in the race to get the first man into space. Astronaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in Vostok I for 108 minutes at speeds of 17,000 miles per hour
March 1965
Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov makes the first space walk
Fabric roofs
The fabric roof structures used in many shopping centres, sports stadiums and airports are derived from 1960s spacesuits. They take the form of tension structures supported by a network of cables and pylons, or as air-supported structures that consist of an outer membrane and an inner lining. The space between the two layers is inflated to maintain the pressure differential necessary for roof rigidity. The yarn is Teflon-coated fibreglass
January 1967
Three astronauts die in a fire during a ground test for Apollo
Fire-resistant seats
Most seats on planes are sealed with a fire-resistant coating, developed in response to the Apollo 1 tragedy
July 1969
American astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the Moon
Cordless tools
Powerful tools designed to drill into the Moon’s surface, where electrical points are hard to find, led to the invention of cordless tools for use on Earth. Black and Decker, which pioneered the technology, worked directly with NASA during the Apollo programme
April 1970
The crew of Apollo 13 narrowly avoid death after an explosion on the way to the Moon
Firefighters breathing systems
Light-weight breathing systems used to help mobility on the Moon in the mid-1970s are now used by firefighters to reduce injuries from smoke inhalation
July 1971
The first lunar rover (Moon buggy) is driven on the Moon
Joystick controllers
Computer game-controlling joysticks began with NASA’s controls for the lunar rover. Astronauts used the joystick, which contained motors and a sophisticated microprocessor, to practice simulated runway landings and orbit manoeuvring. The same joystick also helps to drive a vehicle used by quadriplegics
May 1973
The Skylab Space Station is put into orbit
Smoke detectors
Modern multi-sensor smoke detectors were produced for Skylab to detect toxic vapours. These are the most effective and widely used today
July 1976
The first of two unmanned Viking probes launched from NASA’s Florida facility lands on Mars and takes photographs
Anti-corrosive coating
A zinc and silicate coating used on everything from the Statue of Liberty to oil rigs started its life protecting launch structures at NASA’s Florida facility. These would otherwise have rusted because NASA is so close to the sea
August and September 1977
The Voyager probes embarks on its famous journey to the large outer planets
Medical imaging
Digital imaging was developed in the mid-1960s. This enabled fuzzy analogue signals from unmanned space cameras to be translated into digital bits, producing crisp images. Technologies developed since then, such as CAT scanning and brain or cardiac angiography, have become vital for medical diagnosis
April 1981
Space Shuttle Columbia makes the first shuttle flight
Scratch resistant lens
A special coating first used in 1983 makes eyewear such as Ray-Ban sunglasses longer-lasting thanks to developments made for spacecraft water purification systems
February 1984
First untethered space walk by astronaut Bruce McCandless
Physiological monitoring
Equipment used to monitor patients away from their hospital beds evolved from devices originally used to monitor astronauts’ body read-outs
January 1986
Space Shuttle Challenger explodes just over a minutes into its flight.
Seven people were killed, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first civilian in space
April 1990
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched
Breast cancer monitoring
Work on the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, used to find faraway galaxies, has been applied to detecting and removing breast cancer in a non-invasive way
November 1998
The first section of the International Space Station is launched
DeBakey blood pump
This miniature device employs technology used for pumping liquid propellant rocket engines. Development started in 1998 and it is now used to help patients suffering from heart failure
February 2003
Space Shuttle Columbia streaks through the Earth’s atmosphere at 18 times the speed of sound and disintegrates minutes before its scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Among the seven people killed was Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon
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