Top space stories 2008: the mystery stories you probably don't know but should

Top space stories 2008: the mystery stories you probably don't know but should

December 31, 6:52 PM
by Patricia Phillips, Space News Examiner

There's real excitement in space: launches, spacewalks, living aboard a space station, Mars robots, great pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope, and robotic explorations of the universe. But there's more, the realm that I call the "mystery" stories of space, things many people don't know much about.

They're the chronicles of successful NASA technology transfer to our everyday lives. Called NASA Spinoffs, this program began in 1962 via the Technology Utilization Program.

And what a treasure chest the spinoffs have proven to be, even if these stories don't make the headlines every day. The program probably got the most attention it has in years when Michael Phelps won more Olympic gold medals than any athelete in modern history wearing a swimsuit that NASA helped develop.

The list of benefits from space research and missions includes advances in health, technology, environmental betterment, robots, industrial safety, and sports--in fact, every aspect of our lives. But in the excitement of the more glamorous stories, the benefits we get from spinoff technology often don't show up on the red carpet of hot, hot news stories that grab the public's eye.

Some new technology, like cabling mechanisms, vs. Paris Hilton, Brad and Angelina ,or Britney Spears? We all know which will get the attention--but as shown below, the cabling work is helping stroke and spinal injury patients to have new hope and to regain the ability to stand and walk. If you know someone who is treated with kidney dialysis, you know someone who's being directly helped by NASA. It's life-saving technology, but not likely to get any buzz.

As we close out 2008, here's a short list, culled from NASA resources, of things that have made Earthling's lives better. Where possible, the program source of the spinoff is identified (like this).

Special kidney dialysis machines were developed as a result of a NASA developed chemical process that could remove toxic waste from used dialysis fluid. (Apollo) And a shout-out to my beautiful friend Tish!

Cool suits, which kept Apollo astronauts comfortable during moon walks, are today worn by race car drivers, nuclear reactor technicians, shipyard workers, people with multiple sclerosis and kids with a congenital disorder known as hypohidrotic ectodermal displasia. (Apollo)

Water purification technology used on the Apollo spacecraft is now employed in several spinoff applications to kill bacteria, viruses and algae in community water supply systems and cooling towers. Filters mounted on faucets can reduce lead in water supplies. (Apollo)

The AiroCide TiO2 is an air-purifier that kills 93.3 percent of airborne pathogens that pass through it, including Bacillus anthraci, more commonly known as anthrax. It is essentially a spinoff of KES Science & Technology, Inc.’s Bio-KES system, a highly effective device used by the produce industry for ethylene gas removal to aid in preserving the freshness of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. (International Space Station)

A series of autonomous Robotic Arms developed to recover crew or tools outside of the International Space Station have found application on Earth, in fields ranging from human-collaborative medical surgery to emergency response to chemical, biological, and nuclear materials. The Robotic Arms can reach around objects and clasp them with the use of gear-free cable drives to manipulate its joints. With a human-scale 3-foot-reach, the arms are so quick that they can grab a major-league fastball, yet so sensitive that they respond to the gentlest touch. The commercial manufacturer is also targeting markets such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, assisted-living aids, metrology, short-run manufacturing, and entertainment. (ISS)

The Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES) - is a video headset that offers people with low vision a view of their surroundings equivalent to the image on a 5-foot television screen 4 feet from the viewer. For many people with low vision, it eases everyday activities such as reading, watching TV, and shopping. Researchers used NASA technology for computer processing of satellite images and head-mounted vision enhancement systems originally intended for the space station. (ISS)

Golf Clubs: A material designed for the space station aided in the development of Zeemet, a proprietary, high-damping shape memory alloy for the golf industry. The Nicklaus Golf Company created a new line of golf clubs using Zeemet inserts. Its superelastic and high damping attributes translate into more spin on the ball, greater control, and a solid feel. (ISS)

Artificial Heart - The technology used in space shuttle fuel pumps led to the development of a miniaturized ventricular assist pump by NASA and renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. The tiny pump -- 2-inches long, 1-inch in diameter and weighing less than four ounces -- is currently undergoing European clinical trials where it has been successfully implanted into more than 20 people. (Space Shuttle)

Balance Evaluation Systems - Devices built to measure the equilibrium of space shuttle astronauts when they return from space are widely used by major medical centers to diagnose and treat patients suffering head injury, stroke, chronic dizziness and central nervous system disorders.

Lifesaving Light - 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. (Space Shuttle)
A mineral identification tool that was developed under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for NASA’s Mars Rover Technology Development program is now serving as a powerful tool for U.S. law enforcement agencies and military personnel to identify suspicious liquid and solid substances. The tool can measure unknown substances through glass and plastic packaging materials. The device, a portable Raman spectrometer and fiber-optic probe that could be used on a Mars exploration rover, was designed by EIC Laboratories Inc. in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The commercial product, the InPhotote, is manufactured and distributed by InPhotonics Inc., a spinoff company of EIC Laboratories, co-located in Norwood, Massachusett. (Mars Rover)

A bacterial spore-detection system developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for cleaning Mars-bound spacecraft is now employed by Universal Detection Technology of Beverly Hills, California, as an anthrax detection system. It requires very little in the way of operating costs, and has a high reliability factor, with low susceptibility to false alarms. The Anthrax Smoke Detector is in use worldwide in
government buildings, offices, airports, convention centers, hotels, casinos, and postal facilities (Mars programs).

Tiny light-emitting diode (LED) chips used to grow plants on the space shuttle and the International Space Station are lighting the way for wound healing and chronic pain alleviation on Earth. Developed with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) support from Marshall Space Flight Center, the LED chips have made their way into a non-invasive, handheld, portable medical device called
WARP-10. This device is intended for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms, and was initially designed to provide armed forces personnel with immediate first aid care for minor injuries and pain. A consumer version sharing the same power and properties of the military model is also available, from Quantum Devices Inc., of Barneveld, Wisconsin. (Space Shuttle, ISS)

A Goddard Space Flight Center researcher developed cable-compliant mechanisms for use in sounding rocket assemblies and robotics which have now been implemented into an adjustable patient harness system used to treat patients recovering from traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and hip or knee replacement, as well as aid U.S. service personnel with spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The device provides patients with the opportunity to stand and walk in a safe and controlled environment without constant assistance from a therapist. The product is available through Enduro Medical Technologies, of East Hartford, Connecticut.

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