Hmmm.... Wasn't ADA also developed at NASA during the Apollo program ?

Christian Lheureux
Responsable du Département Systèmes et Réseaux / Head of Systems and
Networks Department
APPIC R.H.
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> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]De la
> part de Tim Cummings
> Envoyé : jeudi 6 février 2003 21:51
> À : [log in to unmask]
> Objet : Re: [HP3000-L] Shuttle Columbia problem
>
>
> Boondoggle?
>
> The next time  you doubting listers needs an MRI, CAT scan,
> kidney dialysis
> or have heart problems, tell your doctor you would like to
> pass on using one
> of these life saving technologies since the technology is
> worthless and
> wasn't worth discovering.
>
> There have been more than 1,300 documented NASA technologies
> have benefited
> U.S. industry / medical community.  Here are just a few:
>
> APOLLO'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA
>
> Every day, in a variety of ways, American lives are touched by space
> technology. Since 1976, about 1,300 documented NASA technologies have
> benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and
> created jobs for
> Americans. The Apollo program is responsible for changing the
> way of life in
> America, especially in health care. Here are some of the
> contributions of
> the Apollo program:
>
> ï CAT Scanners and MRI technology (Computer-Aided Tomography
> and Magnetic
> Resonance Imaging) used in hospitals worldwide, came from technology
> developed to computer-enhance pictures of the moon for the
> Apollo program.
>
> ï As a medical CAT scanner searches the human body for tumors or other
> abnormalities, the industrial version, or advanced computed tomography
> inspection system, finds imperfections in aerospace structures and
> components, such as castings, rocket motors and nozzles.
>
> ï 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.
>
>
> ï Kidney dialysis machines were developed as a result of a
> NASA developed
> chemical process that could remove toxic waste from used
> dialysis fluid.
>
> ï A cardiovascular conditioner developed for astronauts in
> space led to the
> development of a physical therapy and athletic development
> machine used by
> football teams, sports clinics and medical rehabilitation centers.
>
> ï Cordless power tools and appliances are one of the most successful
> commercial spin-offs of space-based technology.
>
> ï Athletic shoe design and manufacture also benefited from
> Apollo. Space
> suit technology is incorporated into a shoeís external shell.
> A stress free
> "blow molding" process adapted from NASA space suit design is
> also used in
> the shoeís manufacture.
>
> ï Insulation barriers made of aluminum foil laid over a core
> of propylene or
> mylar, which protected astronauts and their spacecraft's delicate
> instruments from radiation, is used to protect cars and
> trucks and dampen
> engine and exhaust noise.
>
> ï Vacuum metallizing techniques led to an extensive line of commercial
> products, from insulated outer garments to packaging for
> foods, from wall
> coverings to window shades, from life rafts to candy
> wrappings and from
> reflective blankets to photographic reflectors.
>
> ï 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.
>
> ï Freeze-dried food solved the problem of what to feed an
> astronaut on the
> long-duration Apollo missions.
>
> ï A hospital food service system employs a cook/chill concept
> for serving
> food. The system allows staff to prepare food well in
> advance, maintain
> heat, visual appeal and nutritional value while reducing
> operating costs.
>
> ï A hollow retroreflector, a mirror-like instrument that
> reflects light and
> other radiation back to the source, is used as a sensor to detect the
> presence of hazardous gases in oil fields, refineries,
> offshore platforms,
> chemical plants, waste storage sites and other locations
> where gases could
> be released into the environment.
>
> ï A process for bonding dry lubricant to space metals led to
> the development
> of surface enhancement coatings, or synergistic coatings,
> which are used in
> applications from pizza making to laser manufacture. Each coating is
> designed to protect a specific metal group or group of metals to solve
> problems encountered under operating conditions, such as resistance to
> corrosion and wear.
>
>
> SPINOFFS FROM THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
>
> NASA technology touches the lives of Americans everyday, in a
> variety of
> ways. More than 1,300 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S.
> industry, improved our quality of life and created jobs for
> Americans. The
> Space Shuttle program alone has generated more than 100
> technology spinoffs.
> Some of the Shuttle's contributions are:
>
> ï 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.
>
> ï Automotive Insulation- Materials from the Space Shuttle
> thermal protection
> system are used on NASCAR racing cars to protect drivers from
> the extreme
> heat generated by the engines.
>
> ï 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.
>
> ï Bioreactor - Developed for Space Shuttle medical research,
> this rotating
> cell culture apparatus simulates some aspects of the space
> environment, or
> microgravity, on the ground. Tissue samples grown in the
> bioreactor are
> being used to design therapeutic drugs and antibodies. Some scientists
> believe the bioreactor will routinely produce human tissue
> for research and
> transplantation.
>
> ï Diagnostic Instrument - NASA technology was used to create a compact
> laboratory instrument for hospitals and doctor offices that
> more quickly
> analyzes blood, accomplishing in 30 seconds what once took 20 minutes.
>
> ï Gas Detector - A gas leak detection system, originally developed to
> monitor the Shuttle's hydrogen propulsion system, is being
> used by the Ford
> Motor Company in the production of a natural gas-powered car.
>
> ï Infrared Camera - A sensitive infrared hand-held camera
> that observes the
> blazing plumes from the Shuttle also is capable of scanning for fires.
> During the brush fires that ravaged Malibu, CA in 1996, the
> camera was used
> to point out hot spots for firefighters.
>
> ï Infrared Thermometer - Infrared sensors developed to
> remotely measure the
> temperature of distant stars and planets, led to the
> development of the
> hand-held optical sensor thermometer. Placed inside the ear canal, the
> thermometer provides an accurate reading in two seconds or less.
>
> ï Jewelry Design - Jewelers no longer have to worry about
> inhaling dangerous
> asbestos fibers from the blocks they use as soldering bases.
> Space Shuttle
> heat shield tiles offer jewelers a safer soldering base with
> temperature
> resistance far beyond the 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit generated by the
> jeweler's torch.
>
> ï Land Mine Removal Device - 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.
>
> ï Lifesaving Light - Special lighting technology developed
> for plant growth
> experiments on Space Shuttle missions is now used to treat
> brain tumors in
> children. Doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin in
> Milwaukee use light
> emitting diodes in a treatment called photodynamic therapy, a form of
> chemotherapy, to kill cancerous tumors.
>
> ï Prosthesis Material - 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.
>
> ï Rescue Tool - 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.
>
> ï Vehicle Tracking System - Tracking information originally
> used onboard
> Space Shuttle missions now helps track vehicles on Earth.
> This commercial
> spinoff allows vehicles to transmit a signal back to a home base.
> Municipalities today use the software to track and reassign
> emergency and
> public works vehicles. It also is used by vehicle fleet
> operations, such as
> taxis, armored cars and vehicles carrying hazardous cargo.
>
> ï Video Stabilization Software - 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.
>
> For more information on NASA Spinoffs, please refer to our
> web site at:
>
> http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/success/index.html
>
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