What does taking a selfie and going into space have in common? More than you might think. It turns out the camera in your cellphone made its way to you via space technology developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In the early 1990s, a team set out to create sensors to enable smaller and more efficient cameras for spacecraft. The tech crossed over to industries developing smartphones and other consumer digital cameras.
“Today, virtually every selfie, photo or video you take is made possible by technology that originated in the space program,” says NASA JPL Chief Technologist Tom Cwik. Also, a cellphone’s precision GPS software, which “NASA developed to determine satellite orbits with centimeter-level accuracy, is now used in numerous phone location apps.”
Similar to cellphone cameras, Cwik says, space technology touches us every day and has made our lives easier (and safer) in many ways. A long list of popular products started off as inventions at NASA JPL and include baby formula, the Dustbuster, ear thermometers, laptops, memory foam, Nike Air sneakers, insulin pumps and wireless headsets.
A bacterium initially discovered by NASA JPL used for sanitizing Mars-bound spacecraft was licensed by a company to develop an ingredient that boosts SPF in sunscreen and the antiaging benefits in skin care products. Retro “Space Food Sticks,” released by Pillsbury for public consumption in 1969, were part of NASA’s development for foodstuffs in space, and the orange-flavored Tang drink mix rose to fame in the 1960s after the powdered beverage was selected by NASA for space flights because of its compact storage and unique capability to dissolve in zero gravity.
Beyond the Shelves
In addition, NASA has made hundreds of contributions to the health field. Infrared sensors, which measure heat, were developed at NASA for spacecraft that were studying Earth, other planets and stars. The improvements in that technology transferred to the health industry, enabling smaller, less expensive infrared devices for a number of medical applications such as handheld ear thermometers used at home and sophisticated instruments used to detect cancers. NASA JPL also saved lives during COVID-19.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were not enough ventilators for the patients who needed them, a team at NASA JPL was charged with designing a ventilator that could be rapidly produced without taking parts away from the critical medical supply chain. “We wanted to do something that could help, and in just 37 days, the VITAL ventilator was built, tested in a hospital lab under simulated conditions and authorized by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for emergency use,” Cwik says. The technology was then transferred to U.S. and international companies to build.
Building for the Future
Infrared technology developed at NASA JPL may continue to be the next big thing, according to Cwik. “We’re advancing fire detection technologies that will help protect firefighters and communities from the type of wildland fires we’ve seen across the country,” he says. “Our infrared imaging can help pinpoint hot spots where fires are starting, while other NASA instruments provide data on dryness and other conditions in the area.”
When combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning, these tools created in NASA labs will strengthen wildfire prevention and firefighting efforts, Cwik predicts. “Companies are coming together now on this, and I think we’ll see the benefits of these technologies in our communities in the coming years.”