Space Shuttle Challenger - The Astronauts Memorial Foundation: Fill & Download for Free

/* A big wikipeia page follows*/The following is a list of technologies sometimes mistakenly attributed directly to NASA.In many cases, NASA popularized technology or aided its development, which ultimately resulted in the technology's creation.Barcodes (NASA developed a special type of barcode, but this should not be mistaken for the original one.)Cordless power tools (The first cordless power tool was unveiled by Black & Decker in 1961. It was used by NASA and a number of spinoff products came out of that.)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), best known as a device for body scanning. (NASA contractor JPL developed digital signal processing, which does have applications in medical imaging.)Quartz clocks (The quartz clock dates back to 1927. However, in the late 1960s, NASA partnered with a company to make a quartz clock that was on the market for a few years.)Smoke detectors (NASA’s connection to the modern smoke detector is that it made one with adjustable sensitivity as part of the Skylab project.)Tang juice powder (Tang was developed by General Foods in 1957, and it has been for sale since 1959. It was used in the first orbit missions, which gave awareness to it.)Teflon (Invented by a DuPont scientist in 1941 and used on frying pans from the 1950s.[4] It has been applied by NASA to heat shields, space suits, and cargo hold liners.)Velcro (A Swiss invention from the 1940s. Velcro was used during the Apollo missions to anchor equipment for astronauts’ convenience in zero gravity situations.)Space Pen (A common urban legend states that NASA spent a large amount of money to develop a pen that would write in space (the result purportedly being the Fisher Space Pen), while the Soviets used pencils. While NASA did spend some money to create a pen to work in space, the project was cancelled due to public opposition, and US astronauts used pencils until the 'Fisher' space pen was invented by a third party.[5][6])Microchip (The first microchips were developed more than ten years before the first moon landing.)[7]Health and medicine[edit]Infrared ear thermometers[edit]Diatek Corporation and NASA developed an aural thermometer that measures the thermal radiation emitted by the eardrum, similar to the way the temperature of stars and planets is measured. This method avoids contact with mucous membranes, and permits rapid temperature measurement of newborn or incapacitated patients. NASA supported the Diatek Corporation through the Technology Affiliates Program.Ventricular assist device[edit]Collaboration between NASA, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Dr. George Noon, and MicroMed Technology Inc. resulted in a heart pump for patients awaiting heart transplants. The MicroMed DeBakey ventricular assist device (VAD) functions as a "bridge to heart transplant" by pumping blood until a donor heart is available. The pump is approximately one-tenth the size of other currently marketed pulsatile VADs. Because of the pump’s small size, fewer patients developed device-related infections. It can operate up to 8 hours on batteries, giving patients the mobility to do normal, everyday activities.Artificial limbs[edit]NASA’s continued funding, coupled with its collective innovations in robotics and shock-absorption/comfort materials are inspiring and enabling the private sector to create new and better solutions for animal and human prostheses. Advancements such as Environmental Robots Inc.’s development of artificial muscle systems with robotic sensing and actuation capabilities for use in NASA space robotic and extravehicular activities are being adapted to create more functionally dynamic artificial limbs (Spinoff 2004). Additionally, other private-sector adaptations of NASA’s temper foam technology have brought about custom-moldable materials offering the natural look and feel of flesh, as well as preventing friction between the skin and the prosthesis, and heat/moisture buildup. (Spinoff 2005 url = (http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html)Light-emitting diodes in medical therapies[edit]After initial experiments using light-emitting diodes in NASA space shuttle plant growth experiments, NASA issued a small business innovation grant that led to the development of a hand-held, high-intensity, LED unit developed by Quantum Devices Inc. that can be used to treat tumors after other treatment options are exhausted.This therapy was approved by the FDA and inducted into the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2000.Invisible braces[edit]Invisible braces are a type of transparent ceramics called translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA). A company known as Ceradyne developed TPA in conjunction with NASA Advanced Ceramics Research as protection for infrared antennae on heat-seeking missile trackers.Scratch-resistant lenses[edit]A sunglasses manufacturer called Foster Grant first licensed a NASA technology for scratch-resistant lenses, developed for protecting space equipment from scratching in space, especially helmet visors.Space blanket[edit]So-called space blankets, developed in 1964, are lightweight and reflect infrared radiation. They are often included in first aid kits.Transportation[edit]Aircraft anti-icing systems[edit]This ice-free airplane wing uses Thermawing's Aircraft Anti-Icing System, a NASA spin-off.NASA funding under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and work with NASA scientists advanced the development of a thermoelectric deicing system called Thermawing, a DC-powered air conditioner for single-engine aircraft called Thermacool, and high-output alternators to run them both. Thermawing allows pilots to safely fly through ice encounters and provides pilots of single-engine aircraft the heated wing technology usually reserved for larger, jet-powered craft. Thermacool, an electric air conditioning system, uses a new compressor whose rotary pump design runs off an energy-efficient, brushless DC motor and allows pilots to use the air conditioner before the engine starts.Highway safety[edit]Safety grooving, the cutting of grooves in concrete to increase traction and prevent injury, was first developed to reduce aircraft accidents on wet runways. Represented by the International Grooving and Grinding Association, the industry expanded into highway and pedestrian applications. Safety grooving originated at Langley Research Center, which assisted in testing the grooving at airports and on highways. Skidding was reduced, stopping distance decreased, and a vehicle’s cornering ability on curves was increased. The process has been extended to animal holding pens, parking lots, and other potentially slippery surfaces.Improved radial tires[edit]Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company developed a fibrous material, five times stronger than steel, for NASA to use in parachute shrouds to soft-land the Viking Lander spacecraft on the Martian surface. Recognizing the durability of the material, Goodyear expanded the technology and went on to produce a new radial tire with a tread life expected to be 10,000 miles (16,000 km) greater than conventional radials.Chemical detection[edit]NASA contracted with Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) to develop moisture- and pH-sensitive sensors to warn of corrosive conditions in aircraft before damage occurs. This sensor changes color in response to contact with its target. After completing the work with NASA, IOS was tasked by the U.S. Department of Defense to further develop the sensors for detecting chemical warfare agents and potential threats, such as toxic industrial compounds and nerve agents. IOS has sold the chemically sensitive fiber optic cables to major automotive and aerospace companies, who are finding a variety of uses for the devices such as aiding experimentation with nontraditional power sources, and as an economical "alarm system" for detecting chemical release in large facilities.Public safety[edit]Video enhancing and analysis systems[edit]Intergraph Government Solutions developed its Video Analyst System (VAS) by building on Video Image Stabilization and Registration (VISAR) technology created by NASA to help FBI agents analyze video footage. Originally used for enhancing video images from nighttime videotapes made with hand-held camcorders, VAS is a tool for video enhancement and analysis offering support of full-resolution digital video, stabilization, frame-by-frame analysis, conversion of analog video to digital storage formats, and increased visibility of filmed subjects without altering underlying footage. Aside from law enforcement and security applications, VAS has also been adapted to serve the military for reconnaissance, weapons deployment, damage assessment, training, and mission debriefing.Fire-resistant reinforcement[edit]Built and designed by Avco Corporation, the Apollo heat shield was coated with a material whose purpose was to burn and thus dissipate energy during reentry while charring, to form a protective coating to block heat penetration. NASA subsequently funded Avco’s development of other applications of the heat shield, such as fire-retardant paints and foams for aircraft, which led to intumescent epoxy material, which expands in volume when exposed to heat or flames, acting as an insulating barrier and dissipating heat through burn-off. Further innovations include steel coatings devised to make high-rise buildings and public structures safer by swelling to provide a tough and stable insulating layer over the steel for up to 4 hours of fire protection, ultimately to slow building collapse and provide more time for escape.Firefighting equipment[edit]Firefighting equipment in the United States is based on lightweight materials developed for the U.S. Space Program. NASA and the National Bureau of Standards created a lightweight breathing system including face mask, frame, harness, and air bottle, using an aluminum composite material developed by NASA for use on rocket casings. The broadest fire-related technology transfer is the breathing apparatus for protection from smoke inhalation injury. Additionally, NASA’s inductorless electronic circuit technology led to lower-cost, more rugged, short-range two-way radio now used by firefighters. NASA also helped develop a specialized mask weighing less than 3 ounces (85 g) to protect the physically impaired from injuries to the face and head, as well as flexible, heat-resistant materials—developed to protect the space shuttle on reentry—which are being used both by the military and commercially in suits for municipal and aircraft-rescue firefighters.Consumer, home, and recreation[edit]Temper foam[edit]Initially referred to as "slow spring back foam", temper foam matches pressure against it and slowly returns to its original form once the pressure is removed.As the result of a program designed to develop a padding concept to improve crash protection for airplane passengers, Ames Research Center developed what is now called memory foam. Memory foam, or "Temper Foam", has been incorporated into mattresses, pillows, military and civilian aircraft, automobiles and motorcycles, sports safety equipment, amusement park rides and arenas, horseback saddles, archery targets, furniture, and human and animal prostheses. Its high-energy absorption and soft characteristics offer protection and comfort. Temper Foam was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1998.Enriched baby food[edit]Commercially available infant formulas now contain a nutritional enrichment ingredient that traces its existence to NASA-sponsored research on bread mold as a recycling agent for long-duration space travel. The substance, formulated into the products life’sDHA and life’sARA and based on microalgae, can be found in over 90% of the infant formulas sold in the United States, and are added to infant formulas in over 65 other countries. Martek Biosciences Corporation's founders and principal scientists acquired their expertise in this area while working on the NASA program. The microalgae food supplement was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2009.Portable cordless vacuums[edit]For the Apollo space mission, NASA required a portable, self-contained drill capable of extracting core samples from below the lunar surface. Black & Decker was tasked with the job, and developed a computer program to optimize the design of the drill’s motor and ensure minimal power consumption. That computer program led to the development of a cordless miniature vacuum cleaner called the Dustbuster.Freeze drying[edit]In planning for the long-duration Apollo missions, NASA conducted extensive research into space food. One of the techniques developed in 1938 by Nestlé was freeze drying. In the United States, Action Products later commercialized this technique for other foods, concentrating on snack food resulting in products like Space ice cream. The foods are cooked, quickly frozen, and then slowly heated in a vacuum chamber to remove the ice crystals formed by the freezing process. The final product retains 98%of its nutrition and weighs much less than before drying. The ratio of weight before and after drying depends strongly on the particular food item but a typical freeze-dried weight is 20% of the original weight. Today, one of the benefits of this advancement in food preservation includes simple nutritious meals available to handicapped and otherwise homebound senior adults unable to take advantage of existing meal programs.Environmental and agricultural resources[edit]Water Security Corporation's Discovery Water Filtration SystemWater purification[edit]NASA engineers are collaborating with qualified companies to develop systems intended to sustain the astronauts living on the International Space Station and future Moon and space missions. This system turns wastewater from respiration, sweat, and urine into drinkable water. Commercially, this system is benefiting people all over the world who need affordable, clean water, especially in remote locations. By combining the benefits of chemical adsorption, ion exchange, and ultra-filtration processes, this technology can yield safe, drinkable water from the most challenging sources, such as in underdeveloped regions where well water may be heavily contaminated.Solar Cells[edit]Single-crystal silicon solar cells are now widely available at low cost. The technology behind these solar devices—which provide up to 50% more power than conventional solar cells—originated with the efforts of a NASA-sponsored 28-member coalition forming the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Alliance. ERAST’s goal was to develop remotely piloted aircraft, intended to fly unmanned at high altitudes for days at a time and requiring advanced solar power sources that did not add weight. As a result, SunPower Corporation created advanced silicon-based cells for terrestrial or airborne applications.Pollution remediation[edit]NASA’s microencapsulating technology enabled the creation of a "Petroleum Remediation Product," which safely cleans petroleum-based pollutants from water. The PRP uses thousands of microcapsules—tiny balls of beeswax with hollow centers. Water cannot penetrate the microcapsule’s cell, but oil is absorbed into the beeswax spheres as they float on the water’s surface. Contaminating chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil (such as fuels, motor oils, or petroleum hydrocarbons) are caught before they settle, limiting damage to ocean beds.Computer technology[edit]Structural analysis software[edit]NASA software engineers have created thousands of computer programs over the decades equipped to design, test, and analyze stress, vibration, and acoustical properties of a broad assortment of aerospace parts and structures. The NASA Structural Analysis Program, or NASTRAN, is considered one of the most successful and widely used NASA software programs. It has been used to design everything from Cadillacs to roller coaster rides. Originally created for spacecraft design, it has been employed in a host of non-aerospace applications and is available to industry through NASA’s Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC). COSMIC maintains a library of computer programs from NASA and other government agencies and sells them at a fraction of the cost of developing a new program. NASA Structural Analysis Computer Software was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1988.Remotely controlled ovens[edit]Embedded Web Technology (EWT) software—originally developed by NASA for use by astronauts operating experiments on the International Space Station—lets a user monitor and/or control a device remotely over the Internet. NASA supplied this technology and guidance to TMIO LLC, which developed remote control and monitoring of a new intelligent oven product named "Connect Io." With combined cooling and heating capabilities, Connect Io refrigerates food until a customized pre-programmable cooking cycle begins. The menu allows the user to simply enter the dinner time, and the oven automatically switches from refrigeration to the cooking cycle, so that the meal will be ready as the family arrives home for dinner.NASA Visualization Explorer[edit]On July 26, 2011, NASA released the NASA Visualization Explorer app for the iPad. The application delivers real-time satellite data, including movies and stills, of Earth, that enable users to learn about subjects such as climate change, Earth's dynamic systems and plant life on land and in the oceans. The content is accompanied by short descriptions about the Data and why it is important.OpenStack[edit]NASA developed a cloud compute platform to give additional compute and storage resources for its engineers, called Nebula. In July 2010, the Nebula code was released asopen source and NASA partnered with Rackspace, to form the OpenStack project.OpenStack is used in the cloud-based products from many companies in the cloud market.Software catalog[edit]NASA released a software catalog in 2014 that made over 1,600 pieces of software available to the public at no charge.Industrial productivity[edit]Powdered lubricants[edit]Oil-free coating PS300 (on these bushings) was created by Adma with NASA resources.NASA developed a solid lubricant coating, PS300, which is deposited by thermal spraying to protect foil air bearings. PS300 lowers friction, reduces emissions, and has been used by NASA in advanced aeropropulsion engines, refrigeration compressors, turbochargers, and hybrid electrical turbogenerators. ADMA Products has found widespread industrial applications for the material.Improved mine safety[edit]An ultrasonic bolt elongation monitor developed by a NASA scientist for testing tension and high-pressure loads on bolts and fasteners has continued to evolve over the past three decades. Today, the same scientist and Luna Innovations are using a digital adaptation of this same device for destructive evaluation of railroad ties, groundwater analysis, radiation, and as a medical testing device to assess levels of internal swelling and pressure for patients suffering from intracranial pressure and compartment syndrome, a painful condition that results when pressure within muscles builds to dangerous levels.Food safety[edit]Faced with the problem of how and what to feed an astronaut in a sealed capsule under weightless conditions while planning for human space flight, NASA enlisted the aid of The Pillsbury Company to address two principal concerns: eliminating crumbs of food that might contaminate the spacecraft’s atmosphere and sensitive instruments, and assuring absolute absence of disease-producing bacteria and toxins. Pillsbury developed the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept to address NASA’s second concern. HACCP is designed to prevent food safety problems rather than to catch them after they have occurred. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has applied HACCP guidelines for the handling of seafood, juice, and dairy products.I think we got the answer! HUMAN EVOLUTION

What has space exploration done for us?I found this partial answer using GOOGLE. Here are a few of the things that the space program has given us:Health and medicine [edit]Infrared ear thermometers[edit]Diatek Corporation and NASA developed an aural thermometer that measures the thermal radiation emitted by the eardrum, similar to the way the temperature of stars and planets are measured. This method avoids contact with mucous membranes and permits rapid temperature measurement of newborn or incapacitated patients. NASA supported the Diatek Corporation through the Technology Affiliates Program.Ventricular assist device[edit]Collaboration between NASA, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Dr. George Noon, and MicroMed Technology Inc. resulted in a heart pump for patients awaiting heart transplants. The MicroMed DeBakey ventricular assist device (VAD) functions as a "bridge to heart transplant" by pumping blood until a donor heart is available. The pump is approximately one-tenth the size of other currently marketed pulsatile VADs. Because of the pump's small size, fewer patients developed device-related infections. It can operate up to 8 hours on batteries, giving patients the mobility to do normal, everyday activities.LASIK[edit]LASIK technology comes from the 1980s efforts for autonomous rendezvous and docking of space vehicles to service satellites. Eventually a range and velocity imaging LADAR was demonstrated that could be used for docking spacecraft. LADAR was also used in military and NASA-sponsored research for applications in strategic target tracking and weapons firing control. LASIK technology is used by Ophthalmologists to track eye movements at a rate of 4,000 times per second while reshaping the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, using a laser.Cochlear implants[edit]NASA engineer Adam Kissiah started working in the mid-1970s on what could become the cochlear implant, a device that provides hearing sensation to people that receive little to no benefit from hearing aids. Kissiah used his knowledge learned while working as an electronics instrumentation engineer at NASA. This work took place over three years, when Kissiah would spend his lunch breaks and evenings in NASA's technical library, studying the impact of engineering principles on the inner ear. In 1977, NASA helped Kissiah obtain a patent for the cochlear implant.Artificial limbs[edit]NASA's continued funding, coupled with its collective innovations in robotics and shock-absorption/comfort materials are inspiring and enabling the private sector to create new and better solutions for animal and human prostheses. Advancements such as Environmental Robots Inc.’s development of artificial muscle systems with robotic sensing and actuation capabilities for use in NASA space robotic and extravehicular activities are being adapted in order to create more functionally dynamic artificial limbs.Additionally, other private-sector adaptations of NASA's temper foam technology have brought about custom-moldable materials offering the natural look and feel of flesh, as well as preventing friction between the skin and the prosthesis, and heat/moisture buildup.Light-emitting diodes in medical therapies[edit]After initial experiments using light-emitting diodes in NASA space shuttle plant growth experiments, NASA issued a small business innovation grant that led to the development of a hand-held, high-intensity, LED unit developed by Quantum Devices Inc. that can be used to treat tumors after other treatment options are depleted.This therapy was approved by the FDA and inducted into the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2000.Invisible braces[edit]Invisible braces are a type of transparent ceramics called translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA). A company known as Ceradyne developed TPA in conjunction with NASA Advanced Ceramics Research as protection for infrared antennae on heat-seeking missile trackers.Scratch-resistant lenses[edit]A sunglasses manufacturer called Foster Grant first licensed a NASA technology for scratch-resistant lenses, developed for protecting space equipment from scratching in space, especially helmet visors.Space blanket[edit]So-called space blankets, developed in 1964 for the space program, are lightweight and reflect infrared radiation. These items are often included in first aid kits.3D foods printing[edit]BeeHex developed 3D food printing systems for pizza and later desserts and icings following an SBIR grant that began as a NASA-funded project.Transportation[edit]Aircraft anti-icing systems[edit]This ice-free airplane wing uses Thermawing's Aircraft Anti-Icing System, a NASA spinoff.NASA funding under the SBIR program and work with NASA scientists advanced the development of a thermoelectric deicing system called Thermawing, a DC-powered air conditioner for single-engine aircraft called Thermacool, and high-output alternators to run them both. Thermawing allows pilots to safely fly through ice encounters and provides pilots of single-engine aircraft the heated wing technology usually reserved for larger, jet-powered craft. Thermacool, an electric air conditioning system, uses a new compressor whose rotary pump design runs off an energy-efficient, brushless DC motor and allows pilots to use the air conditioner before the engine starts.Highway safety[edit]Safety grooving, the cutting of grooves in concrete to increase traction and prevent injury, was first developed to reduce aircraft accidents on wet runways. Represented by the International Grooving and Grinding Association, the industry expanded into highway and pedestrian applications. Safety grooving originated at Langley Research Center, which assisted in testing the grooving at airports and on highways. Skidding was reduced, stopping distance decreased, and a vehicle's cornering ability on curves was increased. The process has been extended to animal holding pens, parking lots, and other potentially slippery surfaces.Improved radial tires[edit]Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company developed a fibrous material, five times stronger than steel, for NASA to use in parachute shrouds to soft-land the Viking Lander spacecraft on the Martian surface. Recognizing the durability of the material, Goodyear expanded the technology and went on to produce a new radial tire with a tread life expected to be 10,000 miles (16,000 km) greater than conventional radials.Chemical detection[edit]NASA contracted with Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) to develop moisture- and pH-sensitive sensors to warn of corrosive conditions in aircraft before damage occurs. This sensor changes color in response to contact with its target. After completing the work with NASA, IOS was tasked by the U.S. Department of Defense to further develop the sensors for detecting chemical warfare agents and potential threats, such as toxic industrial compounds and nerve agents. IOS has sold the chemically sensitive fiber optic cables to major automotive and aerospace companies, who are finding a variety of uses for the devices such as aiding experimentation with nontraditional power sources, and as an economical "alarm system" for detecting chemical release in large facilities.Public safety[edit]Video enhancing and analysis systems[edit]Intergraph Government Solutions developed its Video Analyst System (VAS) by building on Video Image Stabilization and Registration (VISAR) technology created by NASA to help FBI agents analyze video footage. Originally used for enhancing video images from nighttime videotapes made with hand-held camcorders, VAS is a tool for video enhancement and analysis offering support of full-resolution digital video, stabilization, frame-by-frame analysis, conversion of analog video to digital storage formats, and increased visibility of filmed subjects without altering underlying footage. Aside from law enforcement and security applications, VAS has also been adapted to serve the military for reconnaissance, weapons deployment, damage assessment, training, and mission debriefing.Landmine removal[edit]Thiokol has used surplus rocket fuel through an agreement with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center used the fuel to produce a flare that can safely destroy landmines. The fuel that is left unused from a launch will become a solid, which cannot be reused but can be used as an ingredient needed to create the Demining Device flare. The Demining Device flare uses a battery-triggered electric match to ignite and neutralize land mines in the field without detonation. The flare uses the solid rocket fuel to burn a hole in a mine's case and burns away the explosive contents so the mine can be disarmed without hazard.Fire-resistant reinforcement[edit]Built and designed by Avco Corporation, the Apollo heat shield was coated with a material whose purpose was to burn and thus dissipate energy during reentry while charring, to form a protective coating to block heat penetration. NASA subsequently funded Avco's development of other applications of the heat shield, such as fire-retardant paints and foams for aircraft, which led to an intumescent epoxy material, which expands in volume when exposed to heat or flames, acting as an insulating barrier and dissipating heat through burn-off. Further innovations include steel coatings devised to make high-rise buildings and public structures safer by swelling to provide a tough and stable insulating layer over the steel for up to 4 hours of fire protection, ultimately to slow building collapse and provide more time for escape.Firefighting equipment[edit]Firefighting equipment in the United States is based on lightweight materials developed for the U.S. Space Program. NASA and the National Bureau of Standards created a lightweight breathing system including face mask, frame, harness, and air bottle, using an aluminum composite material developed by NASA for use on rocket casings. The broadest fire-related technology transfer is the breathing apparatus for protection from smoke inhalation injury.Additionally, NASA's inductorless electronic circuit technology led to lower-cost, more rugged, short-range two-way radio now used by firefighters. NASA also helped develop a specialized mask weighing less than 3 ounces (85 g) to protect the physically impaired from injuries to the face and head, as well as flexible, heat-resistant materials—developed to protect the space shuttle on reentry—which are being used both by the military and commercially in suits for municipal and aircraft-rescue firefighters.Shock absorbers for buildings[edit]With NASA funding, Taylor Devices Inc. developed shock absorbers that could safely remove the fuel and electrical connectors from the Space Shuttles during launch. These absorbers are being used as seismic shock absorbers to protect buildings from earthquakes in places like Tokyo and San Francisco.Consumer, home, and recreation[edit]Temper foam[edit]Initially referred to as "slow spring back foam", temper foam matches pressure against it and slowly returns to its original form once the pressure is removed.As the result of a program designed to develop a padding concept to improve crash protection for airplane passengers, Ames Research Center developed what is now called memory foam. Memory foam, or "Temper Foam", has been incorporated into mattresses, pillows, military and civilian aircraft, automobiles and motorcycles, sports safety equipment, amusement park rides and arenas, horseback saddles, archery targets, furniture, and human and animal prostheses. Its high-energy absorption and soft characteristics offer protection and comfort. Temper Foam was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1998.Enriched baby food[edit]Commercially available infant formulas now contain a nutritional enrichment ingredient that traces its existence to NASA-sponsored research on bread mold as a recycling agent for long-duration space travel. The substance, formulated into the products life’sDHA and life’sARA and based on microalgae, can be found in over 90% of the infant formulas sold in the United States, and are added to infant formulas in over 65 other countries. Martek Biosciences Corporation's founders and principal scientists acquired their expertise in this area while working on the NASA program. The microalgae food supplement was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2009.Portable cordless vacuums[edit]For the Apollo space mission, NASA required a portable, self-contained drill capable of extracting core samples from below the lunar surface. Black & Decker was tasked with the job, and developed a computer program to optimize the design of the drill's motor and ensure minimal power consumption. That computer program led to the development of a cordless miniature vacuum cleaner called the DustBuster.[21]Freeze drying[edit]In planning for the long-duration Apollo missions, NASA conducted extensive research into space food. One of the techniques developed in 1938 by Nestlé was freeze drying. In the United States, Action Products later commercialized this technique for other foods, concentrating on snack food resulting in products like Space ice cream. The foods are cooked, quickly frozen, and then slowly heated in a vacuum chamber to remove the ice crystals formed by the freezing process. The final product retains 98%[citation needed]of its nutrition and weighs much less than before drying. The ratio of weight before and after drying depends strongly on the particular food item but a typical freeze-dried weight is 20% of the original weight.Today, one of the benefits of this advancement in food preservation includes simple, nutritious meals available to disabled and otherwise homebound senior adults unable to take advantage of existing meal programs.Space age swimsuit[edit]Langley Research Center's wind tunnel testing facilities and fluid flow analysis software supported Speedo's design of a space age-enriched swimsuit. The resulting LZR Racer reduced skin friction drag 24% more than the previous Speedo swimsuit. In March 2008, athletes wearing the LZR Racer broke 13 swimming world records.Digital image sensor[edit]The invention of digital image sensors used in products like mobile phones and GoPro cameras traces back to NASA JPL scientist Eric Fossum who wanted to miniaturize cameras for interplanetary missions. Fossum invented CMOS image sensors that have become NASA's most ubiquitous spinoff technology, enabling the use of cameras inside mobile phones. Fossum found a way to reduce the signal noise that had plagued earlier attempts at CMOS imagers, applying a technique called intra-pixel charge transfer with correlated double sampling that results in a clearer image, this led to the creation of CMOS active pixel sensors, which are used today in all smartphone cameras and many other applications.Air-scrubbers[edit]Based on a discovery made in the 1990s at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics where Researchers, with the help of the Space Product Development Program at Marshall Space Flight Center, were trying to find a way to eliminate ethylene that accumulates around plants growing in spacecraft and then found a solution: light-induced oxidation. When UV light hits titanium dioxide, it frees electrons that turn oxygen and moisture into charged particles that oxidize air contaminants such as volatile organic compounds, turning them into carbon dioxide and water. This air scrubber also eliminates other airborne organic compounds and neutralized bacteria, viruses, and molds. An air scrubber with light-induced oxidation can cleans air, surfaces and clothes and nearly 30 Major League Baseball teams now have this scrubber technology in their facilities.Bowflex[edit]NASA noticed that astronauts came back to Earth with a lack of muscle mass and bone density in space because human bodies are used to being in gravity. Regular weight-lifting techniques and machines do not work well in space to help build muscle. Inventor Paul Francis, with funding from Johnson Space Center, designed a "weightless weight trainer" that uses elastic resistance. This trainer was launched to the space station in 2000, and a commercial version of the technology launched in 2005 as the Bowflex, which quickly became popular in the gym market.Environmental and agricultural resources[edit]Water Security Corporation's Discovery Water Filtration SystemWater purification[edit]NASA engineers are collaborating with qualified companies to develop systems intended to sustain the astronauts living on the International Space Station and future Moon and space missions. This system turns wastewater from respiration, sweat, and urine into drinkable water. By combining the benefits of chemical adsorption, ion exchange, and ultra-filtration processes, this technology can yield safe, drinkable water from the most challenging sources, such as in underdeveloped regions where well water may be heavily contaminated.Solar Cells[edit]Single-crystal silicon solar cells are now widely available at low cost. The technology behind these solar devices—which provide up to 50% more power than conventional solar cells—originated with the efforts of a NASA-sponsored 28-member coalition forming the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Alliance. ERAST's goal was to develop remotely piloted aircraft, intended to fly unmanned at high altitudes for days at a time and requiring advanced solar power sources that did not add weight. As a result, SunPower Corporation created advanced silicon-based cells for terrestrial or airborne applications.Pollution remediation[edit]NASA's microencapsulating technology enabled the creation of a "Petroleum Remediation Product," which safely cleans petroleum-based pollutants from water. The PRP uses thousands of microcapsules—tiny balls of beeswax with hollow centers. Water cannot penetrate the microcapsule's cell, but oil is absorbed into the beeswax spheres as they float on the water's surface. Contaminating chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil (such as fuels, motor oils, or petroleum hydrocarbons) are caught before they settle, limiting damage to ocean beds.Correcting for GPS signal errors[edit]In the 1990s, NASA scientists at JPL developed software capable of correcting for GPS signal errors, enabling accuracy within inches; it is called Real-Time GIPSY (RTG). John Deere licensed the software and used it to develop self-driving farm equipment. As of 2016, as nearly 70% of North American farmland is cultivated by self-driving tractors, which rely on RTG that was developed at NASA.Another user of RTG is Comtech Telecommunications, which is a major provider of location-based services. This technology is used in cell phones so that 9-1-1 emergency callers can be located.Water location[edit]Dr. Alain Gachet founded Radar Technologies International (RTI) in 1999 to use satellite generated data to identify probable locations of precious metals and during its use found it could also detect water. The system developed with this data, WATEX, uses about 80 percent of its data inputs from publicly available NASA information. This free information allowed RTI to develop the WATEX system to successfully locate water sources, such as in 2004 at refugee camps during the War in Darfur.Computer technology[edit]Structural analysis software[edit]NASA software engineers have created thousands of computer programs over the decades equipped to design, test, and analyze stress, vibration, and acoustical properties of a broad assortment of aerospace parts and structures. The NASA Structural Analysis Program, or NASTRAN, is considered one of the most successful and widely used NASA software programs. It has been used to design everything from Cadillacs to roller coaster rides. Originally created for spacecraft design, it has been employed in a host of non-aerospace applications and is available to industry through NASA's Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC). COSMIC maintains a library of computer programs from NASA and other government agencies and sells them at a fraction of the cost of developing a new program. NASA Structural Analysis Computer Software was inducted into the Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1988.Remotely controlled ovens[edit]Embedded Web Technology (EWT) software—originally developed by NASA for use by astronauts operating experiments on the International Space Station—lets a user monitor and/or control a device remotely over the Internet. NASA supplied this technology and guidance to TMIO LLC, which developed remote control and monitoring of a new intelligent oven product named "Connect Io." With combined cooling and heating capabilities, Connect Io refrigerates food until a customized pre-programmable cooking cycle begins. The menu allows the user to simply enter the dinner time, and the oven automatically switches from refrigeration to the cooking cycle, so that the meal will be ready as the family arrives home for dinner.NASA Visualization Explorer[edit]On July 26, 2011, NASA released the NASA Visualization Explorer app for the iPad. The application delivers real-time satellite data, including movies and stills, of Earth, that enable users to learn about subjects such as climate change, Earth's dynamic systems and plant life on land and in the oceans. The content is accompanied by short descriptions about the Data and why it is important.OpenStack[edit]NASA developed a cloud compute platform to give additional compute and storage resources for its engineers, called Nebula. In July 2010, the Nebula code was released as open source and NASA partnered with Rackspace, to form the OpenStack project.OpenStack is used in the cloud-based products from many companies in the cloud market.Software catalog[edit]NASA released a software catalog in 2014 that made over 1,600 pieces of software available to the public at no charge.Industrial productivity[edit]Powdered lubricants[edit]Oil-free coating PS300 (on these bushings) was created by Adma with NASA resources.NASA developed a solid lubricant coating, PS300, which is deposited by thermal spraying to protect foil air bearings. PS300 lowers friction, reduces emissions, and has been used by NASA in advanced aeropropulsion engines, refrigeration compressors, turbochargers, and hybrid electrical turbogenerators. ADMA Products has found widespread industrial applications for the material.Improved mine safety[edit]An ultrasonic bolt elongation monitor developed by a NASA scientist for testing tension and high-pressure loads on bolts and fasteners has continued to evolve over the past three decades. Today, the same scientist and Luna Innovations are using a digital adaptation of this same device for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of railroad ties, groundwater analysis, radiation, and as a medical testing device to assess levels of internal swelling and pressure for patients suffering from intracranial pressure and compartment syndrome, a painful condition that results when pressure within muscles builds to dangerous levels.Food safety[edit]Faced with the problem of how and what to feed an astronaut in a sealed capsule under weightless conditions while planning for human spaceflight, NASA enlisted the aid of The Pillsbury Company to address two principal concerns: eliminating crumbs of food that might contaminate the spacecraft's atmosphere and sensitive instruments, and assuring absolute absence of disease-producing bacteria and toxins. Pillsbury developed the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) concept to address NASA's second concern. HACCP is designed to prevent food safety problems rather than to catch them after they have occurred. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has applied HACCP guidelines for the handling of seafood, juice, and dairy products.Gold plating[edit]For space missions, gold is particularly useful because it is good at reflecting light, which will help to detect celestial objects from far away and gold does not oxidize so it will not tarnish, unlike most other metals. Due to both benefits, the James Webb Space Telescope uses a lot of gold for its mirrors. NASA partnered with Epner Technology, a Brooklyn-based business that has been gold-plating for generations to develop the technology to gold plate the telescope's parts. This NASA technology transfer to Epner gave the company a reputation for durable gold coatings and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was having to replate Oscar statues that had faded over time. Epner has contracted with the Academy to gold plate all future Oscars while offering a lifetime guarantee to replate, for free, any faded Oscar; its gold plating has lasted for decades in space without fading.Mistakenly attributed NASA spinoffs[edit]The following is a list of technologies sometimes mistakenly attributed directly to NASA.In many cases, NASA popularized technology or aided its development, due to its usefulness in space, which ultimately resulted in the technology's creation.Barcodes - The barcode was invented in 1948. However, NASA developed a type of barcode label that could endure in space environments.Cordless power tools - The first cordless power tool was unveiled by Black & Decker in 1961. These were used by NASA and a number of spinoff products came out of those projects such as portable cordless vacuums.Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), best known as a device for body scanning. NASA contractor JPL developed digital signal processing, which has applications in medical imaging used by MRIs. However, as JPL was working as if it were a department of NASA, there is definitely a connection.Microchip - The first microchip, also known as an integrated circuit, was developed in 1958 by Texas Instruments.[47] The impact of NASA was in creating a massive impetus for development in this area.Quartz clocks - The first quartz clock was invented in 1927. However, in the late 1960s, NASA partnered with a company to make a highly accurate quartz clock.Smoke detectors - NASA's connection to the modern smoke detector is that it developed one with adjustable sensitivity as part of the Skylab project; this development helps with nuisance tripping.Space Pen - An urban legend states that NASA spent a large amount of money to develop a pen that would write in space (the result purportedly being the Fisher Space Pen), while the Soviets used pencils. While NASA did spend funds to create a pen to work in space, the project was cancelled due to public opposition, and U.S. astronauts used pencils until the Fisher space pen was invented by a third party.[48][49]) However, that the use of felt tipped pens, which do not rely on gravity or pressure, but capillary action, were popularized by NASA, a prominent product being the Flair brand pen, as well as felt markers.Tang juice powder - Tang was developed by General Foods in 1957. Tang was used in multiple early space missions, which gave brand awareness to it.Teflon - Teflon was invented by a DuPont scientist in 1941 and used on frying pans from the 1950s; however, it has been applied by NASA to heat shields, space suits, and cargo hold liners.[50]Velcro - Velcro is a Swiss invention from the 1940s. Velcro was used during the Apollo missions to anchor equipment for astronauts; it is still used for convenience in zero gravity situations.Just a few.

the list is very longMany fascinating people have been engineers or have an engineeringbackground. As the list below shows, engineers are not just researchers,designers, and inventors. They are also artists, Super Bowl winners, astronauts,Olympians, heads of state, and even Academy Award recipients!Famous people who are also engineers or have an engineering bac kground :Scott Adams - cartoonist and creator of "Dilbert" - read an interview withhim in Prism MagazineYasser Arafat - Palestinian leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.hGraduated as a civil engineer from the University of Cairo.Neil Alden Armstrong - became the first man to walk on the moon onJuly 20, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EDT. He and "Buzz" Aldren spent about twoand one-half hours walking on the moon, while pilot Michael Collinswaited above in the Apollo 11 command module. Armstrong received hisB.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University and an M.S. inaerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.Rowan Atkinson - A British comedian, best known for his starring rolesin the television series "Blackadde"r and "Mr. Bean," and several filmsincluding Four Weddings And A Funeral. Atkinson attended firstManchester then Oxford University on an electrical engineering degree.Leonid Brezhnev - leader of the former Soviet Union, metallurgicalengineer.Alexander Calder - a native of Pennsylvania, received his degree inmechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken,New Jersey, and shortly thereafter moved to Paris, where he studied artand began to create his now-famous mobiles. Many of his largesculptures are on permanent outdoor display at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, where the first major retrospective of his workwas held in 1950.Frank Capra - film director - "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Smith Goesto Washington", "It's a Wonderful Life" - college degree in chemicalengineering.Jimmy Carter - 39th President of the United States. Attended GeorgiaSouthwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology andreceived a B.S. degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946.In the Navy he became a submariner, serving in both the Atlantic andPacific fleets and rising to the rank of lieutenant. Chosen by AdmiralHyman Rickover for the nuclear submarine program, he was assigned toSchenectady, N.Y., where he took graduate work at Union College inreactor technology and nuclear physics and served as senior officer ofthe pre-commissioning crew of the Seawolf.Roger Corman -film director, industrial engineering degree from StanfordUniversity. He started direct involvement in films in 1953 as a producerand screenwriter, making his debut as director in 1955. Between thenand his official retirement in 1971 he directed dozens of films, often asmany as six or seven per year, typically shot extremely quickly onleftover sets from other, larger productions. His probably unbeatablerecord for a professional 35mm feature film was twodays and a night to shoot the original version of "TheLittle Shop of Horrors".Leonardo Da Vinci - Florentine artist, one of the great masters of theHigh Renaissance, celebrated as a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer,and scientist. His profound love of knowledge and research was thekeynote of both his artistic and scientific endeavors. His innovations inthe field of painting influenced the course of Italian art for more than acentury after his death, and his scientific studies - particularly in thefields of anatomy, optics, and hydraulics - anticipated many of thedevelopments of modern science.Thomas Edison - Edison patented 1,093 inventions in his lifetime,earning him the nickname "The Wizard of Menlo Park." The mostfamous of his inventions was an incandescent lightbulb. Besides the light bulb, Edison developed thephonograph and the kinetoscope, a small box forviewing moving films. He also improved upon theoriginal design of the stock ticker, the telegraph, andAlexander Graham Bell's telephone. Edison wasquoted as saying, "Genius is one percent inspirationand 99 percent perspiration."Lillian Gilbreth - is considered a pioneer in the field of time-and-motionstudies, showing companies how to increase efficiency and productionthrough budgeting of time, energy, and money. Dr. Gilbreth received herPh.D. in psychology from Brown University and was a professor atPurdue's School of Mechanical Engineering, Newark School ofEngineering and the University of Wisconsin. She is "Member No. 1" ofthe Society of Women Engineers. She and her husband used theirindustrial engineering skills to run their household, and those efforts arethe subject of the book and family film "Cheaper by the Dozen."Roberto C. Goizueta - former chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola. Chemical engineering degree from Yale University.Herbie Hancock - jazz musician.Alfred Hitchcock - British-born American director andproducer of many brilliantly contrived films, most ofthem psychological thrillers including "Psycho", "TheBirds", "Rear Window", and "North by Northwest." Hewas born in London and trained there as an engineerat Saint Ignatius College. Although Hitchcock neverwon an Academy Award for his direction, he receivedthe Irving Thalberg Award of the Academy of MotionPicture Arts and Sciences in 1967 and the AmericanFilm Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1979. During the final year ofhis life, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, even though he had longbeen a naturalized citizen of the United States.Herbert Hoover - having graduated from Stanford University in California,Hoover was a 26 -year-old mining engineer in Tientsin, China, when thecity was attacked by 5,000 Chinese troops and 25,000 members of themartial arts group known as the Boxers. (The Boxer Rebellion was aviolent 1900 uprising against foreign business interests in China.)Hoover took charge of setting up barricades to protect Tientsin until itsrescue after 28 days of bombardment. Thirty years later, Herbert Hooverbecame the 31st President of the United States; he and his wifecontinued to speak Chinese when they wanted privacy in the WhiteHouse.Lee Iacocca - former chairman and CEO of Chrysler Corp. Iacoccagraduated from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., in 1945 and receiveda master's degree in engineering from Princeton University in 1946. Bestknown for his helmsmanship at Chrysler Motors, Iacocca started out asa sales manager at the Ford Motor Co. in 1946 and by 1970 waspresident of the company. Joining Chrysler in 1978, Iacocca helped dragthe troubled company from the brink of extinction by helping secure$1.5 billion in government loans. Iacocca's legendary status in theautomobile industry is reinforced by his role in the introduction of thatAmerican icon: the Ford Mustang. He was also one of the first CEOs toproselytise his company's products on national television with the K carcampaign.Bill Koch - yachtsman and winning America's Cup captain in 1992 , aswell as the chairman of the America3 Foundation.Tom Landry - former Dallas Cowboys coach.Hedy Lamarr - a famous 1940s actress not formally trained as anengineer, Lamarr is credited with several sophisticated inventions,among them a unique anti-jamming device for use against Nazi radar.Years after her patent had expired, Sylvania adapted the design for adevice that today speeds satellite communications around the world.She is also credited with the line: "Any girl can be glamorous. All youhave to do is stand still and look stupid."Jair Lynch - 1992 and 1996 Olympic gymnast. Civil Engineering degreefrom Stanford University.Arthur Nielsen - developer of Nielsen rating system.Tom Scholtz - leader of the rock band Boston. Master's degree fromMIT in mechanical engineering.John Sununu - former White House Chief of Staff for President GeorgeBush, former governor of New Hampshire, current CNN commentator on" Crossfire ."Boris Yeltsin - former president of Russia.John F. Welch, Jr . - received his engineeringundergraduate degree in his home-state at theUniversity of Massachusetts. After he earned hisPh.D. in chemical engineering from the University ofIllinois, he accepted a job offer from General Electric.The rest is history -- he became chairman and CEOof General Electric in 1981.Montel Williams - a highly decorated former Naval engineer and NavalIntelligence Officer, he is now an author of inspirational books and hostof a popular syndicated television talk show.Famous EngineersEdwin Howard Armstrong - His crowning achievement (1933) was theinvention of wide-band frequency modulation, now known as FM radio.Armstrong earned a degree in electrical engineering from ColumbiaUniversity in 1913.Alexander Graham Bell , inventor of the telephone.He also worked in medical research and inventedtechniques for teaching speech to the deaf. In 1888he founded the National Geographic Society.Henry Bessemer - English inventor and engineer who invented the firstprocess for mass-producing steel inexpensively - essential to thedevelopment of skyscrapers.Joseph Armand Bombardier - manufacturer of the first successfulsnowmobile.Philip Condit - CEO, The Boeing Company, mechanical/aeronauticalengineering.American engineer and inventor Willis Haviland Carrier developed theformulae and equipment that made air conditioning possible. Carrierattended Cornell University and graduated with an M.E. in 1901.William D. Coolidge's name is inseparably linked with the X-ray tube -popularly called the 'Coolidge tube.' This invention completelyrevolutionized the generation of X-rays and remains to this day themodel upon which all X-ray tubes for medical applications arepatterned. Coolidge, born in Hudson, Mass., graduated from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology in 1896, majoring in electricalengineering. At General Electric, he invented ductile tungsten, thefilament material still used in lamps, and worked on high-qualitymagnetic steel, improved ventilating fans and the electric blanket.Seymour Cray - After a brief service during World War II, he went to theUniversity of Minnesota where he studied engineering. In 1951 he joinedEngineering Research Associates, which was developing computers forthe Navy. Later he co-founded Control Data Corporation, and in 1972 hefounded CRAY Research. Seymour Cray unveiled the CRAY-1 in 1976,considered the first supercomputer.George de Mestral -attended the Ecole Polytechnique Federale deLausanne, Switzerland where he graduated as an electrical engineer. In1955 the "hook and loop fastener" he created was patented under thename Velcro which was derived from two French words: velour andcrochet ("velvet" and "hooks").Though best known for his invention of the pressure-ignited heat enginethat bears his name, the French-born Rudolf Diesel was also an eminentthermal engineer.Ray Dolby - audio system innovator and founder ofDolby Laboratories. His technical expertise has wonhim both an Academy Award and a Grammy!Bonnie Dunbar - NASA astronaut who earned her B.S. and M.S. degreesin ceramic engineering from the University of Washington and adoctorate in mechanical/biomedical engineering from the University ofHouston. While working at Rockwell International, Dr. Dunbar helped todevelop the ceramic tiles that enable space shuttles to survive re-entry.She has had an opportunity to test those tiles first hand as a four-timeastronaut, including a stint on the first shuttle mission to dock with theRussian Space Station Mir.Reginald A. (Aubrey) Fessenden - Canadian-born American physicist andelectrical engineer who is known for his early work in wirelesscommunication. He began his research at the University of Pittsburgh;after designing a high-frequency alternator, he broadcast (1906) the firstprogram of speech and music ever transmitted by radio. That sameyear, he established two-way transatlantic wireless telegraphcommunication. Fessenden also invented the heterodyne system ofradio reception, the sonic depth finder, the radio compass, submarinesignaling devices, the smoke cloud (for tank warfare), and theturboelectric drive (for battleships).Sir Sanford Fleming - a civil engineer and scientist, played a key role indeveloping the Canadian railway system and created the worldwidesystem of standard time.Henry Ford held many patents on automotive mechanisms but is bestremembered for helping devise the factory assembly approach toproduction that revolutionized the auto industry by greatly reducing thetime required to assemble a car. Born in Wayne County, Mich., Fordshowed an early interest in mechanics, constructing his first steamengine at the age of 15. In 1891, Ford became an engineer with theEdison Illuminating Company in Detroit. He became Chief Engineer in1893 and this position allowed him to devote attention to his personalexperiments on internal combustion engines. In 1893 he built his firstinternal combustion engine, a small one-cylinder gasoline model, and in1896 he built his first automobile. In June 1903, Ford helped establishFord Motor Company. He served as president of Ford from 1906 to 1919and from 1943 to 1945.Jay W. Forrester was a pioneer in early digital computer developmentand invented random-access, coincident-current magnetic storage,which became the standard memory device for digital computers. Hereceived a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1939 from theUniversity of Nebraska and a M.S. degree from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology in 1945.Yuan-Cheng Fung - Fung is widely recognized as the father ofbiomechanics, having established the fundamentals of biomechanicalproperties in many of the human body's organs and tissues. He foundedthe bioengineering program at the University of California, San Diego. InNovember 2001 he became the first bioengineer to receive thePresident's National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientifichonor.Robert Hutchings Goddard pioneered modern rocketryand space flight and founded a whole field of scienceand engineering. Goddard's interest in rockets beganin 1899, when he was 17. He conducted static testswith small solid-fuel rockets at Worcester Tech asearly as 1908, and in 1912 he developed the detailedmathematical theory of rocket propulsion. In 1915 heproved that rocket engines could produce thrust in avacuum and therefore make space flight possible. Hesucceeded in developing several types of solid-fuel rockets to be firedfrom handheld or tripod-mounted launching tubes, which were the basisof the bazooka and other powerful rocket weapons of World War II. Atthe time of his death Goddard held 214 patents in rocketry.Andrew Grove - co-founder, Intel, chemical engineer.William Hewlett and David Packard , co-founders of Hewlett-Packard.Beulah Louise Henry was known in the 1920s and 30s as "the ladyEdison" for the many inventions she patented, including a vacuum icecream freezer, a typewriter that made multiple copies without carbonpaper, and a bobbinless lockstitch sewing machine. Henry foundedmanufacturing companies to produce her creations, making a fortune inthe process.Grace Murray Hopper, a computer engineer and RearAdmiral in the U.S. Navy, developed the firstcomputer compiler in 1952 and the computerprogram language COBOL. Upon discovering that amoth had jammed the works of an early computer,Hopper popularized the term "bug." In 1983, byspecial presidential appointment, Hopper waspromoted to the rank of Commodore. Two yearslater, she became one of the first women to beelevated to the rank of Rear Admiral. In 1986, afterforty-three years of service, RADM Grace Hopperceremoniously retired on the deck of the USSConstitution. At 80 years, she was the oldest active duty officer at thattime. She spent the remainder of her life as a senior consultant toDigital Equipment Corporation. Hopper received numerous honors overthe course of her lifetime. In 1969, the Data Processing ManagementAssociation awarded her the first Computer Science Man-of-the-YearAward. She became the first person from the United States and the firstwoman to be made a Distinguished Fellow of the British ComputerSociety in 1973. She also received multiple honorary doctorates fromuniversities across the nation. The Navy christened a ship in her honor.In September 1991, she was awarded the National Medal of Technology,the nation's highest honor in engineering and technology.Clarence "Kelly" Johnson - played a leading role inthe design of more than 40 aircraft and set up aSkunk Works-type operation to develop a Lockheedsatellite--the Agena-D--that became the nation'sworkhorse in space. His achievements over almostsix decades captured every major aviation designaward and the highest civilian honors of the U.S.government and made him an aerospace legend. Hewas elected to the National Academy of Sciences in1965, was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall ofFame in 1974, and was awarded the the Medal ofFreedom in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnsonrecognizing, his "significant contributions to the quality of Americanlife."Bill Joy - co-founder of Sun Microsystems, electrical engineer. Hereceived a B.S.E.E. in electrical engineering from the University ofMichigan in 1975, after which he attended graduate school at U.C.Berkeley where he was the principal designer of Berkeley UNIX (BSD)and received a M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science. TheBerkeley version of UNIX became the standard in education andresearch, garnering development support from DARPA, and was notablefor introducing virtual memory and Internet working using TCP/IP toUNIX. In 1997, Joy was appointed by President Clinton as co-chairmanof the Presidential Information Technology Advisory Committee.Jack Kilby - inventor of the integrated circuit. Kilby received a B.S.E.E.degree from the University of Illinois in 1947 and an M.S.E.E. from theUniversity of Wisconsin in 1950. In 2000, he received the Nobel Prize inPhysics for his work with the integrated circuit.William LeMessurier - structural designer of the Citicorp building,structural engineer.Elijah McCoy was a Black inventor who was awardedover 57 patents. The son of runaway slaves fromKentucky, he was born in Canada and lived there asa youth. Educated in Scotland as a mechanicalengineer he returned to Detroit and in 1872 inventeda lubricator for steam engines. His new oiling devicerevolutionized the industrial machine industry byallowing machines to remain in motion while beingoiled. This device, although imitated by otherdesigners, was so successful that people inspectingnew equipment would ask if it contained the realMcCoy.Guglielmo Marconi - The "Father of Radio" - Marconi received manyhonors including the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909.James Morgan - CEO, Applied Materials, mechanical engineer. In 1996he received the National Medal of Technology for his industry leadershipand for his vision in building Applied Materials into the world's leadingsemiconductor equipment company, a major exporter and a globaltechnology pioneer which helps enable the Information Age.Bill Nye - worked for Boeing before he became the "science guy",Mechanical engineering degree from Cornell University.Kevin Olmstead - world-record game show payoff winner - $2,180,000winner, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" - and environmental engineer.After acquiring chemical engineering degrees from Case WesternReserve University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Olmstead earned a doctorate degree in environmental engineering fromthe University of Michigan. He also taught civil and environmentalengineering and is currently a senior project engineer with Tetra TechMPS, an international consulting firm specializing in infrastructure andcommunications systems.Kenneth Olsen - inventor of magnetic core memory, co-founder, DigitalEquipment Corporation. After serving in the Navy between 1944 and1946, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where heearned a B.S. (1950) and an M.A. (1952) in electrical engineering.Arati Prabhakar - director, National Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce. Prabhakar wasappointed the 10th NIST Director in May 1993. NIST promotes U.S.economic growth by working with industry to develop and applytechnology, measurements, and standards. Previously, Prabhakar servedas director of the Microelectronics Technology Office in the DefenseDepartment's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). She holdsthe distinction of being the first woman with a doctorate from theCalifornia Institute of Technology, and was also the youngest director ofthe institute.Ludwig Prandtl - the father of fluid mechanics, mechanical engineer.Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. - former CEO of Pfizer, Inc., electrical engineer.Judith Resnik - Challenger astronaut, electrical engineer. Received abachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970 and a doctorate in electrical engineering fromthe University of Maryland in 1977.Hyman G. Rickover - the "Father ofthe Nuclear Navy" he led thedevelopment of the Navy nuclearsubmarine fleet. Masters inelectrical engineering fromColumbia University. During WorldWar II, he headed the electricalsection of the Navy's Bureau ofShips, and in 1946 was enlisted intothe U.S. atomic program. The nextyear he returned to the Navy tomanage its nuclear-propulsionprogram. Regarded as a fanatic byhis detractors, he completed theworld's first nuclear submarine--theUSS Nautilus--ahead of schedule in1955. While continuing his work with the Navy, he helped build the firstmajor civilian nuclear power plant at Shippingport, PA. Always anoutspoken advocate of U.S. nuclear supremacy, he was promoted to therank of vice admiral in 1959 and admiral in 1973. He retired from theNavy in 1982 after serving as an officer for a record 63 years.Throughout his long naval career his decorations included theDistinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Navy CommendationMedal, two Congressional Gold Medals, as well as the title of HonoraryCommander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of theBritish Empire. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter presented him thePresidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest non-military honor.Norbert Rillieux - revolutionized in the sugar industry by inventing arefining process that reduced the time, cost, and safety risk involved inproducing sugar from cane and beets. His inventions protected lives byending the older dangerous methods of sugar production. As the son ofa French planter/inventor and a slave mother, Norbert Rillieux was bornin New Orleans, LA. He was educated at the L'Ecole Central in Paris,France in 1830, were he studied evaporating engineering and served asan educator.Washington Roebling - completed the Brooklyn Bridge which was startedby his father, civil engineer.Katherine Stinson - the first female graduate of NCState University's College of Engineering. Initiallydenied admission as a freshman, Stinson went on tobecome one of NC State's most distinguished andactive alumni. Graduating vice president of her class,she was soon hired by the Civil AeronauticsAdministration as its first female engineer. Later, sheserved as technical assistant chief in its Engineeringand Manufacturing Division until her retirement in 1973. She went on tofound the Society of Women Engineers.Nikola Tesla - invented the induction motor with rotating magnetic fieldthat made unit drives for machines feasible and made AC powertransmission an economic necessity.Stephen Timoshenko - the father of engineering mechanics, engineeringscientist.Theodore von Karman - Dr. von Karman was one of the world's foremostaerodynamicsts and scientists and is widely recognized as the father ofmodern aerospace science. He was a professor of aeronautics at theCalifornia Institute of Technology and was one of the principal foundersof NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.George Westinghouse - invented a system of air brakes that made travelby train safe and built one of the greatest electric manufacturingorganizations in the United States. In 1886, he founded theWestinghouse Electric Company, foreseeing the possibilities ofalternating current as opposed to direct current, which was limited to aradius of two or three miles. Westinghouse enlisted the services ofNikola Tesla and other inventors in the development of alternatingcurrent motors and apparatus for the transmission of high-tensioncurrent, pioneering large-scale municipal lighting.American inventor, pioneer, mechanical engineer, and manufacturer EliWhitney is best remembered as the inventor of the cotton gin. He alsoaffected the industrial development of the United States when, inmanufacturing muskets for the government, he translated the concept ofinterchangeable parts into a manufacturing system, giving birth to theAmerican mass-production concept.Steve Wozniak cofounded Apple Computer, Inc. in1976 with the Apple I computer. Wozniak's Apple IIpersonal computer - introduced in 1977 and featuringa central processing unit (CPU), keyboard, floppydisk drive, and a $1,300 price tag - helped launch thePC industry. In 1980, just a little more than four yearsafter being founded, Apple went public. Wozniak leftApple in 1981 and went back to Berkeley and finishedhis degree in electrical engineering/computerscience. Since then, he has been involved in variousbusiness and philanthropic ventures, focusingprimarily on computer capabilities in schools,including an initiative in 1990 to place computers in schools in theformer Soviet Union.