The spinoff benefits of the Apollo program

The success of Apollo program by NASA, not only delivered great progress in the field of aeronautics and rocketry, but it also helped in global advancement in the fields of mechanical, civil and electrical engineering.

However, there are also several lesser known accomplishments which are some of the many spinoffs that happened because of this historic mission to the Moon. These inventions were created as a result of partnerships between NASA and several industries, which helped in commercializing new and advanced technologies developed for the Apollo program.

Some of the benefits of such inventions which are considered as the benefits of the Apollo Mission are listed below:

1. Cooling suits that provides comfort

Race car drivers, shipyard workers working in hazardous environments, nuclear reactor technicians, and also people who are patients of multiple sclerosis have been benefited by the invention of cool suits, which helped in keeping the Apollo astronauts relaxed during their moon walks.

Children who are born with ‘hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia’, which is a congenital disorder that restricts the body’s ability to cool itself, has also been benefited by this awesome innovation that is a spinoff of the Apollo program.

2. Simplified Kidney Dialysis by advancement on recycling fluid technology

As a result of the NASA’s development on the chemical process built for the Apollo program, special kidney dialysis apparatuses were created for removing toxic waste from used dialysis fluids, which made remarkable improvements in the field of nephrology.

This bio-medical invention in dialysis technology, not only saves electricity which is needed for running the dialysis machines, but also eliminates the need for continuous water supply for patients suffering from renal failure.

3. Invention of Astronaut conditioning equipment

The cardiovascular conditioning equipment those that were developed for keeping the astronauts healthy and fit in space, led to the invention of athletic development machines which were later on used for physical therapy in medical rehabilitation centers all across the globe. These fitness machines which were invented for the Apollo program are still used in sports clinics and by football teams, for providing physical treatment to the sports men and women even today.

4. Freeze-dried foods that increase shelf life and preserve nutrients

Freeze dried foods were specially developed for the Apollo program, that solved the problem of what to feed the astronauts on their long space travel to the Moon. This technology was later on used by several food manufacturing establishments all across the world, which not only helped in preserving nutritional value and taste of the freeze-dried foods, but also aided in increasing shelf life and decreasing the weight of the frozen foods.

5. Reflective materials for insulated homes

Insulating barriers created out of metalized foil that is laid over a core of mylar or propylene, which was invented for the Apollo program to protect the astronauts from radiation and heat, were later on used for insulating homes on earth.

This material used during the Apollo mission was also later on used for manufacturing reflective safety blankets, photographic reflectors, wall coverings and window shades when it was thereafter made available for everyday commercial use.

Apart from this the Apollo program also helped in the invention of path breaking technologies that aided in developing measurement techniques for safely monitoring of hazardous gasses are create as a spinoff of the Apollo space suit technology, that aided in healthier living and others.

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