Water purification to breathing masks, 4 innovations Apollo mission gave us

International News

NASA’s Apollo programme was one of the most challenging technological achievements in the 20th century. Beyond the space race and exploration, it contributed to several inventions and innovations that are still having an impact on our lives. But at the same time, there are several myths regarding what technologies actually came out of it.
My favourite myth is that Teflon was developed by NASA. This seems reasonable, as it is an immensely heat resistant material – something that space missions require. However, it was invented by accident in 1938 by Roy Plunkett at DuPont when he was researching new refrigerants.
Velcro is another misconception, having been invented in the 1940s in Switzerland by George de Mestral. Again, its huge usefulness in everyday life in space can’t be denied. Imagine how tricky it would be to secure yourself to your bed to sleep without any gravity.
As it has now been 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landings, it is a good time to cast some light on what actually is a result of the space race and what is not. Here is a list of some developments – but there are many others too. Some of these were not directly created by NASA, but may never have seen the light of day if it hadn’t been for the space agency’s immense help and promotion.
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