Space exploration is a significant part of human history. It has led to many scientific breakthroughs and discoveries that would have been impossible without going into space.
From discovering new molecules to more recent discoveries like gravitational waves, space exploration has provided us with a lot of knowledge that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Space exploration is about the physical properties of space and its psychological and physiological impacts on people. The importance of space exploration can be seen through how it influences our daily lives and inspires us to create new ideas and technologies that we would never have thought of before.
The Impact and Benefits of Human Discoveries and Innovation on Life-long Progress
Scientific discoveries and innovations have profoundly affected our lives, as we can see through improvements in technology, health, education, etc. Today, scientific discoveries are being made at an exponential rate changing human lives faster than ever.
So here are some things we use in our everyday lives that wouldn’t have been possible without space exploration.
Memory foam
The cushioning utilized in spacecraft seats are needed to ensure protection in case of crash landings. Scientists worked to create memory foam, which is now a popular mattress and pillow material.
LEDs
LEDs are safer, more immune to breakage, and consume less electricity than standard light bulbs. Thanks to this, they’ve become a preferred source of illumination nowadays. Initially, the (red) LED light technology was developed to grow plants in space.
Wireless headphones
Do you know that weightlessness and wires aren’t the most compatible combinations in space? Astronauts needed their hands free without frustrating cables entangling them. So, a communication expert devised a system where cables became redundant. We all have benefited a lot from this invention with our wireless headphones here on Earth.
Scratch-resistant lenses
Foster-Grant, the eyewear company, partnered with NASA in the 1980s to get a license for scratch-resistant coating technology. It was used on astronauts’ space helmets, which allowed them to create glasses with the employment of plastic (which was shatter-resistant) that might leave no scratches. The proper combination!
Dustbusters
NASA partnered with a manufacturing company to extract core samples from the moon for examination. Their work was to develop and optimize a drill’s motor. This technology is now utilized in the favored hand-held miniature home appliance, the dustbuster.
Home insulation
Next time you’re all warm and comfy in your home, be sure to thank the space industry because the original invention of insulation was created to safeguard astronauts from high temperatures. The private sector later adopted this same technology and applied it to energy conservation techniques employed in modern homes.
Athletic shoes
If not for the spacesuit construction technology, we wouldn’t enjoy the comfortable athletic shoes as we know them today. For example, there is a compression chamber within the layers of the shoe sole. It is well-known that the Nike Air Max contains the same fibers utilized in space suits to absorb shock and provide stability.
The PC mouse
A NASA researcher was the primary person to create the PC mouse, which was called the “x-y position indicator for a display screen.” The goal was to form easy interaction between computers and space flights. He hardly imagined that he would influence the technology on Earth and that years later, his invention would be sold with computers.
The super soaker
When designing an improved apparatus, the creation sprang a leak. A burst of water shot across the area, and Johnson immediately thought, “That would make an excellent squirt gun!” He patented the thought along with the Larami Corporation and commenced selling them within the early 1990s.
Foil blankets
The metallic sheet, or emergency blanket, is understood on Earth as an insulator that may be employed in extreme temperatures and is particularly helpful for those that need to be cooled down slowly. Initially, this lightweight insulator was developed to shield both the spacecraft and other people in space.
Air purifying systems
During their long periods of travel, astronauts need a sustainable food source. Creating the identical circulating air on Earth to grow food was an enormous challenge for space engineers. The answer was a technology that we all know today as air purifiers. They are often now used commercially in hospitals, homes, and grocery stores that want their products to stay fresh for an extended time.
Firefighter equipment
Astronauts must handle extreme temperatures when reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. That’s why spacesuits and space vehicles had to be equipped with suitable protection, resulting in flame-resistant textiles. In the 1970s, a line of garments for firefighters was produced using identical fabrics to shield them from the heat they needed to endure on duty.
Camera phones
There’s only a limited amount of space available for things in spacecraft. That’s why, in the 1990s, a team worked on creating tiny, lightweight cameras. The colleagues of Eric Fossum called him an idiot when he was inventing a particular technology for it. Despite the team’s doubts, he patented his idea, which led to it being an excellent decision as nowadays, most phones use this same technology.
Conclusion
Scientific discoveries and innovations have led to many benefits for humans. They have improved our quality of life, increased our longevity, and made the world a better, more accessible place for most people.
- New medicines are being discovered every day which can help in the treatment of diseases.
- New technologies are being developed that allow us to communicate with each other more efficiently.
- New materials are being discovered which can help in the production of new building materials.
Scientific discovery and innovation have been the driving force behind progress in life today. It is how humans have improved their lives and brought a new era of progress.
These inventions help humankind lead better and longer lives, which says a lot about the importance of space exploration. And further to that point, we have no idea what further discoveries will happen in the future thanks to space exploration and travel.