Thread: NASA Technologies Spin Off Into Sports

This release is from last year, but aside from the location of the Superbowl, it's still relevant.

NASA Technologies Spin Off Into Sports

NASA’s Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization licenses dozens of space-age technologies to the private sector for the creation of products that improve our lives here on Earth. Provided below is a list of products developed with NASA technologies that are relevant to Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Retractable Roof
Reliant Stadium features the NFL’s first retractable roof, made possible by NASA technology. NASA’s spacesuit fabric has fostered many new innovations, including a permanent structure fabric developed for the Apollo Program and produced by New York-based Birdair Inc. Pound for pound, the material is stronger than steel and weighs less than five ounces per square foot. Its translucency value, which ranges from 4 to 18 percent, reduces lighting needs and helps maintain the natural grass playing field. Its reflectivity lowers cooling costs and the Teflon coating reduces maintenance costs by increasing the fabric's resistance to moisture, temperature extremes and deterioration. These factors combine to lower initial costs and speed construction; an important factor is the decision to use it at Reliant Stadium. There are two applications for Birdair’s fabric; tension structures that are supported by a network of cables and pylons (used in the Reliant Stadium and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas), or temporary air-supported structures that consist of an outer membrane and an inner liner. On average, the use of fabric covering reduces building costs 30 percent below conventional construction and lasts up to 20 years. In 1989, structural fabric, including the Birdair’s fabric, was inducted into the U.S. Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Spinoff 1978

Direct Broadcasting TV
As millions of Super Bowl fans huddle in front of their televisions to view the game in the comfort of their own homes, many will be watching via NASA technology. NASA pioneered the concept of digitally based, direct-broadcast satellites that provide direct services. The Applications Technology Satellite-6 (ATS-6), launched in 1974, was an educational satellite experiment designed to test new methods and applications of satellite communication capabilities. Building on that innovation, the Hughes Electronics Corp. invested $750 million to develop a system that included three high-powered satellites, a broadcast center and other equipment. DirecTV, which began in 1991 as an alternative to cable, now offers over 210 channels and has more than 6 million customers. In 2000, DirecTV was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame.
Spinoff 1974

Shock-absorbing Helmets
No professional player would step onto the field without protective gear; gear that is based on NASA technology. Little League, college and professional players all use NASA know-how to protect themselves from sport-related injuries. The key to shock reduction is a high-tech interior padding. Licensed to Kees Goebel Medical, Inc., Temper Foam was developed in the early 1970s at NASA's Ames Research Center in an effort to relieve astronauts of the incredible g-forces experienced during liftoff. Temper Foam exhibits about 340 percent less shock from impact. The material is open-cell polyurethane silicone plastic foam that takes shape of impressed objects but returns to its original shape even after 90 percent compression. Temper Foam is also used for other protective sports equipment such as shoulder, hip, thigh and knee football pads; baseball chest protectors and soccer shin guards. In 1998, Temper Foam was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame.
Spinoff 1977

Other Sport-Related Spinoffs

Solutions For Hot Situations
Next time you are watching a NASCAR race, think about NASA. New protective suits, based on NASA’s spacesuit technology, protect the drivers from the racetrack’s extreme heat. Nextel™ Ceramic Textiles and Composites from 3M™ offer space-age protection and innovative solutions for hot situations. With superior thermal protection, Nextel fabrics, tape, and sleevings outperform other high-temperature textiles such as aramids, carbon, glass, and quartz, permitting engineers and manufacturers to handle applications up to 2500 degrees Fahrenheit (1371 degrees Celsius). The stiffness and strength of Nextel™ Continuous Ceramic Fibers make them a great match for improving the rigidity of aluminum in metal matrix composites. Moreover, the fibers demonstrate low shrinkage at operating temperatures, which allow for the manufacturing of a dimensionally stable product. These novel fibers also offer excellent chemical resistance, low thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, low porosity, and unique electrical properties. The origins of Nextel™ Ceramic Textiles and Composites go all the way back to the early days of the Space Shuttle Program, when NASA scientists were tasked with improving high-temperature tiles and textiles to withstand the intense heat and pressures of re-entry. Through research and testing, the ceramic fibers that are the framework for St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M’s Nextel technology proved to be suitable for use in the composition of the Shuttle’s underbelly tiles.
Spinoff 2003

Moon Shoes “Moon Boot” material has revolutionized athletic footwear, improving shock absorption and providing superior stability and motion control. Al Gross, a NASA Apollo Program engineer, transferred his space expertise to the improvement of athletic shoes. Gross substituted DuPont's Hytrel plastic for foam materials in the shoe's mid-sole and varied material thickness and styling lines, eliminating cushioning loss caused by body weight. An external pressurized shell and stress free "blow molding" process adapted from NASA spacesuit technology was also utilized. The resulting compression chamber mid-sole performed well in tests and allowed the popular shoemaker, AVIA™ Inc., to reconfigure designs for specific sports and provide a "first step" toward a durable, foamless, non-fatiguing mid-sole.
Spinoff 1991

For more information or to schedule an interview with a NASA expert on these topics, please contact Linda Singleton at (281) 244-1403. For additional information about NASA’s spinoffs visit:
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff.html




...you guys KNOW I have to support NASA whenever possible

Honestly, when Bush first took office we were all taken aback when he didn't immediately support NASA... esp. since he's from Texas