4 ms·

If space exploration includes the Apollo project (which I assume it does) you should add integrated circuits, CNC machining, freeze dried foods, LED's, aircraft

by mixmax 17y ago

If space exploration includes the Apollo project (which I assume it does) you should add integrated circuits, CNC machining, freeze dried foods, LED's, aircraft anti icing systems, solar energy, water purification, the Internet, and probably many more I can't think of right now.

pyre 17y ago
> The Internet Huh? I thought APRANet was a DARPA project, not a NASA project. > LED's The word 'NASA' is found nowhere on this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED > integrated circuits Jack Kirby (He was working for Texas Instruments at the time and later won a Nobel Prize for it) > CNC Machining General Motors, General Electric, etc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnc_machining http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnc_machining) {edit} According to the Apollo project Wikipedia page, it looks like integrated circuits and CNC machining may have been driven by the project, though there is no mention on the respective pages (revisionist history on the Apollo page, or missing info on the other pages). {edit2} A better page for reference would be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Spinoff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Spinoff According to that page, NASA did not contribute to 'LEDs' as people would understand the term on HN (i.e. they did not invent the little lights that go blinky-blinky on consumer electronics). It seems to be talking about high-intensity LEDs for medical applications. In that vein, saying that the Apollo program gave us 'LEDs' is somewhat misleading (though maybe not on purpose). I notice that 'The Internet' is only mention as linked to some 'Internet-powered oven.'
- mixmax 17y ago
  I pulled all of the examples from the NASA spinoff page that you linked, except for the Internet one which as we all know was initiated by DARPA. I thought that was under NASA, but can see now that this isn't so. Sorry about that, and thanks for clearing it up. I commented because I (probably for the first time ever...) disagreed with patio11's comment that AI has contributed much more to humanity than spaceflight.
  - patio11 17y ago
    I am skeptical of the spinoffs rationale for NASA. Let's say that we feel the burning, urgent need for freezedried food for humanity. OK, so let's just research freezedried food. That is pretty cheap, compared with having to blast a human into orbit in such a fashion that they don't die, and gains absolutely nothing from being associated with the space program. Ditto everything NASA has ever produced except satellites. That is the sole example where spaceflight qua spaceflight was actually valuable to us.
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]

by mixmax 17y ago

pyre 17y ago

> The Internet Huh? I thought APRANet was a DARPA project, not a NASA project. > LED's The word 'NASA' is found nowhere on this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED > integrated circuits Jack Kirby (He was working for Texas Instruments at the time and later won a Nobel Prize for it) > CNC Machining General Motors, General Electric, etc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnc_machining http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnc_machining) {edit} According to the Apollo project Wikipedia page, it looks like integrated circuits and CNC machining may have been driven by the project, though there is no mention on the respective pages (revisionist history on the Apollo page, or missing info on the other pages). {edit2} A better page for reference would be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Spinoff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Spinoff According to that page, NASA did not contribute to 'LEDs' as people would understand the term on HN (i.e. they did not invent the little lights that go blinky-blinky on consumer electronics). It seems to be talking about high-intensity LEDs for medical applications. In that vein, saying that the Apollo program gave us 'LEDs' is somewhat misleading (though maybe not on purpose). I notice that 'The Internet' is only mention as linked to some 'Internet-powered oven.'

mixmax 17y ago
I pulled all of the examples from the NASA spinoff page that you linked, except for the Internet one which as we all know was initiated by DARPA. I thought that was under NASA, but can see now that this isn't so. Sorry about that, and thanks for clearing it up. I commented because I (probably for the first time ever...) disagreed with patio11's comment that AI has contributed much more to humanity than spaceflight.
- patio11 17y ago
  I am skeptical of the spinoffs rationale for NASA. Let's say that we feel the burning, urgent need for freezedried food for humanity. OK, so let's just research freezedried food. That is pretty cheap, compared with having to blast a human into orbit in such a fashion that they don't die, and gains absolutely nothing from being associated with the space program. Ditto everything NASA has ever produced except satellites. That is the sole example where spaceflight qua spaceflight was actually valuable to us.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]