What is the Space Exploration Doing For You ?

 People ask ALL THE TIME why we're exploring space and if that money could help people on Earth. I'm here to tell you IT ALREADY DOES HELP! 

One of the biggest questions we get wheneverwe do space stories is "why are we spending all this money on space travel? What does it do for me?" 

And I'm here to tell you… It does a crap-ton for you. And I’m notjust talking about stupid stuff like batteries, eyeglasses, GPS navigation, weather satellitesor global telecommunications.

because who needs THOSE things, amirite? In 1962, NASA created a program of office specifically dedicated to track Technology Utilization and Industry Applications of NASA efforts. 

Since 1976, they've published an issue of what they call "Spinoff" every year,cataloging nearly 1,800 projects. 

The projects are commercial ventures using tech eitherwholly developed by NASA, created in partnership or by contract with NASA, or using NASA patents,experience, technology, research, personnel, data. 

Basically, if NASA wasn't around, many of these techs probably wouldn't be either. 

One that caught my eye from the 2013 issueof Spinoff, was the Space Shuttle Main Engines, inspiring new solar power plants. It might not seem immediately obvious, but it stuck with me. 

An SSME would kick on in temperatures as low as -423 F (217C) and burn as hot as 6,000 F (3316C) -- hotter than the boiling point of iron. 

It was built for NASA, but the company that built it, took the experience of working with superheated materials and turned it into a 110-megawatt solar plant which powers 75,000 homes in Nevada. 

Sunlight is concentrated onto a single point at the top of a tower, and superheated salt is used to create steam and turn turbines. 

They created a company called SolarReserve which is now opening plantsall over! If you're feeling distracted, another NASAspinoff might help. 

Unique Logic created a game that helps you learn to pay attention by monitoring your brainwaves! 

See, NASA scientists know that too much automation makes the mind wander, and they wanted pilots to have an automated system that could tell if they were distracted..

 If a pilot wandered too far off task, the flight simulator would release more controls to manual forcing them to focus. Whereas if they were on task, the sim would take over more controls. 

This was in the 1980s! Today, the technology has been adapted for video gaming, the nuclear power industry, US Olympic sports, and NASCAR! 

Speaking of sporting events, another spinoff is the GigaPan. You've probably seen these online.

 they're giant images taken from mountain tops for building spires, or at events which let you zoom in a seemingly IMPOSSIBLE amount to see shoes, read newspapers or find faces in a crowded stadium. 

The technology was originally developed for use on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. 

It showed up in Spin Off in 2008, when Gigapan began marketing the technology to consumers and event planners. 

It works by taking hundreds of photos, and then stitching them together using software. 

It creates a very compact system (perfect for space travel) and creates GIANT images (great for analyzing an alien planet). 

And that's just THREE of these amazing technologies!Software designed to test the control of spacecraft long before takeoff has inspired bank fraud protection. 

software for analyzing satellite images of stars was pointed at the human brain to help detect alzheimer's in MRI scans. 

The number of technologies touched by manned exploration of space is incredible. So next time someone writes, "What a waste!" in the comments, link them to this video. 

Oh, and point out that Tang isn't a thing.It was invented for use on the ground. Sure, NASA tried it out but it's not a thing. Let's Move past that myth. 

What's your favorite space technology? I think mine might be LEDlights that help plants grow. 

More food for everyone! Tell us yours down below! None of these techs would be possible without software to run the system, and we need people to write thatsoftware! 

Full Sail University in Florida offers courses to help train tech professionals by blending code and real-world experience.

Students of Full Sail have hands-on access to technology on their first day, they get a discounted laptop and all the software they'll need to earn degrees in software, mobile and web development. 

They offer a blend of codingAND real-world experience. Which is the best way to learn.