astronaut toolkit drop on spacewalk

We may earn a small commission from affiliate links and paid advertisements. Terms

The astronauts also wanted to run the first test on a newly delivered contraption that converts urine and sweat into drinkable water. Astronauts spent a good part of the day Wednesday hooking it up. The urine converter was delivered by Endeavour, along with other equipment, and will help turn the space station into a home for six crew members next year instead of the current three residents.

awesome?
 
space exploration is the biggest waste of money. we should be working on things here at home, not gallavanting in outer space.
 
Yeah stupid science..... What do they think they are doing advancing our quality of life through research?
 
lol. , space is not a waste.
when bush wanted to go to mars, dems wanted to spend that money on welfare and education. there is no correlation between $ spent on public education and the quality. DC spends nearly the most and is nearly the worst.
i thought ppl that thought we were destroying the planet wanted somewhere new to live.
theres a book 'the case for mars' where it talks about how to make the air on mars breathable by converting the atmosphere.
we should have claimed the moon, any other country would have.
they actually found 3 planets outside our ~galaxy.
we should fully explore the oceans as well.
and why do ppl always think aliens are smarter than us? forget that.
on a side not, outdoor survivalists say you can drink your own urine once.
 
Just a couple ways space exploration has changed our lives:

Since 1976, about 1,300 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and created jobs for Americans. These innovations have helped industry and manufacturing, agriculture and food, environment and resource management, recreation, health and medicine, transportation and public safety, and communications and computers. Without our nation's space program, some everyday products and processes we take for granted may not have been developed. The following are some of Apollo's contributions:
  • Scratch-resistant sunglass lenses were derived from a highly abrasion-resistant coating developed to protect, from harsh environments, the plastic surfaces of such aerospace equipment as the helmet visors worn by moonwalking astronauts.
  • Quartz watches and clocks became the new horizon for consumer time accuracy after adapting a quartz crystal NASA used to obtain a stable time base for all Apollo missions.
  • Computer-aided tomography (CAT) scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology used in hospitals worldwide came from technology developed to computer-enhance pictures of the Moon for the Apollo program. The industrial version of the CAT scan inspects for imperfections in aerospace structures and components, such as castings, rocket motors and nozzles.
  • Patient monitoring equipment, commonly used today at nurse's stations to monitor the heart rate and other physiological signs of hospital patients, employs the same technology developed to monitor astronaut vital signs during the Apollo missions.
  • Personal and workplace computers have become smaller, lighter and more efficient as a result of Apollo's computer and technology requirements.
  • Firefighters, racecar drivers and hazardous materials and shipyard workers wear cool suits, which kept Apollo astronauts comfortable during moonwalks. People with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spina bifida wear them to lower body temperature. Kids with congenital disorders that make their bodies intolerant of sunlight wear adapted suits.
  • A cardiovascular conditioner developed for space conditioning studies for the Apollo program led to the development of a physical therapy and athletic development machine used by football teams, sports clinics and medical rehabilitation centers.
  • Cordless power tools and appliances, such as drills and dust vacuums, respectively, are based on technology used to develop tools for the astronauts to drill below the Moon's surface to collect lunar core soil samples. A company designed a computer program so the drill's motor could use as little power as possible, which has provided a strong technology base for developing battery-powered tools and appliances.
  • Athletic shoe design and manufacture also benefited from Apollo. Spacesuit technology was incorporated into a shoe's external shell. A stress-free "blow molding" process adapted from NASA spacesuit design was also used in the shoe's manufacture.
  • The space shoes used on the Moon are perfect for retaining shock absorption, stability and flexibility in the athletic arena. The midsole, similar to the rigid/flexible system in spacesuits, and NASA's stress-free "blow-molding" process were incorporated into athletic shoe design and manufacture, and the design can also be configured for different sports.
  • A special fabric developed for Apollo spacesuits is used in heavier material to construct shopping centers roofs, sports stadiums and airports. Fabric roofs are on the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Olympic Stadium in Rome and airport terminals in Denver. The fabric is light, flexible, durable, fire resistant and moisture repellent. It expands and contracts with temperature changes, lets in light and reflects heat, thus reducing cooling and lighting costs.
  • Insulation barriers made of aluminum foil laid over a core of propylene or mylar were developed to provide radiation protection and to maintain consistent spacecraft temperatures for Apollo and subsequent missions. The insulation is used to insulate cars and trucks; it also diminishes engine and exhaust noise.
  • A unistix controller used by severely disabled people to operate a typical highway vehicle was developed from the Apollo lunar roving vehicle. The vehicle's rubber tires were the predecessor to all-weather winter radial tires for automobiles.
  • Vacuum-metallizing techniques used for a variety of purposes on virtually all NASA spacecraft, including Apollo missions—mainly thermal radiation insulation—led to an extensive line of commercial products. These include insulated outer garments, packaging for foods, wall coverings, window shades, life rafts, candy wrappings, reflective blankets and photographic reflectors.
  • Water purification technology used on the Apollo spacecraft is now employed in several spinoff applications to kill bacteria, viruses and algae in community water supply systems and cooling towers. Filters mounted on faucets can reduce lead in water supplies. Water-cleaning systems have been adapted for cleaning spas, hot tubs and pools.
  • A hospital food service system employs a cook/chill concept for serving food. The integral heating system, developed for the Apollo program, allows staff to prepare food well in advance and maintain heat, visual appeal and nutritional value while reducing operating costs.
  • A hollow retroreflector, a mirror-like instrument that reflects light and other radiations back to the source, was developed for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. It was further expanded for use as an instrument or component in a variety of sensor applications, including an efficient means of beam positioning in the laboratory. It also has been used in monitoring the presence of hazardous gases in oil fields, refineries, offshore platforms, chemical plants, waste storage sites and other locations where gases could be released into the environment.
  • A process for bonding dry lubricant to space metals, necessary to accommodate lightweight Apollo components, led to the development of surface enhancement coatings or synergistic coatings, which are used in such applications as pizza making and laser manufacture. Each coating is designed to protect a specific metal group or a group of metals to solve problems encountered under operating conditions, such as resistance to corrosion and wear.
 
and when the meteor that could take us out (ala deep impact) comes, you're going to want someone with some expeirence with space to try to save us.
 
and when the meteor that could take us out (ala deep impact) comes, you're going to want someone with some expeirence with space to try to save us.
this isn't the movie "armageddon". no matter how much space experience there is, if there is a meteor that catastrophic, we aren't going to be able to stop it.
 
I just want a flying Winnebago....

spaceballslarge011uy.jpg
 
Back
Top