Using thrusters that were originally supposed to land the Lunar Module on the moon’s surface, it was calculated that burning fuel for 14 seconds would be able to put the crew on a course that would swing them around the moon’s orbit and catapult them back to Earth. While the astronauts and Mission Control worked tirelessly to improvise life-preserving measures such as dealing with excess carbon dioxide and conserving drinkable water, they also had to re-program several systems so that they could be used in alternate ways. Mission Control, Houston TXĪs the Apollo 13 vessel had been blown off-course by the explosion, corrections had to be made. Without intervention, the fate of Apollo 13 would be doomed to drift out into the great unknown forever.
In order to survive, the astronauts had to use the Lunar Module as a lifeboat and conserve as many resources as possible while they and NASA figured out how they could get home safely. Jim Lovell, Commander of the missionīefore reaching the moon, a routine stirring of an oxygen tank in the Service Module caused an accidental explosion, venting all of the oxygen and crippling the life-support systems of that module.
Fifty years ago this week, on April 11th, 1970, another three-man crew launched into the sky with the Omega Speedmaster reprising its NASA-approved role for Apollo 13. But the Moonwatch story doesn’t end there. Strapped to the wrist of Buzz Aldrin, the Omega Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. In fact, research suggests, counter-intuitively, that highly cushioned shoes increase, rather than decrease, the impact of running at higher speeds.I/trending 12708 50 years ago: The story of Apollo 13 and the Omega Speedmaster Fergus NashĪnyone who has encountered the Omega brand is no doubt familiar with the Moonwatch and possibly the most compelling and historically significant story behind a watch of all time. Unfortunately, there is little evidence it improved running for anyone. The result was the iconic Nike Air series. Using an old Nasa method for creating astronaut helmets, known as blow rubber moulding, he created heel cushions of trapped inert gas in polyurethane plastic. But it was former aeronautical engineer, M Frank Rudy who took them to superstardom. In the 1970s, they shot to fame after inventing a new type of sports shoe with a cushioned heel. Not everything with a Nasa reference constitutes a scientific breakthrough, even if the reference is genuine. In 2017 the brand claimed its ‘wearable carbon healing stickers’ were based on technology from Nasa space suits, despite Nasa not even using carbon material in their suits. One example is Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand. If something began at NASA, it must be good and some companies have exploited this.
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They’re so ubiquitous they have become a symbol of aid during humanitarian disasters.Īnd the list of tech that produced giant leaps for mankind goes on: better water-purification systems, safer land mine removal for war zones and microcapsules for cleaning up oil spills all have strong links to Nasa research.ĭownload this worksheet from the Education in Chemistry website: rsc.li/2X60KWp Full of hot airįor many, Nasa represents Science with a capital S. Consequently, space blankets are now a staple in first aid and disaster kits all over the globe, saving lives by preventing and fighting hypothermia. It was quickly realised this material could protect humans as well as spacecraft. Back in 1964, Nasa first developed it for heat control on spacecraft by coating PET films with extremely thin layers of aluminium. Now, a NASA spin-off company extracts the acids from microalgae so they can supply over 90% of infant formula sold in the US, making babies healthier and smarter across the country and the world.Īnother crucial discovery was the space blanket. Babies fed on formula without these fatty acids have poorer cognitive skills and worse eyesight compared to breastfed infants. Microalgae contain special fatty acids that are key ingredients in human breast milk: an omega-6 fatty acid called arachidonic acid (ARA) and an omega-3 fatty called acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While studying the organism they found these algae were also useful in an unexpected setting on Earth. One such invention came from Nasa’s experiments on microalgae, a crop they could grow easily and compactly in space to feed humans. Now a staple in first and aid and disaster kits all over the world, the material in the blankets was originally designed for heat control on spacecraft What Nasa has given us: space blankets for one.
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