50 Years of NASA-Derived Technologies

Fifty years ago, the U.S. Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, forming NASA and calling for the widespread dissemination of its newfound technologies to the public. Five decades of daring to challenge the impossible and brave new frontiers of exploration and technology has brought NASA, and indeed humankind, countless discoveries, revelations, and dramatic moments of pride and wonder.

Inspiration fueling innovation, innovation enabling discovery; this is NASA’s legacy and future, and the sometimes serendipitous mechanism through which the lives of the American public, and people worldwide, have benefited. Exploring the cosmos has revolutionized medicine, transportation, public safety, recreation, environmental monitoring and resource management, computer technology, industrial productivity, and our perception of the planet on which we live and the universe of which our Earth is one small part.