As the shuttle nears retirement, benefits examined

From My Fox Orlando: As the shuttle nears retirement, benefits examined
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Many know the space shuttle helped build most of the International Space Station, but NASA has a list of intended and unintended benefits that have been created as a result of a variety of technology spinoffs developed specifically for the space shuttle program.

"An artificial heart was done as a byproduct of shuttle technology,” says NASA spokesperson Allard Beutel.

It’s true. Famed heart surgeon doctor Michael Debakey helped develop a tiny artificial heart based on fluid flow through the shuttle's complex main engines.

And, to improve the health of space food, NASA discovered an algae nutrient previously only found in breast milk, that is now in 95 percent of all baby formula.

The shuttle also mapped unreachable parts of our planet, and the orbiter’s heat shield technology is in use by NASCAR.

"They use it to protect the drivers from the heat of driving on a NASCAR track,” says Beutel.

In the past, people have been confused about what a space derived technology is, versus a science spinoff. For instance, Tang, Teflon, and Velcro were used in space, but not a result of space exploration, according to NASA’s Beutel.

"Wish we could take credit for those, but no, we just used those and modified them and made them popular."

In all, the space shuttle and the international space station cost taxpayers around $100 billion dollars. Dale Ketcham, Director Spaceport Research Institute at the University of Central Florida argues it’s money well spent.

"The payoff has been substantial to the United States, and I would argue that there is no more worthwhile investment that has created more new technologies."