6 Fun Facts About NASA (That You Don’t Know)
President Eisenhower established NASA in 1958, and it has since gained notoriety for its spacecraft and ingenuity. Here are six of the many NASA stories that don't appear in the morning newspaper.
1. Preventing Itches
The astronauts' spacesuits are excellent for spacewalks but not so good if you suddenly get an itch on your face. Since it's impossible to just lift your arm to itch, astronauts come up with inventive ways to get around that specific nuisance.
Utilizing a foam block known as a Valsalva is one trick. It is necessary to pressurize astronauts' suits before they exit the shuttle, which, like flying in an airplane, could cause one's ears to pop. They can employ the Valsalva to stop their nose from running and their ears from popping in order to avoid that. If necessary, you can even use that to scratch your nose.
2. Invented Kid’s Toys
NASA is credited for inventing many things from firefighting equipment to velcro (which is wrong).
However, they did invent a water gun. NASA’s former system engineer, Lonnie Johnson invented the super soak water gun. Lonnie Johnson is also credited for inventing the stealth bomber.
3. First Meal on the Moon
On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the moon. It was a historic day for humanity. The two men sat down to enjoy the first breakfast on the Moon as they celebrated being the first to walk on the Moon. The menu item that was? Peaches, sugar cookie squares, a pineapple-grapefruit cocktail, bacon (a mainstay of American cuisine), and coffee.
4. Before NASA, there was NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was established by President Woodrow Wilson prior to the creation of NASA. The primary duties of NACA were supervising and directing scientific research as well as investigating flight-related issues.
5. They Pay for You to Sleep
NASA and DLR were giving $19,000 to 24 participants to sleep in bed for 2 months. According to a statement from DLR, the study's goal is to examine how the body changes in weightlessness. Space scientists seek to develop ways to mitigate the effects of weightlessness by doing this. (This would prevent astronauts from having to spend a significant amount of time exercising within the space station.)
6. Life Insurance Issue
People commemorate Apollo 11 as the first time humans set foot on the moon. But before they launched into space, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, the three astronauts who manned the trip, could not secure life insurance from any companies.
They signed envelopes and postcards that friends postmarked with their launch and landing dates so that they could sell them for a lot of money to space enthusiasts in the event that they didn't make it back to Earth alive and support their families.
Final Words
NASA has done a lot of things that are notable from its founding in 1958 to now. We hope you enjoyed these fun facts.
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