By Dennis Powell, e-Management

When I was growing up, if you asked any boy what he wanted to be in adulthood, he would probably pick a cool heroes job like fireman, police officer, or the really ambitious would say, President! While I thought all of those careers were really cool, I wanted to be one of three things: (1) a lawyer, (2) a superhero, (3) or an astronaut. As luck would have it, one of my elementary school teachers who had an obsession with aerospace and space flights introduced me to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  From that point forward, I made regular weekend trips to that museum long into my teen years. Even today, it’s my favorite Smithsonian destination.

My flight-obsessed elementary school teacher also introduced me to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and all the “great things they do.” According to him, the agency was the pioneer of our times.  He said NASA was responsible or helped promote technology that consumers take for granted and predicted that the work of NASA would have long lasting impact on all of us.  NASA was an easy sell. After all, like many of my peers growing up, I was obsessed with “spacey” sci-fi TV shows and movies such as Star Trek (the original), Star Wars, Buck Rogers, and the underrated Space 1999. Since NASA ran the space program in the USA, it was the coolest agencies…even cooler than the CIA. NASA missions or developments were the only news items other than sports that even remotely interested me as a youth. NASA news was always about the future. Who remembers or knows the stories of NASA successes such as the Apollo 11 moonwalk and the pride that mission brought to our country?

NASA, the great promoter.
Beyond the sheer awesomeness of space flight, NASA raised the profile of popular brands and materials such as Velcro, Teflon, and Tang because of their association with the Space Program. These brands and products have had profound effects on our lives. What kid in the 1960s didn’t think Tang was going to help her or him grow into strong astronauts? Another innovation, memory foam, was born out of a NASA contract. Consumer applications of this technology included medical cushions, mattresses, and orthopedic seating pads. What’s more, NASA innovation brought us the kidney dialysis. Private companies working with NASA improved on cordless tools including vacuums and lightweight power tools. Plus, NASA applications of technology led to consumer use of satellite TV.  How many NFL fans can live without their satellite TV sports package?  I thought so.

Did you know? There’s even a for anyone who wants to learn more about how NASA has affected all of us.

So, what’s next?
It’s all over the news that NASA is phasing out its 30-year space shuttle program. Naturally, many people are asking about the future of the agency. With the absence of iconic space crafts, look for the Juno launch in August 2011. Why is this important? The Juno mission may help our understanding of the origin of our solar system by examining Jupiter’s properties and evolution. Later in the year, we could see a mission to Mars to determine if the red-planet is ripe for inhabitants. Expect this mission to launch in November 2011. If we’re lucky, we may even get to meet Marvin the Martian in person. In the future, NASA could focus on building crafts capable of taking humans to the far reaches of our solar system.

NASA has had less shiny moments in its history. Many of us remember where we were and what we doing during the space shuttle Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) disasters. Still, the agency was able to recovery and put in place improved safety issues and processes to help mitigate the risks around space travel—rebuilding our confidence.

Fond memories. Future predictions.
Now, I turn it over to you. What are your memories of NASA? How has NASA or the space flight program affected you? What technologies coming out of NASA or NASA partnerships have had the most impact on your life? What do you think should be the future of NASA? Medical research? Space explorations? Robotics engineering? I look forward to your reply and feel free to forward to your friends.