Lesson 4 Technology and Our Lives
Space Technology for Everyday Use
Did you know that many technologies ____ us originated from space technology?
You may not have realized it, but we have been enjoying the ____ benefits of space technology in our daily lives for a long time.
Let’s see how ____ examples of it have been invented and integrated into our daily lives already.
Memory foam
Memory foam was initially developed to minimize the ____ of the force of gravity on astronauts during takeoff and landing.
Memory foam ____ shock by changing its shape in reaction to pressure, and it can change its shape to match the body shape of an astronaut.
Once the pressure is lifted, ____ foam gradually returns to its original shape, as if it remembered its original form.
Because of this characteristic, it is called “____” foam.
It provides astronauts with improved ____ and comfort when they are in their seats.
Since memory foam was first introduced ____ the public domain, it has been used in a number of products such as beds and sofas.
Water purifier
Today’s water purifier ____ originated from space technology.
While planning their human space exploration program, ____ scientists realized that it was impossible to load a sufficient amount of clean water into a spacecraft.
Then, they hit upon an idea that wastewater could be recycled once ____ bacteria were removed.
So they developed a water purification system that ____ successfully kill off bacteria.
Continued research led to the invention of a better water purification system that uses cartridges for longer missions that did not need to be ____ frequently.
This ____ purifying technique was developed for several decades and then marketed for domestic use.
Air purifier
Another everyday item developed from space technology is the air ____.
A reliable source of food was ____ for survival in space.
In order to get fresh food, astronauts had to cultivate ____ in the spacecraft.
____, there was a major obstacle.
When plants grow, ____ gas is produced.
It ____ the aging of plants and the decaying of fruits.
Since it was impossible to exchange gas for clean air while in space, scientists developed an ____ purification system to remove the gas.
Although the goal was to eliminate ethylene, the system could get rid of other unwanted things from the air, ____.
A private company recognized the potential of the air purification system and obtained a license to ____ and commercialize it.
Wireless headset
The fourth invention is the wireless ____.
It was devised ____ an unexpected incident NASA had experienced.
The second manned spacecraft launched by the U.S. completed its mission and successfully ____ in the Atlantic Ocean.
The command ____ was waiting for the recovery team that would get him and the capsule from the ocean.
Everything was going smoothly ____ unexpectedly, the capsule started to leak.
Water flooded into the cabin before the team arrived, and the pilot had to escape, abandoning all of the spacecraft’s radio ____ equipment.
This prevented him from ____ with the recovery team.
He was left floating in the ____ until he succeeded in visibly getting the rescue helicopter’s attention.
After this accident, NASA and a partner company developed helmets equipped with a radio system that could communicate with a ____ base station.
Later, wireless headsets using this system were ____ to the world.
These days, Bluetooth technology has been incorporated ____ wireless headsets.
Now we can connect headsets wirelessly with mobile digital ____ such as smartphones and laptops.
In our daily ____, there are many other inventions that have their origins in space technology including the smartphone camera and the computer mouse.
Private ____ as well as government organizations have invested heavily in space technology for space exploration.
Therefore, we can expect that our future lives will be significantly influenced by space technology that has ____ yet been invented.