From breast cancer treatments to self-driving cars and fitness trackers, space exploration is improving life on Earth for millions of people.
As the James Webb Space Telescope beams incredible images back to Nasa, scientists hailed the way the same technology has been used to improve eye surgery.
It is the latest example of how space research can be used in multiple formats of everyday life, particularly in improving healthcare.
The eyesight of millions has improved thanks to the technology used to build the Webb telescope over decades, by driving major improvements to Lasik eye surgery.
The same process for measuring the powerful mirrors used by the telescope to capture fragments of light from more than 13 billion years ago in deep space has been incorporated into a device to precisely measure the human eye.
The technology has been incorporated into Johnson & Johnson Visions iDesign Refractive Studio, a device that takes measurements to map imperfections in visual pathways and cornea curvature, similar to a unique optical fingerprint for each eye.
The mirrors were one of the really critical technologies we needed to develop to enable the observatory, said Lee Feinberg, optical telescope element manager for Webb at Nasas Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland.
We had to polish them in such a way that, when they cool down, they become the mirror shape that we want.
We had to match the curvature of one mirror to the next, which was a very challenging problem.
Since the early 2,000s, the technology has been expanded and used elsewhere, including in treating people with degenerative eye conditions.
Johnson & Johnson Vision, which is headquartered in Santa Ana, California, acquired the technology in 2017, incorporating it into its iDesign Refractive Studio, which won approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2018.
It has been used in more than 18 million successful procedures worldwide by eye doctors in 47 countries.
Although Nasa didnt invent the technology used in thousands of hospitals around the world, the same digital image processing technique was used to enhance photographs of the moon.
That eventually led to the evolution of computerised tomography used daily in MRI and CT scans to provide potentially life-saving images for doctors.
Space engineers worked alongside doctors to develop an artificial heart pump in 1995 that uses similar technology intended for space shuttle fuel injectors.
The lifesaving device pumps blood from the heart to the rest of the body via a control unit and battery pack and acts as a stop-gap for patients awaiting a heart transplant.
The next-generation foam used to insulate the external tanks of the space shuttle has since been used to build moulds for amputees.
The materials used are affordable and robust, making them perfect for the development of artificial limbs.
The Nasa technology was originally developed for experiments to grow plants in space. For more than a decade it has been used to reduce the painful side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients and those receiving a stem-cell transplant.
Trials of a High Emissivity Aluminiferous Luminescent Substrate, or Heals device, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, found a 96 per cent improvement in pain management in those who used LEDs (a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it).
The light sources release energy in the form of photons, that stimulate cells to aid the healing process.
Wearable devices to measure biometric activity are commonplace. But the EmbracePlus smartwatch designed to monitor astronauts during deep space exploration is now being used to monitor patients.
It offers doctors real-time monitoring of physiological data of patients to help collect valuable information for research studies and clinical trials. It is proving particularly effective in neurology, by advancing the research on those with Alzheimers, dementia or brain injuries when it can be difficult to get accurate patient-generated data.
Nasa has developed its Deep Space Networks a GPS navigation system for space. The technology relies on atomic clocks for the precise accuracy required during huge distances.
The refined lasers and oscillators used in the technology can help with communications on Earth and range-finders for self-driving cars.
Updated: July 23, 2022, 8:34 AM
Read more:
How space technology like the James Webb telescope is improving healthcare on Earth - The National
- Woman Who Conceived Twins in Rape Rejects Abortion, Shares How Her 21-Year-Old Twins Saved Her Life - The Epoch Times - October 13th, 2022
- Kid Captain Eli Belser takes the field with Hawkeyes, celebrating two years cancer free - UI The Daily Iowan - September 8th, 2022
- How COVID-19, Long COVID, and COVID Vaccines Differ Between Males and Females - CreakyJoints - July 27th, 2022
- Researchers find fabrication of artificial heart for transplant - ThePrint - July 19th, 2022
- Paolo Macchiarini - Wikipedia - July 3rd, 2022
- President Freeman Hrabowski prepares for retirement after turning UMBC into the top producer of Black M.D., Ph.D. graduates - Afro American - July 3rd, 2022
- Women find community in STEM fields at UA - The University of Alabama Crimson White - April 19th, 2022
- Poker Run event planned to benefit twins with rare syndrome - The Andalusia Star-News - Andalusia Star-News - April 6th, 2022
- Dr Borehams Crucible: Mesoblast within months of 3 major trial results, key regulatory decision - Stockhead - July 6th, 2020
- Alabama Stem Cells | Stem Cell TV - September 12th, 2019
- Only Cosmetic Stem Cell Therapy in Alabama - msbmd.com - April 20th, 2019
- Stem Cell Therapy in Houston, TX | National Stem Cell Centers - March 23rd, 2019
- Central Alabama Pain Management Center Established 1993 - March 6th, 2019
- Stem Cell Mobile Alabama 36607 - January 4th, 2019
- Stem Cell Birmingham Alabama 35282 - August 30th, 2018
- USA College of Medicine - University of South Alabama ... - July 24th, 2018
- Researchers find new glioblastoma inhibitor - Patient Daily - August 24th, 2017
- A Chip That Reprograms Cells Helps Healing, At Least In Mice - Alabama Public Radio - August 12th, 2017
- 'Happiness' Explores The Complex Push And Pull Of Human Relationships - Alabama Public Radio - August 12th, 2017
- Hampton Creek to enter clean meat market in 2018: 'We are building a multi-species, multi-product platform' - FoodNavigator-USA.com - June 30th, 2017
- Brain Tumors: Still Devastating, but Treatment Has Come a Long Way - Newswise (press release) - June 20th, 2017
- Walk for "terrible, awful" disease - Timmins Press - June 18th, 2017
- Rare disease hits 2 of family's 4 children - The Ledger - June 18th, 2017
- Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (HRC) Reaches $76.89 52-Week High, Biotime (NYSEMKT:BTX) Shorts Increased By 4.64% - UtahHerald.com - June 13th, 2017
- STEM College Students Who Learn by Example May Lack Key Attribute - GoodCall News (blog) - June 13th, 2017
- Wolf Evolution and Settled Science - PLoS Blogs (blog) - June 8th, 2017
- 3D-Printed Patch Mends Hearts - Photonics.com - June 6th, 2017
- When states have strong guns laws, they also have fewer fatal police shootings - Los Angeles Times - May 19th, 2017
- Top graduating senior in 'crazy race to the finish line' | Berkeley News - UC Berkeley - May 9th, 2017
- 3D-printed patch could lead to new treatments for patients after a heart attack - Biotechin.Asia - May 5th, 2017
- Meet Curry Cates: 2017 Big Man on Campus - The Auburn Plainsman - April 28th, 2017
- Andrews Institute Looks Ahead - Inweekly - April 27th, 2017
- UMN research team fixes broken hearts with 3D-printed tissue patch - Minnesota Daily - April 27th, 2017
- Bengals set to hold onto McCarron for at least 1 more year | Sports ... - Newsexaminer - April 27th, 2017
- Andrews Institute Celebrates Ten Years, Looks to Next Ten - WUWF - April 25th, 2017
- Scientists want to help you recover heart attack with a 3d printed patch - Industry Leaders Magazine - April 25th, 2017
- Bengals set to hold onto McCarron for at least 1 more year - WTOP - April 25th, 2017
- Mending broken hearts - The Sydney Morning Herald - April 22nd, 2017
- 3D-printed Patch Can Help Mend a 'Broken' Heart | Technology ... - Technology Networks - April 22nd, 2017
- UAB performs Alabama's first transplant where cadaver liver is 'kept ... - Medical Xpress - April 22nd, 2017
- Heart-healing patch has got the beat - New Atlas - April 20th, 2017
- 3D-printed Patch Can Help Mend a 'Broken' Heart - Technology Networks - April 19th, 2017
- 3D-Printed Patch Can Help Mend a 'Broken' Heart | Lab Manager - Lab Manager | News (press release) (blog) - April 18th, 2017
- 3D-printed patch can help mend a broken heart - UMN News - April 14th, 2017
- Bart Starr returns to Tijuana for stem cells - USA Today - April 10th, 2017
- Pioneering Investigators in Experimental Heart Stem Cell and ... - Newswise (press release) - April 9th, 2017
- The mystique of the invisible: Understanding mental illness - Glens Falls Post-Star - March 27th, 2017
- The Equities Research Analysts' Updated EPS Estimates for March, 20th (AIMT, AMID, AUPH, AVD, BDREF, BPTH ... - Petro Global News 24 - March 23rd, 2017
- Hettinger, ND gets state-of-art new clinic and vets - AG Week - March 21st, 2017
- Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids' - Alabama Public Radio - March 21st, 2017
- State-of-art new clinic - and vets - The Dickinson Press - March 19th, 2017
- 3 Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Treatments - Alabama Public Radio - March 16th, 2017
- Hot Biotech Stocks Recap: Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR), Biostage, Inc. (NASDAQ:BSTG) - The Voice Registrar - March 7th, 2017
- Trump's coal council to drill down on advanced technology - Washington Examiner - March 6th, 2017
- Embryo Experiments Reveal Earliest Human Development, But Stir Ethical Debate - Alabama Public Radio - March 3rd, 2017
- Houston Solar Car featured in IMAX film, Smithsonian - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - February 24th, 2017
- News Scan for Feb 20, 2017 - CIDRAP - February 21st, 2017
- On Second Attempt, SpaceX Launches Rocket At NASA's Historic Pad - Alabama Public Radio - February 20th, 2017
- A Liftoff Deferred: SpaceX Mission From NASA's Historic Launch Pad Delayed - Alabama Public Radio - February 19th, 2017
- ECO VIEWS: Advertising is not just for humans - Tuscaloosa News - February 13th, 2017
- ECOViEWS: Advertising is not just for humans - Aiken Standard - February 11th, 2017
- Unsung: Jewel Plummer Cobb - Undark Magazine - February 8th, 2017
- Bart Starr prepares to watch Super Bowl from home as health keeps improving - USA TODAY - February 7th, 2017
- Romero '87 Sees ACLU Donations Soar, Munson *79 to Lead RIT, and More - Princeton Alumni Weekly - February 7th, 2017
- Meet the Team - The University of Alabama at Birmingham - January 26th, 2017
- Tallasee Dog Undergoes Stem Cell Procedure - Alabama News - December 30th, 2016
- Dermal fibroblast - Wikipedia - November 27th, 2016
- Stem Cell Hair Growth Huntsville | Steve Latham Hair ... - September 12th, 2016
- Adult Stem Cell Success - Children of God for Life - April 18th, 2015
- Can cancer vaccines prolong survival? - April 7th, 2015
- Human embryonic stem cells clinical trials - Wikipedia ... - February 19th, 2015
- Christian singer Carman shares testimony of cancer victory - February 2nd, 2015
- Urban Dictionary: stem cell - January 21st, 2015
- Huntsville blood bank to preserve umbilical cord tissues - November 25th, 2014
- CGS : 60 Minutes Exposes Stem Cell Scams Again - November 22nd, 2014
- What Are Stem Cells? (with pictures) - wiseGEEK - November 16th, 2014
- alabama StemCells Therapy StemCells Therapy - October 24th, 2014
- Life Issues Institute - Successes of Adult Stem Cell ... - October 16th, 2014
- A heartbeat away? Hybrid 'patch' could replace transplants - October 1st, 2014
- Huntsville AL Resources - Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses ... - September 29th, 2014