What has NASA Done for You?

At some point your kids may (or may already have) ask you about NASA and what NASA does.  The most common answer is that NASA sends astronauts into space.  Okay, they do, but that's just a small part of what NASA does.  For a full list of NASA activities, check out their webpage:  NASA.

A bigger questions is what does NASA do for YOU?  Exploring planets, sending people into space, building amazing telescopes is one thing, but what benefit does NASA provide to everyday citizens aside from knowledge of space?  At first thought it doesn't seem like they provide much benefit at all, but that first thought is completely wrong.  It's amazing how often you use NASA developed technology in your everyday life.  

One example of NASA's benefit to society is breast cancer screening.  From the NASA website, "A silicon chip originally developed for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope makes the process less painful, less scarring, and less expensive than the traditional biopsy."

For a more complete list, check out:  What Has NASA Done For YOU Lately?

There's another complete list:  NASA's Benefits to Society

Browse through the list and the next time your kids ask about NASA you'll have something to share with them.