Memory golf clubs

Helping baggy pants-wearing golfers to accelerate the golf ball with even greater control, NASA's experimentation at their Marshall Space Flight Center, helped to conceive the first set of Memory golf clubs.

Exploring the properties of metals that changed shape depending on temperature changes, the shape memory effect metal alloy was conceived. The high-damping memory alloy called Zeemet became the brains behind the new set of clubs.

The results of developing the super-elastic material led to the Nicklaus Golf Equipment Company in Florida creating a new line of golf clubs that was made available to both professional and amateur golfers.

Panoramic photography

Helping to alleviate a photographers' greatest gripe of having to leave out a part of a spectacular mountain scene out of their picture, cameras used to capture photography on Mars helped to introduce panoramic pictures here back on Earth.

Inspired by cameras used by Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, the Panoramic camera or Pancam, mounted on top of each rover could tilt a full 180 degrees and swivel 360 degrees, enabling the capture of a full scale view of the Martian landscape. The Gigapan, essentially an intelligent tripod was soon developed and found its way years later propped up on the now infamous Google Street View camera cars.

Personal storm warning systems

A Spacecraft's least best friend, lightning has fried many an onboard electronics system in past adventures, and through NASA's pursuit of more research into the habits of lightning, we can now also now steer clear from the thunderous bolts. The personal lightning detector, when pointed up at the clouds can detect the formation of lightning through subtle changes in light levels, suitably alleviating many golfers' concerns of being struck on a round of 18 holes.

Proporta iPad 2 screen protector

Keeping your beloved Apple tablet nice and hygienic, these Antibacterial Germ Resistant Advanced Screen Protectors use the same Steritouch technology used by NASA in the '60s to purify water, to guard against unwanted bugs.

Satellite television

Before Murdoch got his media mogul hands on Premier League football and all the best telly, worldwide television wasn't possible until the arrival of the world's first active communications satellite.

Initially designed to amplify a signal received from the ground and to relay it back to another ground station, The Telstar satellite launch was locked onto by an antenna situated in Andover, Maine. This enabled Americans on July 1st 1962 to see their nation's flag fluttering while the very first televised pictures were transmitted across the Atlantic Ocean to European television screens.

Ski boots

A skiing holiday spent in the Alps could have been a significantly colder ordeal had NASA not laid a hand in the ski boot design that made the winter sport pastime a considerably warmer experience.

Borrowing element circuitry that helped to keep Apollo astronaut warm or cool in the extreme temperatures of the Moon, the built-in rechargeable footwarming devices were eventually made available to anyone who fancied hurtling themselves down mountains of the white stuff.

Space blankets

More familiar to marathon and charity fun runners across the land, these instant bringers of heat were first developed by NASA in 1964. Made from a thin sheet of plastic that coated with a metallic reflecting agent, the combination of materials reflects the wearer's body heat back on to the body, which should create sufficient warmth before you can get to a heavily central heated building.

Stronger sunglasses

NASA have had a generous hand in helping our shades do their job that little bit better by keeping those incessant rays from giving us rather sore eyes.

Manufacturers such as Ray-Ban have been using the diamond-like carbon material used to protect astronaut's helmets from being scratched by space particles, while Adidas have incorporated the SPACE Lens technology that helps protect astronauts against infrared and ultraviolet light, currently sported by many a flamboyant professional athlete.

ThrustMaster joystick

Unsurprisingly, space adventures have contributed more to the gaming world than futuristic storylines, having helped to bring to life the ThrustMaster joystick.

Mirroring the design of the Rotational Hand Controller built for Johnson Space Center and Lockheed Martin, NASA used the ThrustMaster-designed sticks for Space Shuttle training simulations to practise runway touchdowns.

In 1997 ThrustMaster launched their NASA inspired joystick to the consumer delivering a digital controller featuring four programmable axes and six programmable buttons that has become a staple for 3D gamers everywhere.

Verilux TwiLight Blue Light Therapy Sleep System

One small step for sleep, one giant leap towards a fresher start to the day. The Verilux light therapy system was developed by NASA who spent time investigating the effects of exposure to different amounts of light.

It is now used to regulate sleep patterns and increase energy levels. The blue spectrum light signals the body to produce less Melatonin in the body which regulates your evening kip. Just 30 minutes per day is said to have you sleeping like an astro baby.

Winglets

In the most logical and successful crossovers into everyday tech, the winglet or the vertical tip at the end of an aeroplane was initially developed by aeronautical engineer Dr. Richard Whitcomb at NASA's Langley Research Centre in the 1970s.

Found on all walks of aircraft life, the winglet improves fuel efficiency and cruising range greatly. Producing a degree of forward thrust, the drag normally associated with flight and the reduced wingtip drag incurred reduces fuel consumption while extending its range.