20 everyday inventions that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for space travel

For those who might think space travel is an unnecessary expense, you might want to reconsider. The fact of the matter is that many of the tools and appliances we use on a daily basis are the result of new technologies developed for the purpose of space travel.

Take camera phones, for example. In 1990, a team of scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory worked to create cameras small enough to fit on spacecraft and with scientific quality. Nowadays, one-third of all cameras contain this technology.

The athletic shoes you jog in are no different—they were created by a former NASA engineer who worked on suit construction technology. Curious what else was created through humanity’s quest to go to outer space? Here’s a list of 18 other inventions that wouldn’t exist without space travel.