Space Technology Hall of Fame
Induction Year 1998
TEMPUR-Material™️
The TEMPUR®️ story begins in the late 1960s when NASA scientists were tasked with developing a material to cushion pilots against the rigors of test flight. They invented a completely new viscoelastic material that slowly reacted to body weight, shape and temperature. The viscoelastic material had soft, pressure-relieving properties and high-energy absorption, and was used…
Global Positioning System (GPS)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) program began in 1973 when the U.S. military services and the Defense Mapping Agency combined resources to develop a highly accurate space-based navigation system. Functions not originally envisioned, such as communications system synchronization, search and rescue, precision approaches and landings, and GPS-assisted munitions, have come into common usage within the…