Space Certification


Infinitely Adaptable 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 onboard NASA Space Shuttles.

In the 1980s, NASA published the formula for the viscoelastic technology. Realizing the potential to help improve how people sleep, two Swedish entrepreneurs via their Danish company began perfecting the NASA formula and its manufacturing process. In 1991, they introduced the world’s first viscoelastic mattress and pillow under the brand name TEMPUR®. The adaptive and pressure relieving properties along with its unique comfort and support made TEMPUR-Material™ an instant success, and today TEMPUR® is found in bedrooms around the world, transforming the sleep of millions of people.

After going public on the US stock market in 2003 under the name Tempur-Pedic International Inc., the company acquired Sealy Corporation in 2012 and since then has been operating as Tempur Sealy International Inc. The company has grown to become the world’s largest bedding provider and develops, manufactures and markets mattresses, adjustable bases, pillows and other sleep and relaxation products under various brands. All its TEMPUR® and TEMPUR-PEDIC® branded mattresses, toppers and pillows still use the original NASA technological breakthrough as the basis for the TEMPUR-Material™.

This Certified Space Technology is also inducted in the Space Technology Hall of Fame. To hear the backstory on the space technology that the company adapted to improve sleep and some of the science behind how TEMPUR-Material™ works, listen to the Space4U podcast. For more information on TEMPUR-PEDIC® and its line of products, visit: www.tempurpedic.com in the USA and www.tempur.com for International markets.

Company: Tempur-Pedic