In addition to the Global Positioning System, Tang, Velcro, direct to home (DTH) television, new medical instruments and improved national security, there are many other benefits that have come from our 50 years of investing in the high technologies of space flight. Here are a few.

Astroglide, a brand of personal lubricant manufactured by BioFilm Inc., was invented by two men while working on the space shuttle cooling system at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977.

Then there is Ball Invasion, an iPad App that lets you shoot at balls that are hidden in the real world. This game was developed by a Swedish startup using a NASA technology called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). The technology was originally developed to help robots navigate, but has been modified to work with an iPad's camera and other sensors.

One of the biggest advantages brought to us by NASA is golf balls that fly straighter. Thanks to this breakthrough, the centers of many new golf balls contain a liquid that smoothes the flight and increases accuracy.

A big innovation for teens is a handheld acne-treatment device made by Tyrell Inc. and called Zeno. NASA set up a cooperative arrangement between the inventor and an aerospace contractor at the Kennedy Space Center to help reduce the size and cost of the device.

One innovation made the news a few years ago when NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak went ballistic and drove from Houston to Orlando wearing her space-age diapers. She was on her way to confront her rival for a fellow astronaut's affections and could not be bothered by pit stops on the way. In reality this NASA-developed technology for space flight is also used in regular diapers

So, next time someone complains about not getting anything for our space investment, just tell them about these items. And, there are many more.

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