Why don't more federal agencies tout their economic impact like NASA? People think of a NASA investment much differently than, say, a DOT investment...
NASA research has led to the development of 2000 commercialized products and services (called "NASA spin-off technologies") including:
• Invisalign
• CAT Scans
• Baby formula
• Memory foam
• Home insulation
• Computer mouse
• Ear thermometer
• Freeze-dried food
• Cell phone cameras
• Scratch-resistant lenses
• Water-purification (for pools)
• Athletic shoes (shock absorbers)
• Black & Decker Dustbuster vacuum
There have been so many spin-offs that NASA has a web portal and print publication to catalog them. The portal also says these 3 famous examples — Tang, Velcro, Teflon — were *not* made by NASA.