Space invaders: NASA inventions that weren’t

NASA is often credited with having invented these popular items and technologies. But the space exploration agency cannot (and does not) claim credit for these inventions.

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We can thank the Swiss for velcro. The invention, which came about in the 1940's, was used by astronauts during the Apollo missions to keep items from floating around in zero gravity.

John Moore / GETTY IMAGES

The anti-stick material that now coats the bottom of pots and pans, was developed by DuPont in 1938. NASA used it on space suits, heat shields, and cargo hold liners.

/ AP

While often credited with inventing the first cordless power tool, the technology predates NASA's involvement with it. The first cordless power tool was developed by Black & Decker in 1961, according to NASA. The company teamced with Martin Marietta Corporation to develop a zero-impact wrench for the Gemini program. Black & Decker was also behind the development of a cordless rotary hammer drill used in the Apollo program.

Anonymous / ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASA does not take credit for inventing barcodes. While the agency has its own type of barcode system made to withstand harsh environments, the original barcode's creation predates the agency's involvement.

Martin Meissner / ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASA, as part of the Skylab project, created a smoke detector with adjustable sensitivity, but does not claim credit for inventing the device. Honeywell created the first commerically available device with variable sensitivity, which was marketed to help consumers avoid "nuisance" alarms. It is no longer sold commerically.

Tom Allen / TWP

MRI technology - Contrary to popular belief, NASA does not claim credit for the invention of multi-resonance imaging, or MRI, technology. Rather, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed digital image processing technology in the early 1960's, during the lead-up to the Apollo Lunar Landing. NASA has since contributed further developments in MRI technology.

WARREN JORGENSEN / ASSOCIATED PRESS

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Vice President Joe Biden speaks before the Frederick Douglass statue now permanently placed in the US Capitol's Emancipation Hall in Washington, DC on June 19, 2013. The statue of the abolition leader was chosen by District residents to represent them in the Capitol because of his stance on self governance according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The statue by artist Steven Weitzman, was blocked from it's placement in the Capitol for years, a victim of rules that stated that only the 50 states can display statues of their favored sons and daughters in the Capitol. The House and Senate passed a resolution last month allowing DC to be represented in Emancipation Hall which features statues of notable leaders nominated by each state. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)

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TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

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Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

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NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

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In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

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Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

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