NASA Uses Plenty of Off-the-Shelf Stuff

1. NASA Uses Plenty of Off-the-Shelf Stuff

Just because it’s used for space travel doesn’t mean that it all has to be made by NASA. After the Apollo mission, NASA officials have increasingly relied on stock components.

As a government agency that relies money from Congress for its funds, NASA officials want to keep the agency running as efficiently as possible, Reyna explained. That means focusing its research efforts on projects that are critically important to preserving lives in space.

Even when there is a bit of engineering involved, NASA will start with off-the-shelf devices. Check out the infusion pump above, shown in an online International Space Station catalog from NASA. 

Reyna says the only modification was the battery pack sticking out on the left.