The Moon Landing Gave Us Cordless Drills and These 9 Other Innovations

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," astronaut Neil Armstrong is famous for saying upon becoming the first person to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. As the world marks the 50th anniversary of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing, it's worth counting down some of the lasting innovations that are a direct result of that investment in space exploration — and how those technologies continue to make strides for us all.

10. Running Shoe Design

The spring in your step that comes from a great pair of modern kicks is an adaptation of NASA's moon boots, which were engineered for superior shock absorption, motion control and stability.

9. Scratch Resistant Lenses

The domed visors that covered the fronts of the astronauts' helmets were treated with an abrasion-resistant coating, an offshoot of which is now used by glasses manufacturers to make plastic lenses 10 times more scratch resistant.

8. Retractable Roofs

Retractable cable-supported fabric roofs, such as the one over Vancouver's renovated BC Place, are made using super-strong, lightweight material — a modified version of the fabric that was developed for the Apollo spacesuits.

7. Cordless Tools

Tool maker Black & Decker worked with NASA to develop a special battery-operated compact drill that could be used to retrieve soil samples as low as 10 feet below the moon's surface. Later, Black & Decker brought that technology to market in many other cordless tools for commercial and home use, including its Dustbuster, the first mini handheld vacuum.

6. Liquid-Cooled Garments

Designed to maintain the astronauts' body temperatures during blastoff, NASA's Cool Suit technology pumped chilled water through a circulation system made of tubing inside the spacesuit. That technology is now used to protect those who are at risk of being exposed to high temperatures or overheating, including fire fighters, race car drivers and soldiers, as well as sufferers of multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or severe burns.

5. Breathing Equipment

The portable life-support system that allowed Apollo astronauts to breathe on the moon has been improved over the years and today it's commonly used by firefighters to prevent injuries from smoke inhalation.

4. Pacemakers

Apollo's space circuitry technology was used to develop the Automatic Implantable Cardiovertor Defibrillator, or programmable pacemaker, which significantly lowers the incidence of heart attacks in people with arrhythmia.

3. Insulation

Thin sheets of aluminium and mylar insulation in NASA spacecraft protected the Apollo astronauts from radiation and temperature extremes ranging from about 200 C to -240 C. Similar radiant insulation is now used in buildings, cars, food transportation and packaging as well as emergency blankets.

2. Digital Imaging

Digital image processing software allowed the Apollo team to send back home sharper images of the lunar surface than standard analog transmissions would allow. Similar digital imaging technology is now used in medical diagnostics, including CAT scans, radiography and sonar body imaging.

1. Compact Computers

Before Apollo, computers were so large they'd take up entire rooms. That obviously wasn't going to fly, so MIT worked with NASA to design an onboard computer that was about a one-foot cube in size and weighed 32 kilograms. It used integrated circuits rather than transistors and capacitors, an innovation that many view as the technological revolution that inspired the microchip.