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Spinoff story
Tenderness Tester
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
BLH Electronics, under a NASA contract produced the Tenderometer, now a standard and important part of Armour's meat processing operation. This device originated from the surveyor lunar lander. It includes a large 10 pronged fork which is plunged into carcass and a cable-connected hand-held electronic device that translates the sensings of prongs into a tenderness reading on a dial. Test is used to select and guarantee a premium line of beef known as TesTender whose annual sales run into tens of millions of pounds.