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Spinoff story
Shuttle Tire Sensors Warn Drivers of Flat Tires
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
A flat tire can take drivers by surprise. This was something the Space Shuttle engineers at Kennedy Space Center worried about, too. In the 1990s, NASA commissioned a miniature pressure sensor on a silicon chip, powered by a small battery, that alerted pilots if the pressure was low. St. Marys, Pennsylvania-based Amphenol Advanced Sensors adapted the sensor for car tires and sold many millions, most of which ended up on U.S. passenger vehicles.