NASA has launched an expanded version of an interactive online program that allows users to discover some of the many NASA technologies that positively impact everyday life. The interactive "NASA at Home" and "NASA City" sites are enhanced with many new features, including green-related information to coincide with Earth Day 2009.

NASA at Home and NASA City take users on an illustrated tour of the commercial technologies and products that trace their origins to NASA's investment in space and aeronautics research and development.

Visitors can scroll more than 100 technologies grouped by themes such as home, airport, grocery store, sports arena, hospital, public safety and manufacturing. After entering an area, users can experience the impact NASA has on their lives and find descriptions of such technologies as temperature-regulated clothing from materials designed for astronaut suits and gloves, wireless headset telephone technology pioneered to transmit the first words from the moon, fire-resistant paint and steel coatings from NASA's heat shield technology, and remote-controlled ovens based on technology used aboard the International Space Station.

Among the new features on the sites is Spinoff Challenge, a metagame that offers users NASA Home and City graphics, wallpapers and screen savers. NASA Billboard gives visitors up to date information about what is new at NASA. Audio and streaming video for each of the technologies enhance the visitor's learning experience. Vibrant visuals enable users to see the showcased technologies in new ways, such as during the manufacturing process or their intended use. Users can share the experience and knowledge with others with the send-to-a-friend function.

NASA has documented more than 1,600 examples of how the agency's technologies have been used to improve life on Earth in its annual "Spinoff" publication. The technologies are available in an online searchable database that can be accessed directly from this new web feature.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/city, http://ipp.nasa.gov/pd_spinoff.htm