Wind-tunnel testing at NASA’s Langley Research Center played a key role in the development of Speedo’s LZR Racer swimsuit, proving which materials and seams best reduced drag as a swimmer cuts through the water. The swimsuit made a splash during its Olympic debut in 2008, as nearly every medal winner and world-record breaker wore the suit. Full-body swimsuits, such as the original LZR Racer, have since been disallowed from international competitions, but a modified version of the suit continues to be popular among professional competitors.
The first A in NASA stands for aeronautics—and over the years NASA has pioneered many advances for aircraft, from the shape of the wings to the software that keeps them flying safely. One of the agency's most used tools is the wind tunnel, a facility that can provide relatively cheap aerodynamic tests for experimental designs.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts olympic swimsuits within your city's sports environment!