Who invented Tang? You’ve probably heard that NASA is responsible for the creation of the orange powdered drink mix. But it was actually created by William A. Mitchell for General Foods in 1957.
The mix was never very popular as a breakfast drink, which it was intended for, but gained massive popularity in 1962 when astronaut John Glenn performed eating experiments in orbit.
From nasa.gov
Are Tang, Teflon, and Velcro NASA spinoffs?
Tang, Teflon, and Velcro, are not spinoffs of the Space Program. General Foods developed Tang in 1957, and it has been on supermarket shelves since 1959. In 1962, when astronaut John Glenn performed eating experiments in orbit, Tang was selected for the menu, launching the powdered drink’s heightened public awareness. NASA also raised the celebrity status of Teflon, a material invented for DuPont in 1938, when the Agency applied it to heat shields, space suits, and cargo hold liners. Velcro was used during the Apollo missions to anchor equipment for astronauts’ convenience in zero gravity situations. Although it is a Swiss invention from the 1940s, it has since been associated with the Space Program.
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