So... what have X-ray and gamma-ray done for ME? Very often,
technologies developed for one purpose can be re-used in other
ways. NASA has an active program to encourage this for
technologies used in its research and exploration programs, to
get the most out of each taxpayer dollar. It does this by
allowing businesses to use NASA inventions. In order for X-rays
and gamma-rays coming from astronomical objects to be studied,
very sensitive instruments must be developed. Astronomers always
want to be able to study fainter and more distant objects. So
they are always designing and building better detector systems.
These detectors, while developed to study distant objects in the
Universe, have found to be useful as well here on Earth.