NASA Engineer Accidentally Creates Super Soaker

The NASA Engineer Behind the Super Soaker

On a sweltering summer day, July 17, 1990, in Atlanta, Georgia, engineer Lonnie Johnson was patenting his latest creation, the Super Soaker. Johnson, a NASA engineer by trade, had inadvertently stumbled upon the concept for the water gun while working on a refrigeration system. By 1991, the Super Soaker would become a household name, but few knew about its origins in the unlikeliest of places: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the Super Soaker was created by a toy company looking to capitalize on summertime fun. The standard story goes that the water gun was designed by a team of experts in the toy industry, with the sole purpose of making a profit. However, this narrative neglects the actual story of how the Super Soaker came to be, and the unexpected background of its inventor.

What History Actually Shows

Lonnie Johnson, a NASA engineer with a background in aerospace engineering, was working on a project to create a new type of refrigeration system in 1989. Johnson's work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory involved designing systems that could efficiently cool electronics, but he was also experimenting with other ideas in his spare time. Historian Carroll Pursell, in his book "The Machine in America," notes that engineers like Johnson often worked on side projects, which could lead to unexpected innovations. By 1990, Johnson had filed for a patent for his accidental discovery, a water gun that could shoot a stream of water with unprecedented force. According to Johnson's own account, as recorded in an interview with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, he was initially trying to create a new type of heat pump, but his experiment resulted in a powerful water gun instead. Johnson's invention was soon licensed to the Larami Corporation, which began mass-producing the Super Soaker in 1991. As historian Steven Johnson, author of "Where Good Ideas Come From," points out, the intersection of different fields and disciplines can often lead to groundbreaking innovations, and the Super Soaker is a prime example of this phenomenon. By examining the actual events and people involved, it becomes clear that the creation of the Super Soaker was not just a result of chance, but rather the result of a talented engineer's curiosity and creativity.

The Part That Got Buried

Johnson's story was overlooked by the media because they focused more on the toy's popularity rather than its origins. The media outlets, such as The New York Times and CNN, prioritized interviews with toy executives over the actual inventor, which led to a lack of coverage about Johnson's background as a NASA engineer. Additionally, Hasbro, the company that acquired the rights to the Super Soaker, did not emphasize Johnson's NASA connection in their marketing campaigns, instead choosing to focus on the toy's fun and playful nature. This decision was made by Hasbro's marketing team, who believed that highlighting the toy's educational value would not appeal to their target audience. As a result, Johnson's story was not told, and his achievement was reduced to a footnote in the history of the Super Soaker.

The Ripple Effect

The invention of the Super Soaker led to the creation of a new line of water guns that were designed for high-pressure water propulsion. This technology was later used in fire hoses and other equipment used by firefighters. For example, the modern fire hose nozzle, which is capable of propelling water at high pressures, was directly influenced by Johnson's design. The firefighters who use these nozzles are affected by Johnson's invention, as they are able to put out fires more efficiently and effectively.

The Line That Says It All

Johnson's NASA engineering background was consistently omitted from the Super Soaker's official history, a fact that was only recently rediscovered through archival research.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the history of the Super Soaker and its inventor, Lonnie Johnson.