What popular children's toy was invented by a former NASA scientist?

The Super Soaker was invented by former NASA scientist and aerospace engineer Lonnie Johnson.

Johnson conceived the idea while working on a heat-pump experiment in the 1980s. A prototype unexpectedly produced a powerful stream of water, suggesting that pressurized air could make a water toy much more effective than a conventional squirt gun. Johnson continued developing the design and patented the invention in 1986.

The toy was originally called the Power Drencher when it reached the market in 1990. After being licensed to Larami Corporation, it was renamed the Super Soaker and became one of the most successful water toys ever sold. Hasbro later acquired Larami and continued selling the brand.

Johnson’s space-related background is genuine, but the invention was not a NASA project. He worked for the U.S. Air Force and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to aerospace and spacecraft-related work, including projects connected with Galileo and Cassini. The common misconception is that NASA directly designed the toy; Johnson developed it independently while applying engineering ideas from his scientific career.