Teflon is NOT a By-Product of Space Exploration

Plunkett was carrying out CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) experiments which then were commonly used in refrigeration before being blamed for damaging the Ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere. Quite by accident, Plunkett had refrigerated an experiment overnight and a waxy, milk like substance had formed which possessed unusual properties. Although apparently inert to every chemical it was exposed to including the harshest of acids, the substance was found to be extremely slippery.

DuPont soon found several uses for this discovery. One of the first applications was shrouded in secrecy as it formed part of the Manhattan Project, the american development of the Atomic Bomb. But cookware became a major user of Teflon after the war. Ammunition is often Teflon coated now but, contrary to some claims, this isn't done to add any additional performance to the fired projectile, rather it is to reduce the wear on the weapon firing the bullet.

The only real connection between Teflon and American space exploration is that the Apollo moonshot missions all used Teflon as insulation for electrical cables. Apart from this use there is no other explanation for the myth about Teflon owing it's discovery to the space race.

Teflon offers the lowest friction of any known solid material which is why it excels as a non-stick surface for cooking. In fact Teflon is so slippery that to coat a pan with the substance the surface has to be sand blasted first to create a rough surface that liquid Teflon can bind to before it is sealed and baked to form the final 'non-stick' pan now found in kitchens the world over.