How the Inventor Of The Super Soaker Is Now A Pioneer In Renewable Energy

Kitchen rocket fuel experiment

At age 12-14, Johnson nearly burned down his kitchen while melting potassium nitrate for homemade rocket fuel, filling the room with thick smoke and burning holes in chairs.

Father's supportive response

Instead of punishing him, his father bought him a hot plate to conduct experiments outside, a decision Johnson credits with preserving his willingness to take intellectual risks.

Early mechanical fascination

Nicknamed "the professor" in Mobile, Alabama, he constantly disassembled household items like his sister's doll to understand their internal mechanics.

Advanced degrees and Air Force service

After earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering and MS in Nuclear Engineering from Tuskegee University in 1975, he served as a nuclear safety officer at Kirkland Air Force Base for the Voyager program.

Critical NASA safety analysis

He identified a critical error in NASA's analysis regarding the re-entry risks of the Centaur upper stage, specifically concerning the potential release of nuclear fuel spheres into the biosphere.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory appointment

This safety analysis led directly to a job offer at JPL in Pasadena, where he worked as a systems engineer on the Galileo mission to Jupiter.

Galileo spacecraft memory solution

At JPL, he invented a "memory keep alive power supply" to prevent the loss of programming in the spacecraft's volatile memory during power failures, despite initial skepticism from colleagues.

Premature technology patents

He held early patents for digital encoders, automatic sprinkler systems, and digital thermostats in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but struggled to find commercial traction for being too early to market.

Pivot to toy invention

Frustrated by the lack of traction for complex inventions, he decided to develop a simple toy that could generate income to support his goal of becoming a full-time independent inventor.

Accidental discovery during heat pump research

While developing an environmentally friendly heat pump using water instead of freon, he accidentally shot a powerful stream of water across his bathroom, inspiring the high-performance water gun concept.

Application of fluid dynamics principles

He applied engineering principles including Force = Pressure × Area to design a pump small children could operate, and minimized head loss using large diameter tubes to maximize nozzle pressure.

Garage prototype construction

He constructed the first prototype using super glue, machined nozzles, and custom-made valves and seals while working evenings at home after his JPL day job.