Lonnie Johnson | From NASA Engineering to the Super Soaker and Clean Energy
Hall of Records · Chamber of Knowledge
Lonnie Johnson is an engineer and inventor best known for creating the Super Soaker while also working on aerospace and energy technologies.
Record Overview
His career has included work with the U.S. Air Force, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, toy development, batteries, and thermodynamic energy systems.
Documented Record
The commercial success of the Super Soaker made him one of the most visible Black inventors of modern consumer products.
Why This Record Matters
The record documents a career moving across government research, play, licensing, entrepreneurship, and long-term clean-energy ambition.
Record Timeline
- 1970s–1980s: Johnson works in aerospace engineering and develops the water-blaster concept.
- 1990s: The Super Soaker becomes a major commercial product.
- Later decades: He develops battery and energy-conversion technologies.
- Ongoing: Johnson continues invention and entrepreneurship.
Living Archive
- How were licensing and royalty disputes resolved?
- Which clean-energy inventions have reached deployment?
- What lessons does his career offer Black inventors seeking capital?
Sources and Image
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons file: Lonnie Johnson, Office of Naval Research (crop).jpg. Review the file page for creator, attribution, and license.
Image-use note: Confirm the Wikimedia Commons file-page license, attribution, and personality-rights requirements before publication.
Image note: Recovered documentary/archival image. Review source-page attribution and reuse rights before publication.
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