Jul 8 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-083
NASA AND CHRYSLER ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIP TO EXPLORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
WASHINGTON -- A new agreement between NASA and Chrysler may put rocket science on the road and automotive technologies in space. The collaboration seeks to use technologies originally developed for human spaceflight to enhance future vehicles and adapt advanced automotive technology for use in space. Through its Innovative Partnerships Program, NASA has entered into a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement with Chrysler Group LLC to coordinate technology development and pursue partnership opportunities in areas such as mobility systems, advanced materials and wireless technologies. The goal of the agreement is to advance technologies in areas of common technical interest by leveraging each organization's skills and expertise. Some of the areas to be reviewed include materials engineering, robotics, radar and battery systems. "The investment in NASA technologies has led to hundreds of applications here on Earth for several decades now, and this collaboration with Chrysler promises to continue that tradition, said Mike Coats, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA has worked with the Chrysler Group on previous space ventures. In 1961, Chrysler built Redstone rockets for the Mercury Project that put the first American in space. Also, Chrysler built boosters to power the first two Apollo spacecraft, launching Apollo 7 into Earth orbit and Apollo 8 on its way to the moon.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-126
SPACE STATION CREW TALKS WITH STUDENTS AT FLORIDA SCIENCE CENTER
WASHINGTON -- Approximately 500 middle school students and teachers at the Pinellas County Science Center in St. Petersburg, Fla., will have an out-of-this-world phone conversation with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Flight Engineers Doug Wheelock, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and Shannon Walker will make the long-distance phone call on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. EDT. Students have prepared for the downlink by using data from NASA's satellite network to complete lessons in robotics and marine science. NASA astronaut Robert Springer will be on hand at the center to speak with the students and answer questions. NASA education staffers also will conduct experiments with the students. The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education Office program. It promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of human spaceflight. The center is celebrating its 50th year as a non-profit educational facility with programs focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The center houses an observatory, planetarium, marine touch tank, weather station, wetlands and labs for cyber security, forensics, chemistry, robotics, energy, petrology and computers. NASA Television will air video from the station during the event. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
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