Chrysler Partners with... NASA

It would appear the automotive sector becomes more and more appealing for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After last month several NASA experts were drafted by the US government to have a look at the intricate details of the Toyota accelerator pedals (so, building a car is rocket science after all), NASA announced today it has formed a partnership with... Chrysler.

We mean, really, this is an alliance. As in more than one giving a piece of advice to the other. Chrysler and NASA will work together, use each other's technologies in their respective activities and, who knows, maybe built a... Chrys-caft, or something. Or maybe Sergio Marchionne wants to buy the final frontier and needs a way to get there...

Seriously now, the two are looking for synergies and shared interest in materials engineering, robotics, radar, battery systems and other energy storage mediums. For each task, the two have set up a team, formed from a Chrysler and a NASA technical specialist.

“This is a great opportunity to share knowledge and data in areas where both Chrysler Group and NASA have a vested interest,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President, Chrysler Engineering. “We value the opportunity to work with NASA and will implement what is learned to further improve our Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram Truck products.”

The get-together of the two otherwise unlikely partners is not all that new. Back in 1961, when NASA was pulling quadruple shifts for the Mercury Project, Chrysler was building the Redstone rockets. They also built the boosters for the first two Apollo spacecrafts.

So, next time your driving around in your Chrysler Town & Country, be proud. There might be some NASA tech in there somewhere. Very, very well hidden... The truth, however, as well know, is out there...