July 10, 2011

By Kim Roberson





Kim Roberson















































































Do you remember your very first memory in life?

Mine is standing on a beach just south of the Kennedy Space Center and watching Apollo 17 lift off in the middle of the night on the last flight of the program. I was almost three years-old and that image of the flame streaking through the sky has stuck with me for almost 40 years.

Fast forward to today. Do you know how many ties there are between NASCAR and NASA? There is more than just a history of getting their respective starts on a beach on Florida’s east coast, less than an hour apart from each other.

Last weekend’s Coke Zero 400 paid tribute to this week’s final space shuttle mission by having United States Navy Commander and Astronaut Dominic “Tony” Antonelli, who has served as pilot of both STS-119 Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009 and STS-132 Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2010, served as honorary starter.

Antonelli, who has flown at speeds in excess of 17,000 mph in the shuttle, says he has been a fan of NASCAR for years -- but not because of the speed of the cars. "I was telling people I was a NASCAR fan, they're like 'you must love everything fast.'” he explained last weekend. “Actually, sitting on my couch watching NASCAR doesn't seem like there's all that much speed in my life. I think it's a pretty slow moving spectator sport."

As he stood above the 43 cars as they began the Coke Zero 400 last weekend and waved that green flag in his blue flight suit, I began to wonder just how much NASA has provided to NASCAR over the years.

A little research shows there are quite a few connections between the two efforts, many of which were showcased by NASA in a travelling display called “From Rockets to Race Cars.”

How many times have you seen a driver before or after a race with shiny little heel protectors that they place over the heel of their shoe? That protector is actually like a thermal blanket that helps prevent the heat from the exhaust from burning the heel of their foot. Sure enough, that heat resistant fabric was originally designed by NASA.

HANS device inventor Dr. Robert Hubbard, NASA and NASCAR, have been collaborating in an effort to improve crash restraints for astronauts. The teamwork began in 2008 at Texas Motor Speedway, where officials from NASA's Johnson Space Center and Hubbard met with NASCAR officials to discuss the use of the sanctioning body's data base for assessing crash injury dynamics. NASCAR subsequently provided data taken from recorders in race vehicles, which facilitates the development of injury criteria for astronauts by using computer modeling in conjunction with the real world experience from NASCAR competition.

The prototype HANS-type head restraint for astronauts is comprised of a round collar and yoke made from carbon fiber. The helmet and neck ring of the space suit fit to the round collar and yoke, a single unit to be held in place by an astronaut's shoulder belts.

Last year, Joe Gibbs Racing took driver Matt DiBenedetto to Kennedy Space Center’s shuttle landing facility and had the driver do some test runs on the flat three-mile long runway as they looked for ways to improve on their stock car design.

A few other things that NASA has provided to NASCAR

Fire-resistant material...A chemically treated fabric that won't burn or give off fumes was developed by NASA to protect astronauts. It's now used to make suits for race car drivers and pit crews.

Heat-resistant paint...Inorganic paint protects the hot parts of automobiles like exhaust systems, brake drums, firewalls, and engine manifolds. The paint was developed from NASA technology.

Keeping cool...Materials from the space shuttle thermal protection system are used on race cars to protect drivers from the extreme heat generated by the engines. Without the insulation, it can reach 160 degrees inside some vehicles.