BMW gives Space Shuttle team a crack at the Hydrogen 7 in Munich
BMW must think that people who spend their days planning how to leave this earth are the right target for the Hydrogen 7 hype. Last fall, a fleet of the dual-fuel cars spent two months at NASA; this month the Atlantis Space Shuttle crew chilling in Munich (visiting the BMW Group as part of a tour of Germany) got a chance to test out the luxury vehicle. It worked, as Space Shuttle Commander Stephen Frick is now a fan. In a statement (available after the jump) he said, "It's impressive to see hydrogen functioning so smoothly in cars as well. What I find most striking is that a car running on hydrogen performs just as well as a petrol-driven model." It's always good to remember at times like this that the H7 can run on hydrogen or petrol, and there's nothing in BMW's media release that says the car was running on H2 when Frick was on board.
Press Release:
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION - DRIVE INSTEAD OF FLY. HYDROGEN POWERS SPACE CREW IN MUNICH.
06/06/2008
Munich. The Space Shuttle crew is getting a taste of the future of mobility at BMW. The astronauts, who normally head into space propelled by hydrogen, have adopted the role of earthbound passengers to experience the world's first hydrogen-powered saloon, the BMW Hydrogen 7. It is an obvious move considering that NASA was already using the American fleet of these vehicles for test purposes at Cape Canaveral in autumn 2007. Commander Stephen Frick takes stock of his impressions: "It's impressive to see hydrogen functioning so smoothly in cars as well. What I find most striking is that a car running on hydrogen performs just as well as a petrol-driven model." Dr Draeger, Member of the board of management of BMW AG for development, adds: "We feel honored that the astronauts of the Atlantis Space Shuttle value our commitment towards sustainable mobility. Only in concert with partners from society, industry and politics will we be able to establish hydrogen as the fuel of the future. However, this is a marathon, not a sprint."
The Space Shuttle crew's visit to the BMW Group marks one of the stages on their tour of Germany. After returning from a space mission it is traditional for the European astronaut on board, on behalf of the ESA, to invite his colleagues to Europe on a crew tour. This includes special events at select venues at which the astronauts talk about their mission and life in space. It was their wish to use this opportunity to see some concrete examples at the "coalface" and to compare notes with BMW engineers.
[Source: BMW]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 11:51AM (6/09/2008)
Perfect! This is EXACTLY where Hydrogen belongs...
IN THE SPACE PROGRAM!!
Reply
FrankTheCrank 11:32AM (6/09/2008)
Sorry guys, but is this Hydrogen thing even feasible?
Honestly, why are thy even bothering?
Reply
BlackbirdHighway 12:27PM (6/09/2008)
NASAs space shuttle is kind of a metaphor for the viability of hydrogen, isn't it? You might think that hydrogen would be the ultimate propellant for space flight, and indeed the shuttle engines burn the pure hydrogen stored in the external tank to generate thrust.
Still, the hydrogen is not enough; the shuttle relies on solid fuel boosters to get off the ground.
Reply