Red Alert: NASA Launches Toyota Probe

Posted on Mar 30, 2010

Modified from a NASA image

It seems like everyone is investigating Toyota these days. There’s the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Academy of Sciences and even the automaker itself. Why not NASA? Apparently Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was thinking the same thing.

Nine NASA scientists will take time off from eating freeze-dried ice cream and launching ornery septuagenarians into orbit to take a crack at Toyota’s acceleration problem.

LaHood said a little prodding from Congress led to the request.  —PZS

Reuters:

Nine NASA scientists would bring expertise in electronics, eletromagnetic interference, software integrity and complex problem solving to the Toyota review, Transportation Department officials said.

LaHood has maintained that NHTSA could handle the analysis itself but said suggestions from lawmakers at congressional hearings prompted him to consider outside help.

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