NOVEMBER 24, 2000

Doing business with NASA

THE British motor racing industry is hoping to go into business with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration to exchange ideas and information. In March next year a delegation from the motor racing industry - which is certain to include representatives from a number of Formula 1 teams - will visit NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

The motor racing industry is keen to get access to some of NASA's enormous technological resources while the Americans are keen to get a better understanding of the speed and flexibility of the management in motor racing organizations, particularly with regard to rapid prototyping.

The British delegation, which is being funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, will be led by Ian Poll who is the head of the Cranfield College of Aeronautics in Britain. He has strong links with NASA as a visiting scientist the organizations research centers in California and at Langley, Virginia.