Apr. 24, 2003 NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) joined forces to, literally, take
vehicles out for a spin. The NHTSA wanted to research new
methods for testing vehicle roll over resistance, and NASA's
High Capacity Centrifuge (HCC) was exactly what was needed to
spin up some unique and original vehicle testing. Vehicles were
spun, using the HCC at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC),
Greenbelt, Md., on a test platform, until inertia and
centrifugal force caused them to tip. NHTSA employs a consumer
rating system, the Static Stability Factor, which uses an
engineering formula to determine vehicle roll over rankings.
NHTSA wanted to research alternative methods for determining
rollover resistance. According to NHTSA's system, a one-star
rating means a high likelihood of rolling over, and a five-star
rating means a low likelihood. Officials at NASA and NHTSA
expect this first-of-its-kind test will enable them to gain
valuable safety information about vehicles that move millio