USA (United Space Alliance) is a joint venture between The Boeing Company [F500 #15 (16)] and Lockheed Martin Corporation [F500 #56 (77)] and employs people in Texas, Florida, Alabama, California and Washington, D.C. USA manages and conducts space operations work involving the operation and maintenance of multi-purpose space systems, including systems associated with NASA's human space flight program, Space Shuttle applications beyond those of NASA, and other reusable launch and orbital systems beyond the Space Shuttle and Space Station. As the prime contractor for NASA's Space Shuttle Program, United Space Alliance is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet and brings a broad range of expertise to the job. MENSI's laser scanning technology will be used for Vehicle Processing, Launch and Recovery tasks.

www.unitedspacealliance.com

MENSI laser scanning to enhance crash-test analysis at GM:

Safety is a key industry driver in the automobile world and the major manufacturers are always looking for new technologies in this field. Such technologies obviously include those that enhance crash-test analysis in the first place. That's what General Motors [F500 #2 (3)] took into consideration when the company sought to implement greater efficiencies and improved analysis at its European research facilities in Germany. The solution of choice was MENSI's laser scanning technology and point-cloud processing software. This solution provides the most comprehensive tool-set to GM engineers for detailed analysis of post-crash-test deformation.

The decision to locate this first system at GM's European operations will have been related to the existence of Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program). Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Established in 1997 and now backed by five European Governments, the European Commission and motoring and consumer organizations in every EU country, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety improvements to new car design. Euro NCAP is an independent organization that purchases "under cover" at a regular automobile concessionaire and then carries out crash-tests on the vehicle.

Currently, only 6 vehicles have achieved Euro NCAP's 5-star rating, the most recent addition being Saab's sleek 9.3 sport sedan. Saab is a GM company. MENSI's laser scanning solutions will open up new opportunities for GM's research engineers to further improve safety performance in GM vehicles.