Space Shuttle Mission - drive instead of fly. Hydrogen powers space crew in Munich.

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.