“Orbital ATK brings to this investigation more than 60 years of experience in energetic materials, propulsion technology and failure analyses on energetic systems.”
The revolving door of government employees came around this morning with the announcement that former NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly will serve as project manager for the ten automakers that have hired Orbital ATK to conduct independent testing on Takata airbag inflators.
The automakers – BMW, FCA US, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota – are doing their own testing by supplementing current airbag inflator testing being undertaken by Takata whose inflators rupture sending shrapnel into a vehicle.
While the specific issues facing each company “may vary depending on the inflator model, the affected automakers are committed to working together to find the root cause of the ruptures in Takata inflators,” they said in a statement.
Following today’s announcement, Orbital ATK will lead overall engineering research into the issues surrounding Takata airbag inflators. Kelly will serve as project manager and coordinator for the automakers, directing the research program and acting as primary contact for media and other public requests.
“Orbital ATK brings to this investigation more than 60 years of experience in energetic materials, propulsion technology and failure analyses on energetic systems,” said Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s Propulsion Systems Division.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
