X-1R celebrates twenty-one years with NASA

Twenty-one years ago, NASA had a massively hefty problem – one that weighed over six million pounds in fact. The crawler transporter, the largest heavy lift transporter in the world which carries the entire Space Shuttle from the vehicle assembly building to the launch pad, needed an extraordinary lubricant that could stand up to the Herculean task.

Back then, in 1994, the growing reputation of the X-1R Corporation came to the attention of NASA. NASA wanted an advanced lubricant which was also environmentally-friendly. The X-1R Researchers and Chemists accepted the challenge and after just a few short weeks, they were able to offer a product for testing by the NASA Predictive Engineering Group. The new formulation was subjected to rigorous testing and was found to work perfectly; in fact, in a test carried out by NASA, the new formulation proved to provide protection superior to any other product available on the market.

The advanced lubricant that X-1R developed for NASA provided greater lubrication, was biodegradable and had a longer service life than other products available, and became the cornerstone of X-1R Corporation’s product range. The patented technology was tested by a number of eminent scientists, including Dr Gerald Micklow, who found that when added to engine oil, the patented technology significantly reduced friction in the engine, leading to increased engine power and reduced fuel consumption.

A major milestone for the X-1R Corporation was passed this month as it celebrated twenty-one years of continuous supply of its products to NASA. Whilst the celebrations may have been somewhat low-key, X-1R is understandably still immensely proud to be associated with NASA, which is often described as the most prestigious engineering organization in the world.

“It is amazing to have a customer for twenty-one years, and for that customer to be one of the most highly regarded engineering organizations in the world, it is an astonishing achievement and testament to the quality of the products supplied by the X-1R Corporation,” said Nigel McKenzie, a spokesperson for X-1R.

“We have many other very prestigious customers but NASA remains the one we are most proud to be associated with,” he continued.

In 1999, X-1R’s product became the first lubricant to be designated Certified Space Technology. In the year that followed, the X-1R Corporation was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame - along with the likes of Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin and United Technologies - as recognition for the role it played in making the Space Shuttle programme a success; the X-1R product remains the ONLY lubricant to have ever gained such a high honour and one of only three companies to receive both awards.

We suppose that it needn't be said that if the product is good enough for NASA and is still proven to provide superior protection for them, isn’t it about time you investigated it for use in your car?

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