X-1R Celebrates 25 Years As Space Technology Hall of Fame Inductee

The Space Technology Hall of Fame^® increases public awareness of the benefits of space exploration and encourages further innovation by recognizing individuals, organizations and companies that effectively adapt and market technologies originally developed for space to improve the quality of life for all humanity.

Created in 1988, the Space Technology Hall of Fame^® recognizes the life-changing technologies emerging from global space programs; honors the scientists, engineers and innovators responsible; and communicates to the public the importance of these technologies as a return on investment in space exploration. 

X-1R was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2000 because of a unique problem that NASA had.

In the mid 1990s, NASA discovered an environmental problem with the material that was being used to lubricate the massive track system on the shuttle mobile launch transporter.

Not surprisingly, the lubricant requirements are rather extraordinary for this transporter. The product has to provide long-lasting and complete lubrication for a moving set of tracks that are carrying a 12 million pound load.

To satisfy the environmental requirement it also has to be biodegradable. In 1994, the challenge of producing a new lubricant was accepted by X-1R Corporation of Daytona Beach, Florida, which brought a team of researchers, production personnel and consultants to meet with NASA personnel and contractors to develop a solution.

In just a few weeks the X-1R team produced a novel formulation that was tested and certified for trial by the Predicative Engineering Group at the Cape. The new lubricant, X-1R Crawler Track Lube was then safe. Still, X-1R is sole supplier of  Crawler Lube to the Kennedy Center at Cape Canaveral.

You can read more about the induction at spacefoundation.org.

More recently, at the Space Foundation’s 40th Space Symposium, X-1R was recognised at the Symposium event held at The Broadmoor resort.

25 years on, X-1R remains a key component in the space industry and is a trusted name in lubricants, engine treatments, and more.

Head to https://www.x1rasia.com/ to find out what your vehicle can benefit from technology that helped send people to space.