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Spinoff story
New Life for the Cable Cars
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
San Francisco's Municipal Railway's century-old cable car system is being modernized, and NASA is participating in the rejuvenation program. NASA Ames Research Center's major recommendations involved ways of extending cable life in the interest of safety and economy. Other recommendations included redesign of cable gripping device, substitution of modern braking mechanisms, improvement in cable pulleys and other components, and new inspection and repair procedures.