Muskmobiles subject to 11 recalls get the launchpad rescue mission currently handled by vehicles that can survive land mine blasts
Tesla has recalled its Cybertruck 11 times to fix issues such as exterior trim panels falling off and an accelerator pedal that can become stuck, but NASA has nonetheless decided the rust-prone vehicle is up to the job of rescuing astronauts if trouble strikes on the launchpad of a forthcoming crewed mission.Muskmobiles will get the job currently performed by the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP), a heavily armored military personnel carrier that can survive small arms fire and even the effects of a mine explosion. Several companies make MRAPs, and the US military operates dozens of different models tailored to different missions.NASA uses MRAPs as launchpad getaway cars in case mission controllers decide astronauts or other personnel involved in rocket launches must make a rapid exit. In 2015, the aerospace agency described the MRAPs it uses as possessing “armor is so thick that each door weighs 600 pounds” and said the vehicles have “the sound and feel of a bank vault” and can therefore “function as a bunker on its own, even if it stays put.”
