# AC Spark Plugs Played Key Role in NASA's Apollo Program

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [November 19, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078 "2019-11-19T04:35:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078/1 "2019-11-19T04:35:56Z")

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Sort of interesting. I’d never heard of this moon-rocket/spark plug manufacturer link before.

> **[How AC spark plugs helped get Apollo 11 to the Moon and back](https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/07/23/ac-spark-plugs-helped-get-apollo-11-to-the-moon-and-back)**
>
> This past Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the Moon. You probably know a bit about Apollo 11. You may not, however, know about the important role the U.S. automotive industry had getting Armstrong and...

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078/2 "2019-11-19T13:30:55Z")

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Interesting article. Back in those days all the car companies had businesses outside automotive in their portfolio. There were lots of good reasons to do that.

All that was shed starting in the 80s as not being part of the “core business” of making cars at the command of armies of MBAs that didn’t seem to understand these businesses provided profit during slow auto sales.

The GM division I worked for built grinders for Sears, a full line of industrial AC motors, and generators for locomotives. Frigidiare was based in my hometown as was the Inland division that invented the ice tray with the built in ice extractor.

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**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078/3 "2019-11-19T15:04:50Z")

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Reminded me of this Seinfeld routine- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watDtX5j1RM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watDtX5j1RM)

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ac-spark-plugs-played-key-role-in-nasas-apollo-program/153078/4 "2019-11-19T16:12:30Z")

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And I thought it had to do with the spark-plugs for all the Corvettes the astronauts drove.