NASA gives Delphi grant to develop new welding process

I figured we'd try something new, and discuss Delphi news that doesn't involve bankruptcy or worker compensation. The company has developed a process called Deformation Resistance Welding, and apparently NASA has some interest in the technology, as it's just anted up another $870,000 to go with the $1.3M it handed out last year to further develop this technique.
I'm not sure why NASA is interested in this (they strike me as the type of folks who'd just bust out the TIG welder), but as far as autos are concerned, this low-cost way to join tubular members has some obvious applications for chassis, suspension components, subframes, and other structures. It's also notable in that it can join dissimilar materials, which would allow engineers to select the optimal material for each component.