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Evolution of Lunar and Mars Tires

NASA engineers have worked to develop durable tires for rovers exploring the lunar and Martian surfaces. Early Apollo missions used rubber tires with nitrogen tubes on the moon. Current lunar rovers use large, flexible wire mesh wheels with stiff inner frames and thin tread strips to improve traction in soft lunar soil. Observation of wheel damage on the Curiosity rover prompted development of airless, compliant spring tires made of woven steel wire that are puncture-proof and better withstand temperature changes and impacts. Research continues on adapting this innovative spring tire design for use on Earth.

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74 views6 pages

Evolution of Lunar and Mars Tires

NASA engineers have worked to develop durable tires for rovers exploring the lunar and Martian surfaces. Early Apollo missions used rubber tires with nitrogen tubes on the moon. Current lunar rovers use large, flexible wire mesh wheels with stiff inner frames and thin tread strips to improve traction in soft lunar soil. Observation of wheel damage on the Curiosity rover prompted development of airless, compliant spring tires made of woven steel wire that are puncture-proof and better withstand temperature changes and impacts. Research continues on adapting this innovative spring tire design for use on Earth.

Uploaded by

vaishali tomar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evolution of the wheel

You need good tires to move your vehicle from one place to
another, irrespective of the planet you are on. The tires we use on
our automobiles are of no good use on lunar and martian
surfaces. The tires which are going to be used on such surfaces
should be capable of carrying the heavy weight of the rover and
should have a longer lifetime as they cannot be changed.
Evolving since the days of Apollo, NASA engineers started
examining tire designs in search of more durable tires on the
surfaces of the moon and Mars.

Wheels on the moon


In the initial days, NASA used smooth rubber tires supported by
nitrogen filled inner tubes to make it easier to pull the rover
through the soft lunar soil over the rocks.

Now, the rover uses four large flexible wire mesh wheels with stiff
inner frames to avoid over-deflation. Thin tread strips are attached
to improve the floatation in soft lunar soil.
Moon to Mars
A little over a year after the Mars Curiosity rover landed on Mars,
engineers began to notice significant wheel damage due to the
rough matrian surface. They realized that a new kind of wheel has
to be used on such a surface.
Spring tires
Airless compliant tires, consisting several hundred coiled steel
wires woven into a flexible mesh can withstand sharp temperature
changes and will not blow off in case of a puncture, in turn, it
would only affect one of the several hundred springs. The spring
tire has been proven to generate good traction and durability in
soft sand and on rocks.
So much research has gone into the spring tire to make sure that
the tire is durable, has a good traction on the surface, is of light
weight and is capable of carrying the heavy weight of the rover.

The breakthrough of this was obtained when they found the


perfect shape memory alloy, nickel titanium.
Spring Tires on Earth
This innovative spring tire, now known as superelastic tire, is
being extensively researched on, for it to be used on earth. It has
many advantages like eliminating the threat of a puncture,
withstanding excessive deformation and many more. It is an all
metal tire, but can be encased in rubber to improve it’s
performance on the earth’s surface.
Sources: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/wheels/

https://airandspace.si.edu/

https://www.designboom.com/

https://technology.nasa.gov/

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