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Goodyear develops new 'Spring Tire' for space exploration

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:44:00 EST

Goodyear is getting closer to the next generation "tire" that could be used on wheeled rovers for space exploration. We highlight the word tire because those on the original lunar rover were made of piano wire with treads made of titanium cleats - no rubber, no air. A few years ago NASA began work on a new tire, the project another co-development with Goodyear, which made the originals.

The modern version is called the Spring Tire, so-called for the 800 load-bearing springs that make up its bulk, mounted to a six-spoke metal hub. The springs can conform to the varying terrain of other planets and satellites without transferring undue shock to the vehicle, and a malfunction is likely to damage only a few of them, leaving the tire operable.

See below for more info from Goodyear on the tire, and check it out in the gallery of high-res photos. When it's time for another group of astronauts to go "ridin' dirty," this is likely how they'll do it.

Continue reading Goodyear develops new 'Spring Tire' for space exploration

Goodyear develops new 'Spring Tire' for space exploration originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers make tires from chainmail filled with tiny metal bits

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Apparently, driving on the moon - with or without local human assistance - isn't all that easy. We wouldn't know. Anyway, researchers from McGill University believe they have a new invention that might make traversing the lunar surface a bit more possible, using tires fashioned from a chainmail-like fabric filled with tiny metal particles... sort of like metallic bean bags.

Using such an unearthly combination for these so-called iRings (quick, someone call Steve Jobs!) makes for a somewhat heavy set of wheels with good traction. Just as importantly, these hoops can vary their shape for the various types of terrain a lunar machine is likely to encounter.

A final prototype is reportedly planned for the spring of 2012 in a full-size, manned machine that may or may not ever make it into space. Other potential applications include recovery vehicles for areas stricken by natural disasters. Check out a video of the machine in action here. Oh, and get a load of that seven-slat Jeep-like grille in the prototype - nice detailing!

[Source: McGill Reporter via Engadget]

Researchers make tires from chainmail filled with tiny metal bits originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New NASA Lunar Rover looks ready for Armageddon

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Click above for high-res image gallery of the NASA Lunar Rover concept

NASA paraded its Small Pressurized Rover Concept down the streets of the presidential inauguration last week, and it looks like they're fans of Michael Bay. The lunar rover, which is a rear canopy and a couple of struts away from being the Armadillo drilling unit from the movie Armageddon, is about the size of a pickup truck, and has twelve wheels.

NASA has its eyes on the moon in 2020, and this is the vehicle that will host a succession of astronauts, in pairs, as they explore the lunar ~~cheese~~ surface. The pressurized cabin behind the two spacesuits is an RV that can be lived in for two weeks at a time, driven 625 miles on a charge, get up to 6 mph and climb 40-degree inclines. Predicting the technology we'll be using then, the rover contains a plasma energy chamber and comes equipped with a top-mounted pulse laser battle cannon. Ok, not really. But it should... Check out the gallery of images below.

Gallery: Small Lunar Rover Concept

[Source: Engadget]

New NASA Lunar Rover looks ready for Armageddon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original lunar rover tire helps with next gen development

Chris Tutor — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, GM

Click above for image gallery of lunar rovers in action.

About the time Ford was developing the first Mustang, General Motors' Defense Research Labs was working on something more other-worldly. Man was about to go to the moon, and they needed some transportation when they got there. GM was chosen to develop the running gear along with the tires for the three lunar rovers that would travel to the moon.

Now, more than 40 years later, NASA is on a mission to return to the moon and again needs something to cruise the craters. As we've reported before, NASA is developing a new rover design, but wants to improve upon the original rover's wheels. Unfortunately, the original rovers are still on the lunar surface, and, in its infinite Cold War wisdom, NASA made sure nothing from the original design escaped the shredders.

Luckily, NASA called up one of the original rover tire designers to seek his insight. The 80-year-old engineer was more than happy to help, and even offered to bring in the original, 40-year-old lunar rover tire he had squirreled away in his closet. Made out of zinc-coated piano wire, the tire has been sitting in the retired GM employee's closet just waiting for its day to do its patriotic duty. Or end up on eBay.

So the engineer and his 40-year-old moon tire are helping NASA develop a new transportation system for future moon-exploring astronauts. Click here to listen to the NPR story. Check out the gallery for several shots of the piano-wire-mesh tires in action on the lunar surface. Thanks for the tip, Christina!

Gallery: NASA finds old moon buggy tire in engineer's closet

[Source: NPR]

Original lunar rover tire helps with next gen development originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Off-world off-roading: NASA tests new lunar rover

Alex Nunez — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above for a gallery of the Small Pressurized Rover

This week in Arizona, NASA conducted tests of the new battery-powered Small Pressurized Rover (SPR) it hopes to use when the U.S. sends astronauts back to the moon by 2020. The SPR is a huge leap forward over the original open-air (or is it open-vacuum?) rovers used by the Apollo astronauts. The configuration consists of a pressurized cabin mounted atop a modular chassis that can drive in any direction, thans to wheels that turn 360 degrees. The cockpit leads back to an area housing an airlock that the astronauts can use to transfer from one rover to another, from the rover to a apacecraft, or from a rover to a surface installation and vice-versa.

At the back of that compartment are two "suitports" that allow the astronauts to enter and exit their EVA (extra-vehicular activity) spacesuits without having to bring them into the vehicle itself. The suit backpacks lock into the ports and open up, allowing the wearer to climb out and work in the pressurized vehicle in normal clothing. Very, very cool stuff here. Since the rover is modular in nature, it can also operate as a non-pressurized vehicle, with all the operators in turrets wearing suits. Top speed is 10 km/h (around 6 mph), and the rover should enable astronauts to go on missions away from base for up to two weeks, covering up to 625 miles, according to Reuters. We've gallerized a pair of high-res images and NASA's fact sheet below, and the NASA Edge blog has more photos you might be interested in checking out.

Gallery: NASA Small Pressurized Rover

[Sources: Reuters, NASA, NASA Edge Blog]

Off-world off-roading: NASA tests new lunar rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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