NASA and Goodyear Produce Puncture-Proof Tires

NASA and Goodyear Produce Puncture-Proof Tires
Aug-16-09
In order to meet the heavy load/long range transport requirements of life on the moon, NASA recently teamed up with Goodyear to review and redesign some 40-year-old technology in the shape of the airless tires first seen on the Lunar Rover Vehicles of Apollo missions.

The mesh on the Apollo LRV tire was woven from zinc-coated piano wire, the tread formed from a series of titanium-alloy chevrons and the inner frame comprised of a partly rigid metal "bump stops" to minimize impact damage to the aluminum hub. Looking like a skeleton of a car tire, the design worked so well on the LRV because it only needed to support 60 pounds (360 pounds Earth weight) of weight over short distances.

The Goodyear-NASA team says that vehicles closer to home might also benefit from this project's research as tough airless, all-terrain tires could be used on "mobility critical small vehicle applications; such as fire fighting support vehicles, robotic vehicles, off road and desert vehicles, trash hauling and mining equipment.

NASA and Goodyear Produce Puncture-Proof Tires


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