NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio has announced that its engineers have developed an airless compliant tire that will be used by the Mars rover. The tire is made up of several hundred coiled wires of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy that are all woven into a flexible mesh. This material allows the tires to be able to withstand high loads while also being able to conform to the difficult terrain on another plant.
This new tire is based on the “Spring Tire,” which NASA developed with Goodyear back in the mid-2000s. However, rather than coiled steel wires woven into a mesh pattern (which was part of the original design), a team of NASA scientists has created a more durable and flexible NiTi version that could revolutionize space exploration.
After the tires were built they were tested in the Mars Life test Facility at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The tires performed well in the simulated Martian sand, and were also able to withstand going over rocky outcroppings without difficulty. Even after the tires were deformed all the way down to their axles, they were able to retain their original shape. They also managed to do this while carrying a significant payload, which is another prerequisite when developing tires for exploration vehicles and rovers.
These tires will be tested out when NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover will be sent to the surface of Mars. Once there, the rover will pick up where Curiosity and other rovers have left off, searching for signs of life in Mars’ harsh environment.
Photo courtesy of NASA