Metallic Mesh Memory Tires Tackle Simulated Martian Terrain

If you ever find yourself cruising around Mars in need of a tire replacement, it might resemble NASA and Goodyear’s innovative new design. The tire’s mesh cage structure is built to endure tough conditions and keep rolling smoothly.

While Martian tire shops are still a distant concept, NASA is deeply invested in creating durable tires for rovers set to explore the planet ahead of any human settlement. With Mars’ rugged, rocky terrain, these rovers will require tires capable of withstanding sharp, jagged surfaces without sustaining damage.

At the Airbus Mars Yard in the UK, NASA engineers recently tested a promising tire design, originally introduced by Goodyear in 2010 and in development since 2017.

SMA Spring Tires Excel on Mars-like Terrain

For the test, they outfitted a rover with shape memory alloy (SMA) spring tires and sent it across the rocky, sand-filled terrain. The tires performed exceptionally well, thanks to their nickel-titanium alloy construction. As NASA materials research engineer Santo Padula explains in the accompanying video, this alloy can alter its atomic structure under pressure and then return to its original shape.

Although NASA has previously used shape memory alloys (SMAs), applying them to tires is a new concept, according to the agency.

Tires Withstand Rock Impacts and Maintain Shape

During testing at the Mars yard, researchers collected data on the tires’ stability, maneuverability, and their ability to withstand impacts from rocks. NASA reports that the tires “met all expectations” throughout the trials. The mesh tires are so durable that they can be crushed down to the rim and still recover their shape as they continue rolling.

Looking ahead, NASA plans to focus on enhancing the tires and exploring other uses for titanium-nickel SMA in space applications.

“My goal is to extend the operating temperature range of SMAs for uses like tires and explore how these materials can be applied to habitat protection,” Padula said. “We need new materials for extreme environments that can absorb energy from micrometeorite impacts, which is crucial for building habitat structures on the Moon and Mars to support astronauts and scientists.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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