This tire doesn’t look like anything you’d normally put on a car here on Earth, but that’s the point. Bridgestone now makes a tire entirely out of steel, with no rubber nor tread for driving beyond our atmosphere. These concepts are built for lunar rovers, and lack rubber simply because the conventional tire design we take for granted doesn’t really work in a world without much gravity, no air, and extreme temperatures.
Bridgestone’s New Tire Is For Space
Rubber doesn’t work beyond the atmosphere because of these massive temperature swings. With no atmosphere to keep in warm air, the sun’s rays can be the only thing standing between triple-digit negative temperatures and triple-digit highs. All this to say nothing of the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays, which are normally dampened here on Earth. There’s also the fact that the rubber treads on a tire would deteriorate after driving, even if the tires could survive the extreme environment.
This battle with the elements ultimately led to the choice of materials, which has been the standard since the very first lunar rovers decades ago. The tread pattern is another consistency, but Bridgestone says these new tires are an improvement for small and medium-sized lunar craft thanks largely to their lower weight and enhanced durability. Traction is said to be improved as well, and the plates are given some rebound thanks to thin metal braces on the inside of the tires. Like spokes on a wheel, they also take the weight of the vehicle when mounted. The tires will be shown at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from April 7-10.
TopSpeed’s Take
Tires used in space programs are an interesting look at just how dependent our cars are on the very narrow set of physical circumstances we have on Earth. You couldn’t drive a Honda Civic on the moon for long, but maybe these tires would help a little.
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