Bridgestone has long been known for designing tires for the track, but now the company is designing tires for the lunar surface too.
Partnering with Teledyne, Nissan North America, Sierra Space, and Textron, Bridgestone is doing its part to help build the Lunar Terrain Vehicle for NASA’s Artemis program, according to a report.
The goal of the program is to return people to the moon this decade, the report noted.
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“This partnership helps further solidify the strength of our team and the durable vehicle that will be a product of its collaboration,” Scott Hall, Teledyne’s Engineered Systems Segment president, said. “The experience and reputation of Bridgestone is unparalleled and a tremendous asset for our vehicle in its journey to and on the moon’s surface.”
We are pleased to have @Bridgestone join the collaboration between @TeledyneBrown, @NissanUSA, @Textron and @SierraSpaceCo to develop a crewed Lunar Terrain Vehicle for @NASA to support future exploration on the moon. #NASA #Moon #SpaceExploration #IAC2022 #IAC22 pic.twitter.com/FlGHKqIctM
— Sierra Space (@SierraSpaceCo) September 20, 2022
“The experience and reputation of Bridgestone is unparalleled and a tremendous asset for our vehicle in its journey to and on the moon’s surface.”
Work on a lunar tire was started in 2019 by Bridgestone, with the concept including the replacement of rubber with metal alloys, according to the report.
The tire will thus be airless, which will allow it to mitigate flats better and handle cosmic radiation and extreme temperature swings on the moon.
However, Bridgestone might not be the only tire manufacturer to leave fresh tracks on the moon’s surface.
Goodyear is reportedly working with General Motors and Lockheed Martin on a competing lunar vehicle, the report noted.
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“Everything we learn from making tires for the moon’s extremely difficult operating environment will help us make better airless tires on Earth,” Goodyear Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer Chris Helsel said.
