Goodyear said in the release that it's "drawing from its advanced airless tire technology used on Earth with micro-mobility, autonomous shuttles and passenger vehicles, to advance lunar mobility and withstand the challenging conditions on the moon." The companies already are testing concepts in lunar soil test beds.
"Everything we learn from making tires for the Moon's extremely difficult operating environment will help us make better airless tires on Earth," Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer at Goodyear, said in a statement.
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Tires on the lunar rovers will have to be extraordinarily tough. Goodyear noted that while the original Apollo rovers "were purposely built for just a few days of use on excursions within five miles of their landing sites," future missions "will need to traverse rugged terrain over much longer distances while operating in greater temperature extremes." It said new tire capabilities "will need to be developed for years of durability and even survive the night that sees temperatures of below -250 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temps of over 250 degrees Fahrenheit."
In an article about the project, CNN reported that tires on the rovers "will need to use special metal alloys to withstand the extreme temperature changes while still retaining flexibility and strength."
The project requires a high degree of detail. For instance, CNN pointed out that the moon's surface "is covered in fine super-abrasive sand. Because there's no air or wind on the moon, the sand particles don't get moved around and worn smooth, so each particle has sharp points."
Michael Rachita, senior program manager for non-pneumatic tires at Goodyear, told CNN that there are companies that make artificial moon dust based on samples brought back by the 1960s and '70s Apollo missions, so Goodyear's researchers are using that to test different tread patterns.