Michelin develops an airless tire for lunar exploration

One pneumatic tires Able to withstand the harsh conditions faced by the vehicle prepared for it Exploring the surface of the moon: This was the challenge faced by the R&D teams at MichelinIn cooperation with Northrop Grummanto respond to the bid from NASA as part of Artemis program.

The project, led by the US Space Agency, aims to Sending a man and a woman to the moon in 2025with the task of determining the appropriate place for lay the foundation that allow a sustainable presence on the Earth’s satellite. Artemis also contemplates a future manned space flight to Mars.

to develop a Airless tire solution adapted to LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) Designed by Northrop Grumman, Michelin will draw on its expertise in high-tech materials and knowledge gained from previous collaborations with NASA and in developing airless solutions for extreme applications.

Michelin engineers have turned to I3D printing and for biomimeticsA science that seeks to develop innovative technological solutions inspired by nature designs. The prototype collects a Lightweight construction who allows High load capacity with flexible design It allows the vehicle to adapt to the loose terrain and cratered areas of the lunar surface, ensuring the mobility needs of future missions.

the The first mock-up of a future lunar vehicle equipped with an airless prototype frame Developed by Michelin, which has already been shown to the public at CES in Las Vegas, it will be shown at Northrop Grumman’s headquarters, in Falls Church (Virginia, USA).

Pioneering the development of tires for use in aviation, Michelin previously used its technical development capacity to contribute to the conquest of space. In the 90And Michelin supplied tires for the space shuttle and in 2000sagain with NASA to develop michelin lunar wheela tire based on Michelin Twill technology intended to equip the US space agency’s lunar exploration vehicles, which can be considered a preview of the new tire model that Michelin developed for the Northrop Grumman rover.