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Bridgestone to Work on Space Wheels

Dec 10, 2019     PitStopArabia

Over time, tire technology has evolved by leaps and bounds. We now have safer, quieter, and more comfortable tyres than before. Continuous innovation in this industry has led to a wide range of new technologies. For example, now we have run-flat tyres. It is something which was unimaginable not so long ago. Likewise, airless tyres are also being tested.

This brings us to today’s topic. Innovation in this industry has now reached new heights. Bridgestone is among the world’s leading tire manufacturers. It is teaming up with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motors to develop tires for space exploration vehicles. JAXA is like the Japanese NASA and is launching new missions on the moon.

The Mission

The mission of this collaboration is to ultimately develop tyres which are suitable for use on vehicles in space and the moon in particular. We all know that the atmosphere and overall conditions on the moon are different from those on Earth. For one, there is considerably less gravity. Whereas oxygen is non-existent.

Therefore, such tyres must be developed which allow efficient manoeuvring of the space vehicles on the lunar surface. To achieve this, Bridgestone will be first studying previous contacts of space vehicles with the lunar surface. Then it must come up with tyres which are elastic enough to support the weight of these space vehicles. Also, acceleration and braking must be considered.

In addition to this, the materials that go into the making of normal tyres may not work well on the lunar surface. For example, the moon is colder than Earth. The extra cold will damage the structure of a standard wheel. Therefore, materials need to be designed as such that they can withstand the conditions and not compromise on any performance characteristics. Also, the wheels must allow the space rover to cover a territory of 10,000 km on the moon’s surface, carry equipment and the weight of two astronauts.

Bridgestone

Nizar Trigui, chief technology officer, Bridgestone Americas, remarked:

"We believe that our technical capabilities allow us to explore the development of a tire that is capable of functioning even in the harshest of conditions experienced on the surface of the moon, and bring us to a higher level of mobility for mankind."

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Final Thoughts

This mission is a significant step forward for the tire industry. Not only it represents how far this industry has come but also of its commitment to continuous commitment to innovation.

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