Goodyear manufactures airless tires for Artemis lunar rovers

One of the first companies to land on lunar soil on the historic Apollo 11 mission flight on July 20, 1969, American Good Year As part of the Artemis mission, it continues to partner with NASA, this time focusing on tires for lunar rovers.

with Lockheed MartinThe tire manufacturer is laying the foundations for a lunar mobility program that envisions long-term operations of commercial vehicles – astronaut-operated or autonomous – on the surface of our natural satellite.

New challenges for Goodyear

In the new project, which should be ready by 2025, Goodyear to use airless tire technologyalready available worldwide in micromobility, autonomous buses and passenger cars. However, future missions will present new challenges, unlike the Apollo moon rovers, which are designed for a few days’ use on missions up to 8km.

The challenges of future lunar missions include traversing rough terrain, traveling farther, and operating in extreme temperatures. As well as lasting for several years, the tires NASA demands are overnight. Temperatures below -157º C as opposed to daytime temperatures reaching 121º C.

“Everything we’ve learned while manufacturing tires for the highly complex operating environment on the Moon will help us make better airless tires on Earth,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer. For him, the purpose “Activate mobility, wherever it is.”