NASA has created new tires for Mars, very different from conventional ones.
The future appears in an unconventional way.
NASA is exploring the future of mobility on Mars by testing innovative tires that utilize shape memory alloys. These tires have the ability to deform significantly when traversing difficult terrain and subsequently return to their original shape. Santo Padula, a materials research engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center, explained that this system allows deformations up to the tire's hub, something that was not possible with conventional metal systems.
Recently, tests of these tires were conducted on terrain simulating Martian conditions at Airbus Defence and Space facilities in the UK. Engineers confirmed that the tires passed the tests on this artificial topography, which is a positive sign for future missions.
The material of these tires is made of nickel and titanium, capable of withstanding extreme stresses, unlike previous models that used steel and were more prone to permanent deformations. The current rovers on Mars, such as Perseverance and Curiosity, use aluminum tires that have suffered significant damage during their exploration of the Martian desert.
For future explorations, especially in crewed vehicles on Mars or the Moon, having damage-resistant tires would be crucial, as repairing a flat tire on another planet could be a complicated task. This type of self-repairing material could also be essential for structures in space. For example, the Moon lacks a protective atmosphere, meaning its surface receives constant impacts from micrometeoroids.
Padula expressed the need for new materials that can absorb the energy from these collisions to ensure the construction of habitats that can shelter astronauts and scientists during their lunar and Martian missions. Perhaps in the future, Mars rovers, lunar bases, and even railway vehicles on the Moon will incorporate this elastic metal designed to face the challenges of other worlds.