Returning to the Moon after five decades, and subsequently venturing to Mars, necessitates a complete reimagining of essential technologies.

A malfunction thousands of miles from Earth presents insurmountable challenges.

“A puncture is simply unacceptable,” asserts Florent Menegaux, CEO of Michelin, the French tire manufacturer.

The harsh Martian environment is starkly illustrated by the Curiosity rover’s experience.

Within a year of its 2012 landing, its six aluminum wheels sustained significant damage from punctures and tears.

The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon, potentially by 2027, as reported by the BBC.

Later Artemis missions, commencing with Artemis V (scheduled for 2030), plan to utilize a lunar rover to explore the Moon’s south pole.

These Artemis astronauts will traverse significantly greater distances than their Apollo predecessors, who, across six landings (1969-1972), never ventured beyond 25 miles (40km).

“The goal is to cover 10,000 kilometers within 10 years,” states Sylvain Barthet, head of Michelin’s lunar airless wheel program.

“We’re not discussing short-term missions; we’re talking about decades of operation,” explains Dr. Santo Padula, a materials science PhD and NASA engineer at the John Glenn Research Center.

A major challenge for lunar technology is the extreme temperature fluctuations.

Lunar polar temperatures can plummet below -230°C, approaching absolute zero, where atomic motion ceases.

This poses significant challenges for tire materials.

“Without atomic motion, material deformation and recovery become extremely difficult,” notes Dr. Padula.

Tires must deform over obstacles and return to their original shape.

“Permanent deformation leads to inefficient rolling and power loss,” Dr. Padula explains.

New wheels will also support significantly heavier payloads than Apollo’s lightweight rovers.

Future missions will require transport of “larger scientific platforms and mobile habitats,” he adds.

This challenge is amplified on Mars, with its double the lunar gravity.

Apollo’s lunar rovers utilized zinc-coated piano wire mesh tires, with a range of approximately 21 miles.

Given that extreme temperatures and cosmic rays degrade rubber, metal alloys and high-performance plastics are prime candidates for airless space tires.

“Metallic or carbon fiber-based materials are generally used,” says Pietro Baglion, team leader of ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mission (Mars rover launch targeted for 2028).

Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy, shows promise.

“This alloy exhibits rubber-like properties, bending readily yet always returning to its original shape,” explains Earl Patrick Cole, CEO of The Smart Tire Company.

He describes nitinol’s flexibility as “remarkable”.

Dr. Padula considers nitinol a “revolutionary” material due to its energy absorption and release properties, potentially offering heating and cooling solutions.

However, Barthet (Michelin) believes a high-performance plastic might be better suited for long-distance lunar travel.

Bridgestone has adopted a biomimetic approach, modeling camel footpads.

Camels’ soft footpads distribute weight effectively, preventing sinking in sand.

Inspired by this, Bridgestone uses a felt-like tread material and flexible metal spokes.

This design distributes weight, preventing lunar module entrapment in rocky terrain.

Michelin and Bridgestone, alongside Venturi Astrolab, are presenting their tire technologies to NASA at the John Glenn Center this month (May).

NASA’s decision (single selection or hybrid approach) is expected later this year.

Michelin tests its tires on a volcanic terrain near Clermont, mimicking the Moon’s surface.

Bridgestone conducts similar tests on Japan’s Tottori Sand Dunes.

ESA is exploring independent European rover development for future missions.

This research has potential terrestrial applications.

Dr. Cole, during his USC doctorate, participated in a NASA program to commercialize Mars rover tire technology.

Nickel-titanium bicycle tires will be an early product this year.

Priced around $150 (£120) each, they are significantly more expensive but highly durable.

He also plans to develop durable motorcycle tires for rough terrains.

His ultimate ambition is to contribute to humanity’s lunar return.

“I can tell my children, ‘Look at the Moon,’ and say, ‘My tires are up there’,” he says.

Returning to the Moon after five decades, and subsequently venturing to Mars, necessitates a complete reimagining of fundamental technologies.

A journey to Mars presents significant logistical challenges, especially concerning vehicle maintenance and potential failures far from any support.

“A puncture is simply unacceptable,” emphasizes Florent Menegaux, CEO of Michelin, highlighting the critical need for robust, reliable technology.

The harsh Martian environment is underscored by the experience of the Curiosity rover. Within a year of its 2012 landing, its aluminum wheels showed significant wear and tear from punctures.

Regarding lunar exploration, the Artemis missions plan a crewed return to the Moon, possibly by 2027.

Later Artemis missions, starting with Artemis V (scheduled for 2030), will utilize a lunar rover to explore the south pole.

These Artemis astronauts will travel far beyond the Apollo missions, which, in six landings between 1969 and 1972, never exceeded 25 miles (40km).

“The goal is to cover 10,000 kilometers in 10 years,” states Sylvain Barthet, head of Michelin’s lunar airless wheel program.

“We’re not discussing short missions; we’re talking decades of operation,” explains Dr. Santo Padula, a NASA engineer at the John Glenn Research Center.

A significant challenge for lunar technology is the extreme temperature variation. Lunar poles experience temperatures below -230°C, approaching absolute zero.

This poses considerable difficulties for tire design and functionality.

“Without atomic motion, material deformation and recovery become problematic,” notes Dr. Padula.

Tyres must deform over obstacles and then return to their original shape for efficient operation.

“Permanent deformation leads to inefficient rolling and power loss,” Dr. Padula adds.

These new wheels will also support heavier payloads than Apollo’s lightweight rovers.

Future missions will necessitate robust wheels for larger scientific platforms and habitats.

The challenge is amplified on Mars, where gravity is double that of the Moon.

Apollo’s lunar rovers utilized zinc-coated piano wire mesh tyres with a limited range of about 21 miles.

Given the degradation of rubber by extreme temperatures and cosmic rays, metal alloys and high-performance plastics are prime candidates for airless space tyres.

“Metallic or carbon fiber-based materials are generally used,” explains Pietro Baglion of the ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mission to Mars (planned for 2028).

Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy, shows great promise.

“This alloy acts like rubber, bending readily and always returning to its original shape,” says Earl Patrick Cole, CEO of The Smart Tire Company.

He describes nitinol’s flexibility as “remarkable”.

Dr. Padula considers nitinol a “revolutionary” material due to its energy absorption and release properties, potentially impacting thermal management systems.

However, Barthet at Michelin believes a high-performance plastic might be more suitable for long-distance lunar travel.

Bridgestone has adopted a biomimetic approach, modelling their design on camel footpads.

Camels’ soft footpads distribute weight effectively, preventing sinking in sand.

Inspired by this, Bridgestone uses a felt-like material for its tread, with flexible metal spokes.

This design distributes weight over a larger area, preventing lunar modules from getting stuck in regolith.

Michelin and Bridgestone, along with Venturi Astrolab, are presenting their tyre technologies to NASA’s John Glenn Center this month (May).

NASA is expected to make a decision later this year, potentially selecting a single proposal or incorporating elements from multiple submissions.

Michelin tests its tyres on a volcanic terrain near Clermont, which mimics the lunar surface.

Bridgestone conducts similar tests at Japan’s Tottori Sand Dunes.

ESA is exploring the possibility of developing its own rover for future missions, according to Barthet.

This research holds potential terrestrial applications.

While pursuing his doctorate, Dr. Cole participated in a NASA program to commercialize Mars rover tyre technology.

Nickel-titanium bicycle tyres are an early product, launching this year at approximately $150 (£120) each.

These tyres, while costly, offer superior durability. Future projects include rugged motorcycle tyres for challenging terrains.

Ultimately, Dr. Cole’s ambition is to contribute to humanity’s return to the Moon.

“I want to tell my children, ‘Look at the Moon—my tyres are up there!’,” he says.