NASA rover Curiosity drills HOLE in MARS 'GOLF COURSE' The Mars Curiosity rover has drilled an opening that looks suspiciously like the hole towards which Tiger Woods and his fellow golfers usually aim their balls. It is the first hole dug by the Rover during its quest to find water on the Red Planet. On its journey across the mountain, the Rover also spotted what appears to be a …
And yet it still tore its wheels to ribbons, this does not exactly inspire confidence.
This happens with every rover and yet they still insist on a thin metal surface, how about adding a layer of protective material? or even patches of protective material on the contact surfaces?
Perhaps the problem is that it really isn't rocket science and instead of rocket scientists they should maybe be talking to engineers from say michelin or pirelli.
The reason they keep the wheels to a bare minimum is weight. Adding mass to them would limit the amount of science instruments that can be included.
It's not like they don't test the wheels extensively.
The surface they encountered at this location had never been seen before -> hard, eroded, jagged spikes of rock. Really, really nasty stuff. Wind sculpted into 3 to 4 inch shark teeth, hidden in the dust. It's akin to driving over a car park spike strip.
@142 it happens to EVERY Mars rover, it's not like it is a new problem. Extensive testing of "best case scenario" is useless. As for weight, it would probably be a lot less than a kilo to add protective patches to the contact points.
@Grikath You are assuming inflatable tyres, also you are assuming rubber. These companies make tyres for the aircraft industry, there's your cold and lack of atmospheric pressure right there, even super high flying spy aircraft need to land as does the x-37b and while they were in service the space shuttles - they have experience in these areas. The major tyre manufacturers not only make rubber compounds that test for extreme environments but they also test various different materials even moreso nowadays when oil is at a premium (distilations of which are used to process rubber and also fractions of which are used to polymerize said rubber) and the search is on to move away from vulcanised rubber, they would be exactly the boys to see about a viable compound to use as a protective layer on those skimpy aluminium wheels.
Hell, even put cork patches on the contact areas and they'd last longer and the weight gain would only be in ounces.
right... so my examples, like the x37-b which stays in orbit with zero atmospheric pressure and extremes of heat and cold for many months at a time and yet still manages to use rubber compound tyres which somehow don't shatter, abrade or disintegrate (which was your assumption) even when used for the rigorous task of landing after such prolonged exposure to those conditions are what? the product of a fanciful mind?
My statement in regards to your assumption was based on fact, and backed by examples. Kind of the opposite to your "counter".
"It is the first hole dug by the Rover during its quest to find water"
Foreshadowing the very many holes our descendants will drill in search of shiny rocks.
Here we go again ...
Take this Opportunity to read "Stranger In A Strange Land" before it's too late!
... and now back to our programme ...
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