a_v_bw_o_n (1964, unnumbered poss. Goodyear promo photo assoc. with press release no. 640104594-B)
“Conceptual drawing shows how the metal and textile wheel-tire recently unveiled for NASA officials by Goodyear’s Aviation Products Division will carry the mobile laboratory (MOLAB) vehicle being developed for lunar exploration. The 60-inch-diameter wheel-tire uses a positively-linked wire mesh, partially covered by a fiber pad, as the tire and tread because the hostile conditions of the moon prohibit use of the traditional tire concept of contained air under pressure.”
Despite mishandling, to include the upper right corner having been cut off...but at least not infringing the image, and of course the "military-grade caption adhesive" induced waviness along the left border, this is still a vibrant, high-gloss photo.
Not a particularly good work, but delightful nonetheless, by Al Johnson, whom I assume to be a Goodyear artist. As expected, zilch on him.
I can’t help but wonder what is the gizmo the astronaut’s holding. Geiger counter? Mass spectrometer?
Additionally, per “The Development of Wheels for the Lunar Roving Vehicle”/NASA/TM—2009-215798:
“MOLAB (1964 to 1965): NASA next sponsored the study of a Mobile Lunar Laboratory (MOLAB). This was a large pressurized vehicle to be used for long range exploration after the Apollo program. GM DRL and Goodyear again worked together and made a larger wire frame wheel with higher load capacity. However, they found that the wheel design could not easily be scaled to accommodate a higher load. For example, increasing the wire diameter elevated the stresses at the looped intersections, while increasing the number of wires made the wheels difficult to manufacture by hand. Working within these limitations, the prototype shown in Figure 3 was made; however, the wheel carcass was unable to support the vehicle weight. To fix this problem, a method to weave the carcass was developed at GM DRL using the process illustrated by Figure 4. As shown, the wires were precrimped at fixed intervals. In this fashion, they held their position in the carcass without excessive stress. Additionally, the manufacturing process enabled a much tighter spacing between wires.”
ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20100000019/downloads/2010000...
The prototype referenced in Figure 3 is exactly the wheel depicted in my posting:
a_v_bw_o_n (1964, unnumbered poss. Goodyear promo photo assoc. with press release no. 640104594-B)
“Conceptual drawing shows how the metal and textile wheel-tire recently unveiled for NASA officials by Goodyear’s Aviation Products Division will carry the mobile laboratory (MOLAB) vehicle being developed for lunar exploration. The 60-inch-diameter wheel-tire uses a positively-linked wire mesh, partially covered by a fiber pad, as the tire and tread because the hostile conditions of the moon prohibit use of the traditional tire concept of contained air under pressure.”
Despite mishandling, to include the upper right corner having been cut off...but at least not infringing the image, and of course the "military-grade caption adhesive" induced waviness along the left border, this is still a vibrant, high-gloss photo.
Not a particularly good work, but delightful nonetheless, by Al Johnson, whom I assume to be a Goodyear artist. As expected, zilch on him.
I can’t help but wonder what is the gizmo the astronaut’s holding. Geiger counter? Mass spectrometer?
Additionally, per “The Development of Wheels for the Lunar Roving Vehicle”/NASA/TM—2009-215798:
“MOLAB (1964 to 1965): NASA next sponsored the study of a Mobile Lunar Laboratory (MOLAB). This was a large pressurized vehicle to be used for long range exploration after the Apollo program. GM DRL and Goodyear again worked together and made a larger wire frame wheel with higher load capacity. However, they found that the wheel design could not easily be scaled to accommodate a higher load. For example, increasing the wire diameter elevated the stresses at the looped intersections, while increasing the number of wires made the wheels difficult to manufacture by hand. Working within these limitations, the prototype shown in Figure 3 was made; however, the wheel carcass was unable to support the vehicle weight. To fix this problem, a method to weave the carcass was developed at GM DRL using the process illustrated by Figure 4. As shown, the wires were precrimped at fixed intervals. In this fashion, they held their position in the carcass without excessive stress. Additionally, the manufacturing process enabled a much tighter spacing between wires.”
ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20100000019/downloads/2010000...
The prototype referenced in Figure 3 is exactly the wheel depicted in my posting: