Oak Ridge National Laboratory has teamed up with NASA to produce a lunar rover wheel prototype using a 3D printer.
The product highlights the potential role of additive manufacturing in the future of space exploration equipment fabrication, ORNL said Friday.
The nickel alloy prototype was based on NASA’s design of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, a mobile robot that will be sent to the south pole of the Moon in 2024 to determine the source, distribution and supply of water in the natural satellite. The 3D-printed wheel will not be used in the mission, but will undergo NASA performance testing in comparison with VIPER’s traditionally produced wheels.
3D printing was done at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and took less time, cost and manpower to create than conventional processes. The research team was also able to incorporate more complex spoke patterns and locking features thanks to the powder bed printer’s two coordinated lasers and a rotating build plate.