This wheel is intended to be a replacement for Curiosity’s wheels, while addressing problems in weight, puncture resistance, and slip control. The weight of the tire and wheel bolt plate are reduced by being made of sheets of Hexcel AS4C (3000 filaments) with a weight of 0.2 g/m. Cold weather won’t degrade carbon fiber, so it should withstand the conditions on Mars. Each spoke and bolt is made of Commercially Pure Grade 2 titanium alloy, with a tensile strength of 62400 psi. This is stiff enough to support the rover while landing, but soft enough to provide a sort of shock absorber while driving over small rocks. The tire has grousers like Curiosity’s (to reduce sideways slip on sand), but it is more puncture-resistant due to the support rings that coincide with the grouser tips, which is where most of the existing damage on Curiosity is located.

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