Chainmail tires re-invent the wheel to get future NASA rovers rolling

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Chainmail tires re-invent the wheel to get future NASA rovers rolling
'Shape memory alloys' mean tires can roll over sharp objects without permanently deforming
By Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor 20 Nov 2017 at 08:34
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/20/nasa_nickel_titanium_spring_tires/


NASA has developed chainmail tires with a memory and thinks they'll do the trick for future rovers.

As readers of The Register's coverage of the Curiosity Rover may recall, the vehicle has experienced considerable wheel damage that has led to changes to its route in 2014 and a 2017 software update to preserve the wheels and provide better grip.

[...]

[Oceander]

How will the memory metal perform under extremely cold temperatures?  Will it recover it’s shape as effectively as it does at normal Earth temperatures?   

[Joe Wooten]

How will the memory metal perform under extremely cold temperatures?  Will it recover it’s shape as effectively as it does at normal Earth temperatures?

Very good point. It ought to be tested in Antarctica.