The first part of this paper defines lunar environmental factors which are pertinent to the design of a lunar surface mobility system. The second part discusses the design techniques required to solve the problems imposed by these environments.
The definition of lunar environment includes only those data that are presently considered to be acceptable for the design of equipment for lunar use. The environmental factors defined are: extreme temperature range between lunar day and night, pressure, lunar gravity, surface characteristics (that is, terrain, soil), radiation, dust and micrometeorite impact. The effects of these environments upon the design and material selection for mobility system and subsystems are discussed. Specific examples of design techniques are demonstrated for the design of traction drive mechanisms, wheels, thermal control, and vehicle dynamics.
