LUNAR SURFACE VEHICLES A BRIEF REVIEW OF CURRENT DESIGN CONCEPTS

摘要

The most desirable attributes of a vehicle designed to traverse the surface of the Moon are absolute dependability, trafficability over any surface, and provisions for life support. But the design of such a vehicle is complicated not only by the uncertainties con?cerning the lunar surface itself but also by the extremes of an en?vironment that is hostile both to man and machine.nAlthough the design trend for lunar vehicles seems to favor con?ventional wheels and tracks for surface contact, some unconventional designs, such as spiral-screw vehicles and walking machines, are being worked on. Until more lunar data become available, the study and testing of a variety of designs, each based on certain assump?tions about conditions on the Moon, will continue to be necessary.