MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc.
Advancement of Surface Mobility Traction Drives (SMTD) — Sustainable surface transportation of large elements (e.g. cargo, crew, etc.) over large distances on the Moon requires the use of traction drive systems. The specific combination of large cargo elements, challenging terrain (e.g. large slopes, abrasive regolith), and extended life in both vacuum and the extreme Lunar temperature environment exceed the capabilities of existing state-of-the-art terrestrial traction drive systems. MDA Space is proposing to develop a traction drive system to meet the demanding mission requirements of known and forecast Lunar rovers. Key market differentiators will be a traction drive system exhibiting high speed and torque capabilities, and a long life with no maintenance intervention, which can withstand the challenging Lunar night and regolith environments. Potential customers include the Lunar Utility Vehicle, NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), the European Lunar Polar Sample Return (LPSR) mission, and potentially pressurized rover missions.