Bridgestone Joins Teledyne Lunar Terrain Vehicle Development Team

Teledyne Brown Engineering announced today that Bridgestone Corporation is joining its team looking to design and build the crewed lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) for NASA to support future exploration on the moon.​​

As NASA’s mission is to reach new territory in space development, there is a need for a crewed and autonomous vehicle to navigate unexplored areas on the moon. The LTV will be expected to endure extreme temperatures and harsh environments over long periods of time to support crew mobility and research efforts. To deliver the needed technology, Teledyne has built a robust team that includes industry champions such as Nissan North America, Sierra Space, Textron and now Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber. ​​

Bridgestone Corporation has signed an exclusive Teaming Agreement with the Teledyne Team to provide lunar tires for the NASA LTV program. The company has extensive knowledge and experience in development of tires, which has supported the evolution of mobility from the ground up throughout more than 90 years of history since its foundation in 1931. This international partnership shows strong commitment to NASA and its mission to further explore the moon and beyond.​​

“This partnership helps further solidify the strength of our team and the durable vehicle that will be a product of its collaboration,” stated Scott Hall, President of Teledyne’s Engineered Systems Segment. ​ “The experience and reputation of Bridgestone is unparalleled and a tremendous asset for our vehicle in its journey to and on the moon’s surface.”​​

​​Bridgestone has continued to drive tire technology innovation to support safety and peace of mind for a mobility society and to keep people and the world moving ahead. In 2019, the company embarked on a new challenge to research tires for crewed lunar vehicles. To ensure tire function and safety under difficult operating conditions (rocky and sandy desert with exposure to extreme temperatures and cosmic ray radiation) the company is developing and validating metal airless tire concepts. Bridgestone is leveraging its “mastering road contact” technology that is a core-competency acquired from various experiences on roads around the world.

“This project is a bold new challenge for humanity, and we are honored to be joining the Teledyne Team. This project will help us fulfill the “Extension: Committed to nonstop mobility and innovation that keeps people and the world moving ahead” stated in our corporate commitment, the Bridgestone E8 Commitment,” said Makoto Ishiyama, Executive Director, Next Generation Technology Development, Bridgestone. “Through co-creation with new partners, the Bridgestone Group is dedicated to realizing the dream of humankind with mobility innovation.”​​

Source: Teledyne