\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Challenge Tests Wheel Designs for Moon Base Mobility\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jsc2026e406637.jpg?w=1536\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\nNASA engineers, NASA Robotics Academy students, and teams from the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge pose with the wheel prototypes at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center Rock Yard in Houston on July 31, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredits: <\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\/Luna Posadas Nava<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jsc2026e406637.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA engineers, NASA Robotics Academy students, and teams from the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge pose with the wheel prototypes at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center Rock Yard in Houston on July 31, 2026.<\/div>\nNASA\/Luna Posadas Nava<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAs NASA prepares to\u00a0establish\u00a0the\u00a0Moon Base<\/a>,\u00a0advancing surface mobility will be key to helping crews and robotic systems travel farther across\u00a0the lunar surface.\u00a0<\/p>\nTo help advance that capability, the\u00a0Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge invited\u00a0public\u00a0innovators\u00a0to design and build next-generation lunar rover wheels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five teams from 128 submissions and 49 countries advanced to the final phase of the competition, where they tested their prototypes\u00a0on July 31\u00a0at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jsc2026e406620.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThe Huff Helo lunar wheel prototype is tested at Johnson Space Center\u2019s Rock Yard.<\/div>\nNASA\/Luna Posadas Nava<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe challenge\u00a0sought\u00a0lightweight, durable, and scalable wheels that could support longer-duration lunar surface operations. The designs also needed to be compliant enough to absorb impacts,\u00a0maintain\u00a0traction at higher speeds, and withstand the harsh lunar environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery additional kilometer a rover can reliably travel\u00a0will\u00a0expand\u00a0how far we can explore, what science\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0achieve, and what infrastructure\u00a0we\u00a0can build,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Ed\u00a0Herrera,\u00a0robotics\u00a0engineer\u00a0at Johnson\u00a0and co-leader\u00a0of the challenge project.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA\u00a0Johnson\u00a0uses ground prototypes to test mobility technologies, while lunar terrain vehicles will be delivered to the lunar surface through the\u00a0Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>\u00a0initiative.\u00a0For the challenge, the wheels were fitted to\u00a0MicroChariot,\u00a0a\u00a045-kilogram test rover,\u00a0and\u00a0put through a series of courses at Johnson\u2019s Rock Yard to evaluate their performance across\u00a0different types\u00a0of terrain.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jsc2026e406601.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA Robotics Academy students navigate the lunar wheel prototype Scotch Pad Tyres fitted on the MicroChariot rover at Johnson\u2019s Rock Yard.<\/div>\nNASA\/Luna Posadas Nava<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cCrowdsourcing gives us an opportunity to look beyond traditional approaches\u00a0for\u00a0lunar wheel design,\u201d Herrera said. \u201cThe more wheel technologies we can develop and understand, the more options we have to meet the needs of different vehicles, terrains, and missions on the Moon\u00a0and Mars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those ideas were reflected in five distinctly\u00a0different designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The HTR Variable Flex Lunar Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Hellenic Technology of Robotics SA\u00a0uses an internal system designed\u00a0to\u00a0vary the wheel\u2019s stiffness depending on terrain and vehicle needs. The team adapted technology it had been developing for terrestrial wheels for about a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Hiper\u00a0Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Hyperbola\u00a0uses tensioned cables and a\u00a0corigated\u00a0structure that provides spring-like behavior, allowing the wheel to flex without relying on traditional radial spokes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Huff Helo Flexible Titanium Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Huff Helo Inc.\u00a0uses formed titanium sheet metal as both structure and spring. During testing, the team found that the strength of the design also made the wheel more rigid, causing it to bounce over some obstacles rather than conform to the terrain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Payne Aviation Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Deborah and Craige Payne\u00a0took inspiration from aviation and history. Its designer,\u00a0an aircraft\u00a0mechanic, combined a pneumatic approach with ideas from early automobile tire designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\/Luna Posadas Nava<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/jsc2026e406637.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>As NASA prepares to\u00a0establish\u00a0the\u00a0Moon Base<\/a>,\u00a0advancing surface mobility will be key to helping crews and robotic systems travel farther across\u00a0the lunar surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n To help advance that capability, the\u00a0Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge invited\u00a0public\u00a0innovators\u00a0to design and build next-generation lunar rover wheels.\u00a0<\/p>\n Five teams from 128 submissions and 49 countries advanced to the final phase of the competition, where they tested their prototypes\u00a0on July 31\u00a0at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.\u00a0<\/p>\n The challenge\u00a0sought\u00a0lightweight, durable, and scalable wheels that could support longer-duration lunar surface operations. The designs also needed to be compliant enough to absorb impacts,\u00a0maintain\u00a0traction at higher speeds, and withstand the harsh lunar environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEvery additional kilometer a rover can reliably travel\u00a0will\u00a0expand\u00a0how far we can explore, what science\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0achieve, and what infrastructure\u00a0we\u00a0can build,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Ed\u00a0Herrera,\u00a0robotics\u00a0engineer\u00a0at Johnson\u00a0and co-leader\u00a0of the challenge project.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA\u00a0Johnson\u00a0uses ground prototypes to test mobility technologies, while lunar terrain vehicles will be delivered to the lunar surface through the\u00a0Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>\u00a0initiative.\u00a0For the challenge, the wheels were fitted to\u00a0MicroChariot,\u00a0a\u00a045-kilogram test rover,\u00a0and\u00a0put through a series of courses at Johnson\u2019s Rock Yard to evaluate their performance across\u00a0different types\u00a0of terrain.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCrowdsourcing gives us an opportunity to look beyond traditional approaches\u00a0for\u00a0lunar wheel design,\u201d Herrera said. \u201cThe more wheel technologies we can develop and understand, the more options we have to meet the needs of different vehicles, terrains, and missions on the Moon\u00a0and Mars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Those ideas were reflected in five distinctly\u00a0different designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n The HTR Variable Flex Lunar Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Hellenic Technology of Robotics SA\u00a0uses an internal system designed\u00a0to\u00a0vary the wheel\u2019s stiffness depending on terrain and vehicle needs. The team adapted technology it had been developing for terrestrial wheels for about a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0Hiper\u00a0Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Hyperbola\u00a0uses tensioned cables and a\u00a0corigated\u00a0structure that provides spring-like behavior, allowing the wheel to flex without relying on traditional radial spokes.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Huff Helo Flexible Titanium Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Huff Helo Inc.\u00a0uses formed titanium sheet metal as both structure and spring. During testing, the team found that the strength of the design also made the wheel more rigid, causing it to bounce over some obstacles rather than conform to the terrain.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Payne Aviation Wheel\u00a0created\u00a0by\u00a0Deborah and Craige Payne\u00a0took inspiration from aviation and history. Its designer,\u00a0an aircraft\u00a0mechanic, combined a pneumatic approach with ideas from early automobile tire designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure>