Why not Carbon for Mars rover?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ft Worth, TX
Posts: 1,971
Bikes: Custom 650B tandem by Bob Brown, 650B tandem converted from Santana Arriva, Santana Noventa, Boulder Bicycle 700C, Gunnar Sport
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Why not Carbon for Mars rover?
I know there are some people on this forum that work with carbon in industry and while reading the linked story about the SUV sized rover NASA is preparing for Mars I wondered why did they build it with aluminum and not carbon. Building a payload to be shipped to Mars has to be the most weight sensitive project there is. Any ideas? Solar radiation?
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...tions-on-mars/
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...tions-on-mars/
#2
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,464
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3133 Post(s)
Liked 2,115 Times
in
1,378 Posts
I can think of lots of engineering challenges but really you just need to find a different article to read
NASA Unveils Rover Concept for 2020 Mission to Mars
https://www.compositesworld.com/arti...e-mars-landing
NASA Unveils Rover Concept for 2020 Mission to Mars
https://www.compositesworld.com/arti...e-mars-landing
#4
Banned
Drop by Johnson NASA Center in Houston and Ask?
Epoxy matrix can burn,? Carbon is brittle .. . good until its not, then its broken not bent
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Maine, USA
Posts: 1,612
Bikes: Corvid Sojourner, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Co-Motion Divide, Co-Motion Java Tandem, Salsa Warbird, Salsa Beargrease, Carver Tandem
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 435 Times
in
227 Posts
there is a local company here in Maine that supplied some materials for the rover and as I recall it invented some material that is 'like carbon' but better. ;-)
https://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/...de-composites/
https://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/...de-composites/
#8
Non omnino gravis
My guess would be UV exposure-- and them cosmic rays. No magnetosphere, so the martian surface gets absolutely blasted by radiation. The outer surface of the current rover looks like it has definitely seen some... stuff. Epoxy doesn't much like the sun-- just ask the 15-year-old CF hood on my car. And it spent all 15 years in the Earth's atmosphere, getting washed and waxed regularly.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 1,236
Bikes: 2006 Co-Motion Roadster (Flat Bars, Discs, Carbon Fork), Some 1/2 bikes and a couple of KTM's
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 28 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Did not read the articles, are they using MMC that is aluminum based? MMC is very cool stuff. In certain types of construction, it reduces grain line stress.
Seems unlikely they would build a space vehicle with epoxy, if tney were building with carbon fibre, most likely it would be a carbon / carbon design where a carbon resin system is utilized.
Seems unlikely they would build a space vehicle with epoxy, if tney were building with carbon fibre, most likely it would be a carbon / carbon design where a carbon resin system is utilized.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Merry Old England
Posts: 772
Bikes: Muddyfox Evolve 200, Bicycles4u Paris Explorer, Raleigh Twenty Stowaway, Bickerton California, Saracen Xile, Kona Hoss Deluxe, Vertigo Carnaby, Exodus Havoc, Kona Lanai, Revolution Cuillin Sport, Dawes Kingpin, Bickerton, NSU & Elswick Cosmopolitan
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 297 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times
in
25 Posts
I guess carbon itself is pretty fire proof as that is the dust you have left after a fire but all the other materials making up carbon fibre seem quite combustible. Picture of a bike with carbon parts in a house fire here. No prizes for guessing which are the carbon parts.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 1,236
Bikes: 2006 Co-Motion Roadster (Flat Bars, Discs, Carbon Fork), Some 1/2 bikes and a couple of KTM's
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 28 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I guess carbon itself is pretty fire proof as that is the dust you have left after a fire but all the other materials making up carbon fibre seem quite combustible. Picture of a bike with carbon parts in a house fire here. No prizes for guessing which are the carbon parts.
Most epoxies have issues starting at a few hundred degrees. Phenolis, Bismalides, and other systems withstand more heat, but carbon based resin systems are one of the most heat tolerant.
Not freak you out, when a composite part on an aircraft takes a lightning strike, the resin is essentially imediately evaporated out of the carbon fibres. After that it is ugly. Done correctly, LSP or lightning strike protection repairs are critical to the aircrafts longevity.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Wattsup
General Cycling Discussion
228
11-17-18 09:00 PM
aprhockey
Framebuilders
8
05-25-12 11:07 AM