Miller, David P2019-04-272019-04-272009https://hdl.handle.net/11244/319058Wheel performance has been one of the limiting factors in interplanetary rover mis-sions. Because the rigors of space restrict use of conventional tire materials, roverwheels suffer from lack of traction, high risk of snagging, and little or no compliance,which limits the rover's ability to explore and traverse discontinuous terrain. Whatis worse is that these limitations go unresolved by the current lack of testing. Theconcept that wheel utilization and design are enhanced by testing is not new. TheApollo program enjoyed substantial testing of the Lunar Rover Vehicle's wheel butat a tremendous cost in time and money, which is probably the reason for its currentlow priority. Single wheel testing is a solution to this problem because it can cheaplyprovide data for a full rover assembly's performance. This paper details these prob-lems and provides solutions to several road blocks of using single wheel testing asa substitute for full rover testing. The Suspension and Wheel Experimentation andEvaluation Testbed (S.W.E.E.T), which is specifically designed to test single wheelsin situations previously neglected, will enable engineers to iteratively improve wheeldesign and to develop more accurate and encompassing mission contingency strategieswithout the cost and time of full rover testing.191 pagesapplication.pdfRoving vehicles (Astronautics)Wheelstext