Posted on 02/09/2022 5:35:30 AM PST by Red Badger
Hookie Co. has created this fully-electric motorcycle designed to play a part in interstellar mobility. The Tardigrade is a 8.5 feet long fully-electric motorcycle with a tubular exoskeleton that has a 68 mile range when fully charged. This won’t replace the rover but adds an additional source of transportation on the moon's surface, and while on Earth the Tardigrade is 300 lbs. On the moon, the motorcycle will only weigh 50 lbs. Learn more at Autoblog.com
VIDEO AT LINK......
Transcript: Moon motorcycle concept. The Tardigrade is not your average motorcycle designed by the German-based company Hookie. This concept is for astronaut transportation on the moon. The electric bike is 8.5 feet long with a tubular exoskeleton. When fully charged, the Tardigrade has a max range of 68 miles, and while the moon motorcycle weighs 300 lbs on earth. It will only be 50 lbs thanks to the moon’s gravitational force. Tardigrade will be exhibited at the Petersen Automotive Museum.
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In early 2020, NASA asked automakers to help it develop the next lunar rover. It hasn't requested a lunar motorcycle, at least not yet, but that didn't stop Germany's Hookie from designing one. Called Tardigrade, the concept will be displayed in the Petersen Automotive Museum.
The goal wasn't merely to create a series of eye-catching renderings; the Tardigrade is a real motorcycle developed with lunar exploration in mind. Shaped like nothing else on the market, it's characterized by an almost flat silhouette, an ultra-thin seat, and handlebars uniquely positioned near the middle of the wheelbase. The steering system is electronic, according to Visor Down, and it's controlled by an app and an electric motor. There's also a tubular exoskeleton made with aluminum mounted around the battery pack and a pair of airless tires.
"We wanted to make the Tardigrade as realistic as possible. Additionally, the design should be modular as far as possible in order to be able to use it for future interstellar projects," Hookie explained. It added that the Tardigrade is capable of carrying both people and gear.
Hookie notes that the Tardigrade (a name borrowed from an eight-legged micro-animal) stands 2.9 feet tall and stretches 8.5 feet long. It's entirely electric, the powertrain was provided by a Swedish firm named Cake, and it offers astro-riders a maximum range of about 68 miles. It weighs a little under 300 pounds, so it's not unusually heavy for a motorcycle; the Harley-Davidson LiveWire weighs around 560 pounds. Besides, it'll weigh 50 pounds in the moon's one-sixth gravity.
While nothing suggests the Tardigrade will make its way to the moon anytime soon, it's headed to the Petersen Automotive Museum in October 2021. It will be part of the ADV:Overland exhibition, which shines light on adventure machines built for our planet and beyond.
The astronauts should leave their hobbies at home and focus on work…
Exactly. Try riding around on your bike with a 300 lb backpack on.
Weight is one sixth, inertia remains the same. I expect that you can go in a straight line, until you fall over or launch yourself into space.
It’s a rubber bon bon.
“Wheels are too narrow for the rocky terrain and would wreck quickly.”
Not just that, those airless tires might have some give and cushion here on earth weighing at 300 lbs, but on the Moon weighing only 50 lbs they are going to be as hard as concrete. May as well just make the rims all solid without the tires because there will be no difference anyhow.
In the future, the Moon will be their home..............
First released at Burning Man /s
Riding around on the surface of the moon is not "interstellar mobility", looks fun though.
Fly me to the Moon,
And let me play among the stars.
Let me see what Spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars......................
And if the band your in
Is playing different tunes
I’ll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon
—> In the future, the Moon will be their home.......
In that case, I insist we choose Marxist liberals, and yes, they can bring their hobbies.
Got to keep the Loonies on the path.................
LOL! Thread winner right there, I don't care who you are!
At least it runs on electricity, rather than gasoline, as burning gas would put carbon into the moon’s atmosphere and heat it up even more.
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Doesn’t look as impressive as the LVR used in the late sixties. Amazing the lunar module was able to store and bring it to the moon. Did we leave the LVR’s on the moon or bring them back?
Left them there................
That girl has her own gravity..................
Just send them up some Segways with modified lunar wheels and all carbon frame components.
Those tires won’t lean in turns.......major problem even with the light gravity.........motorcycles cannot turn w/o leaning.......(been riding for 58 years....)
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