Last week, Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched Falcon Heavy with one giant PR stunt: a Tesla Roadster onboard that’s not floating in orbit high above the Earth.
As neat as it is—and it really is pretty cool—General Motors has been there and done that. Recall, GM actually built and designed the lunar rover for NASA in 1971. Not only that, but the rover was actually all-electric with four electric motors, each producing 0.25 horsepower; it could go 8.7 mph and it offered 4.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Even the range wasn’t too shabby by today’s standards. The lunar rover could go 57 miles before needing a recharge.
GM’s relationship with space doesn’t stop there, either. In 2010, GM built Robonaut 2, a robotic humanoid astronaut capable of handling the most delicate tasks in space in the most dangerous environments. Robonaut 2 left Earth in 2011 on Space Shuttle Discovery. Destination? The International Space Station.
A more down-to-Earth space-age application of GM’s technology is the RoboGlove. GM and NASA developed the glove to add strength and reduce fatigue on humans while performing exerting tasks.
Moon landings, robotic astronauts and more, GM’s fascination with space largely predates Musk’s ambitious endeavors.
Comments
GM and Boeing did the rover.
Also they did it more than once and it was not just for publicity.
Those who can do.
Such a petty article. Tesla and SpaceX didn’t launch a 1st roadster into space for pure publicity. SpaceX used a roadster to test the Falcon heavy’s Weight Load during launch. To see if the rocket would even launch without obliterating into pieces before leaving the bottom layers of the atmosphere. Did GM build a rocket? SpaceX has done what NASA hasnt had the funding to do, in order to explore space. Sean, you seem to be quite jealous, or upset about something. This blog is about General Motors, and vehicles. Leave SpaceX out of your hatred filled mouth.
SpaceX is mentioned because Elon Musk made the mistake of combining his two companies into this flight. So let go of your hate toward GM because it got into space sooner and did build the first electric cars that are on the Moon. BTW I bet Elon rode in GM cars before he began his career so he got his ideas from GM and now is trying to outdo them!
I don’t have hatred towards GM. I own a Chevy, and I love it! It’s just, this blog is extremely sour towards Tesla, and everything Elon Musk. Whether it’s comments that point towards Tesla not making a single profit, or Tesla stealing money from taxpayers. Tesla has not done the ladder. Also, if you say Tesla hasn’t made a single profit, then we could say the same for GM. All companies carry a debt load, and still bring in a massive amount of revenue compared to Net Expenses, and Total Debt. There was a time where GM was young, and looked extremely foolish toward the typical naysayer. That’s exactly what’s happening here. Tesla is doing a great job! They’re actually ahead of schedule when releasing the model 3, and expanding production, than originally planned. Also, my next vehicle won’t be Manufactured by GM. It’s going to be the Model 3. I don’t care how much I’ll be discredited by saying that, but every day, I lose respect for this blog and it’s readers, by how inexcusable articles are, and the comments by its’ readers are. I’m going to remove GMAuthority from my RSS feed. Sure, many of you don’t care, but that’s okay. I don’t either. Thanks for the old great reads.
SpaceX has proven to the world that it’s easier to send cars into space with reusable rockets than it is to actually build cars.
Since there is no air on the moon, the motors are not air cooled.
Ok vacuum cooled.
I do not think so. Please explain.
Dear Tesla –
Conratulations on reaching outer space.
If you make it over to the moon and need some directions, just give us a call.
We started coming up here in 1971, so we pretty much know our way around.
In the meantime – welcome to the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
General Motors
The Boeing Corp.
Just run that as a full-pg ad on a vintage lunar rover photo on the moon, in WSJ, USA, NYT, Washington Post, and online.
In other words, take the high road.
(Like the little red corvette ad – runs once, still lives online).
Bob Lutz, is that you?
I’ll fix the beginning of your ad for you, no need to thank me…
“Dear SpaceX –
Congratulations on reaching outer space with your Falcon Heavy on its maiden voyage.
You have stated your intention is to put satellites into orbit cheaper than ever before and to colonize Mars, but if you ever desire to reach the moon, despite GM having minimal involvement in getting their Rover to the moon, just give us a Tweet.”
Ok – a contest! Excellent – maybe less is more;
Congratulations, Tesla –
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
General Motors
The Boeing Corp.
Makers of the all-electric
1971 lunar rover.
(Same lunar surface rover photo).
There’s gotta be a way to do something cool – not a knock on Tesla. Just the facts, ma’am.
I will give Elon credit while the whole thing about sending the car was pointless it was a great marketing move.
It was everywhere and really got the Tesla name out in the heavy media coverage.
Too bad it will be years before the Roadster is available to take advantage of it.
Ya, the extended cut to David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ was pretty cool and got huge views.
It’s funny to think, though – producing operational EVs appears to be harder than rocket science.
Just a shame they can’t figure out how to build cars at a profit on time.
I thought most of Tesla’s problems were on the manufacturing side of the house. I think their engineering design teams are quite excellent given their track record.
That is why many tech companies try not to get involved with mfg.
Designing is one thing but MFG is a whole different skill set.
Tesla would be better off developing technology and selling it much like Intell does. There are many automakers unable to do it themselves and they would be making a ton of money vs struggling to get a lower profit model into production.
They have equipment sitting in Germany now but it needs to be here. They can send a car to miss Mars but they struggle to get machinery half way around the world.
Since they are short money they may not be able to offord yo pay the Russians to fly it over.
I did think of a way that the motors on the moon buggy could be air cooled. They could receive a blast of air from a tank if the temperature was too high. But remember that the temperature in sunlight is hot and in shadow is cold.
Maybe used plain old earthbound electric motors that are usually air cooled, instead of inventing a specialized motor just for space?
You can bet that NASA used special motors that were very expensive regardless of any type of cooling.
In fact, it was Boeing who won NASA’s contract for the rover and brought in GM’s Delco division for developing the motors, wheels and suspension of the rover. Delco also engineered the rover’s main navigation instruments and was Boeing’s largest subcontractor.
Contrary to what the article says, the motors were not air-cooled but actually hermetically sealed together with their harmonic 80:1 drive reduction unit. Within that casing resided nitrogen gas under high pressure and that transferred heat to the outer casing where a thermistor would register the heat and if needed shut down the motor and provide the necessary warnings to the astronauts. The moters were DC 36 V units with brushes.
Also contrary to what the article says, the batteries on the rover where two non-rechargeable 36V silver-zinc batteries in plexiglass cells within a magnesium case, each producing 115Ah. The batteries needed cooling, through upward-facing radiators, which regularly needed the astronauts to brush off any moon dust accumulating on top.
Because range was an attention point (even if the max range was a theoretical 57 miles, they always took into consideration that one battery could fail and actual practical range was therefore half), the astronauts would always first drive to the furthest distance from the lander, and then work their way back to the lander. This way, they would always be closer to the lander as time went by and chances for failure rose.
GM made the wheels from zinc-coated steel and titanium treads. It could climb slopes up to 25 degrees. The rover’s maximum load was around 520 kg (1140 lbs), which was twice its own weight, and it featured 4-wheel steering.
From the whole Apollo program, GM’s work was executed the fastest from contracting till delivery.
Good info!
I also read that the ‘moon buggy’ cost $31m 1971 dollars to produce, and there are three of them up there on the moon’s surface, just waiting to be retrieved …
bokep gratis