Flight to Mars and beyond – no, but what about a 3D printed bicycle that can be used on the Moon?

Yes, exactly where gravity is 0. In the lines below we learn the history of this ingenious prototype.

The bike bears the name Tardigradefrom the name of the tiny creature of the Earth’s biosphere, renowned for its ability to survive in a hostile environment, almost unsuitable for life. According to the company’s website, the bike was named so because «Tardigrades are true survivors who have endured every transformation the Earth has undergone over millions of years of evolution, and we suspect the bike could do the same on the Moon.»

The bike is, of course, fully electric, because otherwise we would have great difficulty running an internal combustion engine on the MoonA due to lack of oxygen (and petrol stations). The bike measures 2.6 meters in length, has a range of 110 km, reaches a maximum speed of 15 km/h and weighs 134 kg – lighterA compared to the previous Moon Buggy (which had a mass of 210 kg), which was placed on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 15.

And this is what it looks like:

Of course, the Moon Buggy (officially called the Lunar Roving Unit) was designed for two people, while the Tardigrade bike appears to be designed for a single occupant.

One might assume that the bike is also much cheaper, given that the original Moon Buggy is the most expensive car ever built, with development costs of $38 million. The cost was initially estimated at 19 million, but space projects are not cheap and cost overruns doubled the final price.

Airless tires are crafted from polyurethane, with each wheel comprising 12 molded segments that are assembled to form the complete tire, as illustrated in the image provided. Although polyurethane is prone to degradation under UV rays and visible light, it comes in both thermoset and thermoplastic variations. Given the extreme temperatures on the moon’s surface, which can reach up to 130 degrees Celsius, it is likely that thermosetting plastic was chosen over the lower-melting thermoplastic. While specific details about the printing technique used for creating the Tardigrade tires have not been disclosed by the company, they did mention collaborating with Additive Elements, a German firm specializing in adhesive jet printers. This suggests that this system might have been utilized for their innovative space bike. Other components manufactured through additive processes include the handlebar mount and wheel covers. The majority of the bike’s frame is constructed using laser-cut aluminum and steel tubing.

Conclusion

The design and construction of the Tardigrade space bike strategically utilizes additive manufacturing (3D printing) to address the extreme environmental challenges of lunar travel. While the majority of the frame relies on traditional, durable materials like laser-cut aluminum and steel, the critical innovation lies in the airless tires. These tires, composed of 12 molded polyurethane segments, likely employ a thermosetting plastic variant over thermoplastic due to the Moon’s severe temperature fluctuations, which reach up to $130^circtext{C}$. This choice ensures material integrity against high heat exposure, despite polyurethane’s known susceptibility to UV degradation.¹

Although the exact printing technique for the tires is undisclosed, the collaboration with German firm Additive Elements, which specializes in adhesive jet printers, strongly suggests this system was utilized, potentially for the complex geometry of the tire segments. Furthermore, 3D printing was used for ancillary but crucial components, including the handlebar mount and wheel covers.² This approach demonstrates a hybrid manufacturing strategy where additive processes are strategically deployed to produce custom, geometrically complex, and high-performance parts that would be difficult or costly to produce conventionally.