The Tire Assault Vehicle helped defuse Space Shuttle tires that were too dangerous for humans to undertake. (Image Credit: NASA)
Seems so wasteful.
In 1993, NASA performed stress tests on its Space Shuttle tires for eventual upgrades. However, the tires were too dangerous for humans to defuse due to the dangerously high psi, which meant the tires could explode with the force of dynamite sticks. So, the space agency deployed a bomb disposal robot to try popping them. This technique proved inconvenient due to high costs, the bulkiness preventing it from reaching underneath the plane, and unavailability at times. That’s where NASA radio contractor David Carrott came up with the CV-990 Tire Assault Vehicle (TAV), a custom RC Tiger II tank drilling vehicle. Parts like the hull sides and roof, side skirts, and upper glacis are all custom-made from metal.
NASA’s tire-defusing bot, weighing 20 pounds and standing 12” tall, carries a DeWalt power drill with a 3/8” bit. It gets power from a 12V/7Ah Black and Decker VRLA rechargeable battery. Carrott also disassembled the drill’s handle, attaching the leftover part on the tank chassis’ right side and above the radio operator’s area. Meanwhile, a small pod (left side of the drill) houses the camera and transmitter.
Three custom solid-state VANTEC speed controllers control the tank’s two Black and Decker/DeWalt drill motors that drive the bot, and one motor uses the geared transmission to push all the tracks. Equipment like the camera and motors rely on the drill battery for power. A down-converter takes the camera’s signal, converting it into a composite video before the video feed shows up on a portable black and white TV screen for the operator. They use a JR X388S transmitter and receiver controller running on government frequency.
NASA used the TAV in 12 of 155 Shuttle tire test missions, and it lasted from February to August 1995. During that time, the bot popped nine tires, with four being classified as volatile, which could’ve seriously harmed people required to defuse the tires if the TAV didn’t exist. But in the only image of the TAV operating, a camera sits atop an elevated bracket. An infrared thermometer sets where the camera is typically placed. This allowed the operator to observe the tire’s temperature.
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