First motor oil on Mars will be?

Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
751
Location
usa
Whose motor oil will be first on Mars?

My vote goes to Mobil 1 0W-40 or Redline, since Redline is the best!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Since NASA's Spirit landed there over 11 years ago...the question is already settled...the first vehicle was driving on Mars over a decade ago.

You just need to figure out what lubrication that rover was using...
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Since there is no atmosphere, and thus internal combustion engines wont work, there is no need for "motor oil" on Mars.



+1 combustion engines wouldn't run. They rely on a fuel and oxygen mixture.
 
I do not think there will ever be internal combustion engines on Mars. They are too bulky and inefficient, plus you would need to ferry the fuel and the oxygen needed to run them.

We will see more electric engines using the Sun's energy.
 
Right.

Engines - not on Mars.

Motors - already there.

So, what oil, or lubricant, did those motors use? Given the average -63C temp, and lows below -100C, I'm going with synthetic...
 
One of my college professors had worked at NASA back in the day.

he told a story of NASA using powdered graphite for lubricant as it wouldn't be affected by temperature etc. in the vacuum of space.

When the articulated equipment returned to earth and the joints were inspected, it was like they had been filled with sand with a ton of abrasion.

They then figured out powdered graphite needs some sort of atmosphere to slide smoothly.

My bet is on powdered graphite use in the motors that have already been sent to Mars. Atmosphere exists there, and temperature wouldn't be an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
So, what oil, or lubricant, did those motors use? Given the average -63C temp, and lows below -100C, I'm going with synthetic...


Most electric motors that don't go into space are equipped with self lubricating, bronze bushings. And when the loads are very small, a composite bushing will work very well. I don't see how the electric motors in the rover would be any different or all the actuating components.
 
Good points...would love to know...but I've not found anything on google yet...

The issue of dust and extreme temperatures make any lubrication a challenge...and the loads on those individual motors is small....
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Since there is no atmosphere, and thus internal combustion engines wont work, there is no need for "motor oil" on Mars.



You guys need to improve your out of the box thinking skills. Oxygen or nitrous could be injected into the manifold. There are probably other oxygenators that would work as well. You just need one more tank. It would be really easy. I was thinking about this during the martian movie where he had to keep stopping to recharge the batteries.
 
They used sealed ceramic bearing with synthetic grease. One important factor was that the bearing itself not become a conductor of static electricity. Easy life, low speed, low loads, good cooling.
 
You guys didn't hear about the quick change places?

astrochimp.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
One of my college professors had worked at NASA back in the day.

he told a story of NASA using powdered graphite for lubricant as it wouldn't be affected by temperature etc. in the vacuum of space.

When the articulated equipment returned to earth and the joints were inspected, it was like they had been filled with sand with a ton of abrasion.

They then figured out powdered graphite needs some sort of atmosphere to slide smoothly.

My bet is on powdered graphite use in the motors that have already been sent to Mars. Atmosphere exists there, and temperature wouldn't be an issue.


What articulated equipment has been brought back from the Mars surface to Earth? As far as I know, not even soil samples have been brought back due to the involved cost and contamination/infection risk.

http://mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/missiontypes/samplereturns/
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Right.

Engines - not on Mars.

Motors - already there.

So, what oil, or lubricant, did those motors use? Given the average -63C temp, and lows below -100C, I'm going with synthetic...

Come on ASTRO, were is your memory... it'd got to be SYNLUBE. that guy said it/claim it...
:p
 
I saw a picture of a space-rated gear years ago that was about two inches wide and tall and had a diagonal band of embedded dry lubricant around it such that the lubricant would periodically come into contact with the other gear face. Can't find it anywhere on google, etc.
 
Back
Top