Goodyear testing tire components in space

Akron, Ohio — Goodyear is sending some of its tire components into space for testing, as part of a project that takes flight to International Space Station (ISS) US National Laboratory.

The SpaceX CRS-18 expects to launch on 21 July and head to the ISS with a Goodyear experiment onboard, Goodyear announced 12 July.

Goodyear plans to study the formation of silica particles, a material used in consumer tires, in the microgravity environment of the space station, the company said.

Company engineers will use the results to "determine if unique forms of precipitated silica might be considered in tires to enhance performance," the release stated.

Astronauts aboard the ISS will conduct Goodyear's experiment while company scientists simultaneously carry out the same experiment in the company's labs, allowing for comparison.

"Goodyear quite literally has gone to the moon and back to take tire performance to new levels for consumers," Chris Helsel, Goodyear's chief technology officer, said in the release.