50 years after NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong took his one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, Goodyear is heading back to the stars to conduct experiments in the International Space Station to make use of the micro gravity environment on board.

Astronauts will conduct an experiment with silica particles while Goodyear scientists will simultaneously carry out the same experiment in the company’s labs, allowing a comparison when the space research results – frozen for the journey back to Earth – are studied later. Silica particles are a key component in tyres and Goodyear’s engineers and scientists want to discover if unique forms of precipitated silica could be used to improve performance.

Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer, said: “Goodyear quite literally has gone to the moon and back to take tyre performance to new levels for consumers. Space exploration has served as inspiration for so much innovation, and we at Goodyear are proud of our legacy of participation, which continues with this upcoming experiment in micro gravity.”

In fact the company has a close history with space exploration and in 1969 supplied essential products for the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Goodyear brakes helped the missiles move into place on the launch pads, a ‘purge and conditioning’ system helped the engines circulate nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen; the window frame of the command module was Goodyear-manufactured as was the panel on which the landing instruments were mounted.

When Apollo 11 splashed down into the ocean after its return to Earth, the capsule was kept upright by Goodyear flotation bags, so the astronauts could crawl into recovery rafts. For later missions hundreds of technicians worked to develop 16 inch tyres for a cart Apollo astronauts used to carry photo equipment, digging tools and 35 bags they filled with lunar rock.