Balloons on the Moon

  Given the extreme nature of conditions in outer space and on the lunar surface - harsh radiation, total vacuum and extremes of temperature and light - the idea of exploration from inside a bubble or an inflatable vehicle, seems a little counter-intuitive. However, early concepts for moon rovers and probes were proposed that used inflatable envelopes as the main body. The 1968 Look and Learn annual showed a bold illustration of a seemingly flimsy bubble rolling happily across a rugged lunar landscape, as astronauts cavort in casual abandon before it.

LIFE Magazine ran an article in the April 1962 edition which covered lunar exploration and included a spread on the various robotic rovers which were in development.

Electronics company RCA proposed a number of different robots, including tracked, wheeled and walking designs, as well as a large beach ball like device with an overhead solar panel. This was clearly the inspiration for the Look and Learn spread some six years later.

Clearly designing the probe with an absolute minimum of weight, and of a collapsible form, the rover would be able to navigate craters and dusty plains with ease, due to its lightness and large footprint.

Before either illustration, the June 1959 issue of Mechanix Illustrated, illustrated by Frank Tinsley has a cover image and interior article  which shows a much larger manned version of the 'Unicycle' concept. 

The Unicyle would presumably be gyroscopically balanced and have a rotating tread around both axis, which would roll, keeping the central cabin upright. The reduced gravity would make the vehicle much more stable than on Earth.

As is often the case with fantastic and futuristic designs, toy companies following the space race regularly looked to magazines and trade journals for inspiration and Mattel seemingly found Tinsleys artwork of interest. The Uni-Tred Space Hauler and Space Bubble uses a central drive tread to power the tractor unit, which tows a large bubble capsule behind it, with a seated astronaut.

Mattel had also produced the Moon Suit seen in the Life Magazine spread, for its range of astronaut figures in the Major Matt Mason line. Mattels Man in Space was one of the most successful space toys ever, with ingenious and novel toy designs.

Also shown on the lunar crawler spread were two RCA designs for walking robots, the 'Dumbo' model and a smaller version name 'Porky Pig'.

Porky Pig appeared as part of an Eldon Scenic Model supporting two astronauts in a lunar diorama, but referred to as a 'Space Beetle'.

The 'Dumbo' design was borrowed by Japanese toy company Yonezawa for their battery powered Moon Explorer toy, which was intended to be a manned vehicle and had a small astronaut pop out of the side door to take photographs as it waddled along.

More contemporary toys such as the 1980's Britains StarGard series of figures and die cast models also used a similar device to Tinsley, with a central cockpit belted by a rubber tread forming the main means of locomotion, whilst keeping the pilot area stable.

Several designs used the bubble cockpit, with a weighted set inside, which remained level irrespective of the angle of the main body.

Another japanese company Takara used a similar device for the Microman/Micronauts line of modular toys. The Hydrocopter has a dome almost identical to the Britains version, with a motorised unit behind it. The dome becomes the main drive wheel for the vehicle when on land and the addition of a pair of paddles on either side, gives propulsion in water, aided by removable floats on the tail section.