NASA is currently investigating the potential of constructing a lunar railway system, a concept that could revolutionize the way we perceive and interact with the moon.
The project, known as Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT), is designed to facilitate the transportation of approximately 100 tons of lunar materials daily, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Ethan Schaler, the project leader and a robotics engineer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, detailed the project's objectives on NASA's official website. He stated, "We want to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon."
He further elaborated that a robust, long-lasting robotic transport system would be crucial for the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base by the 2030s. This vision aligns with NASA's Moon to Mars plan and mission concepts like the Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2.
The FLOAT system is designed to utilize unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a three-layer flexible film track. Schaler explained, "A graphite layer enables robots to passively float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation, a flex-circuit layer generates electromagnetic thrust to controllably propel robots along tracks, and an optional thin-film solar panel layer generates power for the base when in sunlight."
The FLOAT robots, which have no moving parts, are designed to levitate over the track to minimize lunar dust abrasion and wear. This design eliminates the need for major lunar construction. Schaler noted, "FLOAT will operate autonomously in the dusty, inhospitable lunar environment with minimal site preparation, and its network of tracks can be rolled-up / reconfigured over time to match evolving lunar base mission requirements."
The FLOAT project is one of several initiatives funded under NASAs Innovative Advanced Concepts program. John Nelson, a NASA executive, praised the diversity and innovative nature of these projects, referring to them as a "fantastic class of Phase II studies."
Other projects under this program include FLUTE, which aims to establish a large optical observatory in space, and the Pulsed Plasma Rocket concept, which explores the possibility of creating "fission-generated packets of plasma for thrust" to reduce commuting time between Earth and any location in the solar system.
Additional projects include the Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths, which would use low-frequency radio signals to explore the universe, and the Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator, which would explore new ways to power spacecraft. The ScienceCraft for Outer Planet Exploration project plans to send a solar sail to explore the outer solar system.
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