The POT announced his plan to build a railway network on the Moon as part of the program Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC). The project, known as Flexible Levitation over one Track (FLOAT)will use levitating magnetic robots to transport materials on the lunar surface.
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The FLOAT system is part of six innovative projects funded by the NIAC. Ethan Schaler, robotics engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, leads this project. Schaler indicated that a system of durable robotic transportation will be crucial for sustainable lunar base operations in the 2030s.
The initial design of the FLOAT system includes magnetic robots that will levitate over a movie track three layers to reduce lunar dust abrasion. These flexible tracks will unroll directly on the lunar surface, allowing the transport of up to 100 tons of materials per day at a speed of 1.61 km/h.
According to NASA, the FLOAT system will not use fixed rails as in the Landallowing the tracks to be easily dismantled and relocated if the moon base changes location. The track will generate a thrust electromagnetic to move the robots to their destinations, using the same principle as trains maglev on earth.
The innovative routes will consist of a graphite layer for passive levitation of robots, a second layer of flexible circuitry that will generate the electromagnetic thrust and an optional third layer of solar panel to generate power. The FLOAT system is designed to operate autonomously in the adverse conditions of the lunar landscape.
Phase 2 of the FLOAT project will include the design, manufacturing and subscale prototype testing, in addition to the investigation of environmental impacts and the definition of a technological roadmap to address technological gaps. NASA hopes that this project will facilitate the development of a permanent moon base and sustainable in the near future.
The program Artemis NASA, which has already faced several delays, will also benefit from this project. Once up and running, the lunar rail system will help establish a continued human presence on the Moon and will support the lunar economy. NASA’s Artemis III mission plans to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2026 or 2027, and the FLOAT system will be an essential component to its success.
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Photo: Networks
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