NASA's Flexible Levitation on Track (FLOAT) project, which envisages the creation of the first lunar rail system, has entered the second phase of the Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The project plans to use magnetic robots to transport goods on the Moon with minimal wear and tear from dust. Writes UNN with reference to Space.
A project called Flexible Levitation on Track (FLOAT) has successfully advanced to the second phase of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which develops ideas that sound like science fiction for further space exploration.
According to the agency, the FLOAT project has the potential to transport materials across the lunar surface as early as the 2030s.
We want to build the first lunar railway system that will provide reliable, autonomous and efficient transportation of payloads on the Moon
According to him, a robust robotic transportation system with a long service life will be crucial for the day-to-day operations of a sustainable lunar base in the 2030s.
According to NASA's plan, the FLOAT project involves the use of magnetic robots that will levitate over a special three-layer film track to reduce wear and tear from lunar dust.
These robots house trolleys that can travel at about 1 mile per hour (1.61 km/h) and are capable of transporting up to 100 tons (90 metric tons) of material daily to and from NASA's future lunar base.
As part of the Artemis mission scheduled for 2026, NASA intends to return astronauts to the Moon and subsequently create a permanent base to support further space exploration.
Recall
NASA has successfully deployed an 80-square-meter solar sail system in space using RocketLab's Electron rocket, which could be seen from Earth as brightly as the star Sirius.