Railway tracks on the moon? NASA shares plan; All you need to know

In its official blog, NASA said that this sustainable, long-lived robotic transportation system, as part of NASA’s Moon to Mars initiative and mission concepts such as the Robotic Lunar Surface, is envisioned for the 2030s as a permanent Will be essential for the daily operations of the lunar base. Operation 2 (RLSO2).

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In addition, NASA proposed a solution for transporting regolith mined for ISRU consumables (H2O, LOX, LH2) or construction materials, as well as carrying payloads around the lunar base and to and from landing zones or other outposts. Have done.

They introduce FLOAT – flexible levitation on track – to meet these transportation needs.

What is float?

The FLOAT system uses unpowered magnetic robots that fly on a 3-layer flexible film track. This track consists of a graphite layer for passive floating using diamagnetic levitation, a flex-circuit layer to generate electromagnetic thrust to propel the robots along the tracks, and a flex-circuit layer for power generation when exposed to sunlight. Includes an optional thin-film solar panel layer.

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Unlike lunar robots equipped with wheels, legs or tracks, float robots, devoid of moving parts, reduce lunar dust friction/wear by flying on tracks.

What will happen in phase 2?

NASA said that in Phase 2, “we will continue to address the risks associated with the construction, deployment, control, and long-term operation of meter-scale robotic/km-scale tracks that support human exploration (HEO) activities on the Moon.” “By completing the following key tasks:

1. Design, build, and test a series of suborbital robotic/tracked prototypes, culminating in a demonstration in a lunar-analog test site.

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2. Examine the effects of environmental influences on system performance and longevity.

3. Examine/define a technology roadmap to address technology gaps and mature manufacturing capability for critical hardware.

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Published: May 14, 2024, 09:05 am IST