While buggies on the moon are nothing new, researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) are now considering a new approach for commuting on the lunar surface — a levitating railway system.
The Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) project is part of six projects announced by NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.
According to a report by IFL ScienceFLOAT aims to provide efficient and reliable autonomous payload transportation by levitating robots on flexible film tracks that are rolled out directly onto the lunar regolith.
The report also revealed that the tracks will be made of a graphite layer to allow diamagnetic levitation, while a flex circuit generates electromagnetic thrust.
An optional third layer will include a solar panel to provide internal power.
Without wheels or legs, the levitating robots will move over the tracks eliminating the need to deal with the sharp regolith.
According to the report, the team estimates that 100 tons of material can be moved by multiple kilometers daily.
FLOAT and the other five projects have received $600,000 to test their feasibility.
If the FLOAT project continues to show its capabilities, it could be crucial infrastructure on the moon as soon as the 2030s.
