• NASA reveals FLOAT system: Moon tracks with flexible magnetic robots.
• DoD and Northrop Grumman are working with NASA on the lunar railway networks.
  
   

NASA has recently announced a huge project to build railway tracks on the Moon, which represents a new achievement in space exploration. NASA takes part in the cooperation between the Department of Defense (DoD) and Northrop Grumman, with the aim of making the lunar transportation revolution through its innovative railway system called FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track).

FLOAT: Revolutionizing Lunar Transportation

The FLOAT system, which stands for Flexile Levitation on a Track, is a new and improved railway system that is designed to make the pay load transport on the Moon more efficient. FLOAT, unlike the classical ground-based transportation methods, will employ the magnetic robots that float over a flexible film track, thus, the need for the construction will be totally eliminated.

The FLOAT system comprises three layers: besides a graphite layer for passive levitation, a flex-circuit layer for electromagnetic thrust and an optional thin-film solar panel layer for power generation are also included. This new model of a lunar rover design allows for the easy deployment and hence the transportation of payloads to lunar bases and landing zones.

NASA's Mission for the Lunar colonization

The creation of a rail network on the Moon is a major milestone in NASA's mission of the long-term goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. 

Through the simplification of lunar transport and the provision of the means for the resources to be moved, the FLOAT system can be the basis of a new phase of lunar exploration and be the beginning of the trips to Mars.

Partnership of DoD and Northrop Grumman 

Apart from NASA, the Department of Defense and Northrop Grumman are also working on their own railway network that is a part of DARPA's Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study. This teamwork project will be developed with a two-fold purpose: to create a long-term lunar economy and to help the United States achieve its strategic goals in space exploration.

Future Prospects and Challenges

Although the idea of railway tracks on the Moon is a novelty in space exploration, there are still many obstacles to travel ahead. NASA and its partners have to deal with the technical and logistical restrictions to make the FLOAT system a reality. Nevertheless, the feasibility of the lunar colony got realized due to the new inventions and the collaboration among nations.