NASA Is Hoping To Build This Mini Levitating Railway System on the Moon by 2030

Amaze Lab

NASA is currently planning its next big mission to the Moon, with the Artemis III manned mission set to touch down in 2026. However, ahead of that, they are developing new modes of transit for aiding astronauts on the lunar surface.

Transcript

00:00NASA is currently planning its next big mission to the moon, with the Artemis 3 manned mission

00:08set to touch down in 2026.

00:11The whole thing will be a jumping off point to Mars, with astronauts expected to set up

00:15a lunar base for that purpose.

00:17Now NASA has just announced plans for this, what is essentially a mini railway system

00:21to help them ferry supplies around the moon.

00:23They're calling it float, or flexible levitation on a track, and it has been selected by the

00:28Space Agency for additional funding.

00:30It's all part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program, Phase 2, and the levitating

00:34railway is set to receive an additional $600,000 for development.

00:39According to its developers, the system will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient

00:43payload transport on the moon, using magnetic robots that literally float over the track

00:48and move supplies wherever they're needed.

00:50Researchers say the robots will need to be able to move upwards of 220,000 pounds of

00:54lunar regolith and other supplies daily, all while consuming less than 40 kilowatts

00:59of power.

01:00A tall order.

01:01However, float isn't the only project which has received more funding for research.

01:05Other projects include a pulse plasma rocket, which its developers say could substantially

01:09reduce travel times around the solar system.

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