FLOAT Project: NASA has announced plans to build a flying robot train on the surface of the Moon, known as the “Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT)” project.
Ever since the American space agency NASA announced its plans to return humans to the Moon, the world’s attention has been focused on it. NASA’s Artemis mission aims to achieve this goal, with the intention of establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. As part of this endeavor, NASA is working on various preparations and projects, including the recent announcement of the “Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT)” project, which aims to build a flying robot train on the Moon’s surface.
The primary objective of the FLOAT project is to develop a robotic transport system to assist astronauts upon their arrival on the Moon. NASA stated that such a transport system will be crucial for operating a permanent lunar base by the 2030s.
According to a report by NDTV, NASA’s robotics expert Ethan Schaler from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory expressed the goal of building the first railway system on the Moon. He emphasized that establishing a sustainable lunar base in the 2030s will necessitate long-duration robotic transport systems.
NASA’s initial design for the FLOAT system relies solely on machines. Magnetic robots will be deployed to the Moon, equipped with vehicles to transport payloads. These trains are projected to travel at a speed of approximately 1.61 kilometers per hour, delivering an estimated 100 tons of material to the lunar base daily. The primary objective of the project is to provide transportation services to areas where astronauts will be active. The FLOAT system will operate autonomously, functioning in the dusty and challenging lunar environment. NASA plans to reconfigure the system as needed, with development currently underway at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Various components of the system are currently undergoing testing in California.