Could This Mini Levitating Railway System Be 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.

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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. The whole thing will be a jumping off point to Mars, with astronauts

00:14expected to set up a lunar base for that purpose. Now, NASA has just announced plans for this,

00:19what is essentially a mini railway system to 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. It's all part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program

00:33Phase 2, and the levitating railway 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. Researchers say the robots will need to be

00:52able to move upwards of 220,000 pounds of lunar regolith and other supplies daily,

00:56all while consuming less than 40 kilowatts of power, a tall order. However, float isn't the

01:01only project which has received more funding for research. Other projects include a pulse plasma

01:06rocket, which its developers say could substantially reduce travel times around the solar system.

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