Mumbai, May 14: With the audacious goal of enabling dependable and effective train transportation over the lunar surface, NASA is attempting to build the first fully functional railway station on the moon. This programme is a component of larger endeavours to deepen lunar exploration and build operational lunar bases. Magnetic levitation technology is introduced over a flexible film track construction in NASA's planned system, called Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT). These FLOAT robots, in contrast to traditional trains, will use diamagnetic levitation, an unpowered kind of magnetic levitation, to passively float over rails.

As the American space agency is planning to build a high-tech train network on the surface of the moon to run ‘Lunar Express’, here’s all that you need to know about it. NASA-Backed Private US Company Intuitive Machines’s Moon Lander Launch Delayed Due to Methane Fuel Issue.

Major Features

The primary goal of FLOAT robots is to reduce wear and abrasion caused by lunar dust, an issue that traditional tracked or wheeled lunar vehicles frequently encounter. These robots ensure lifetime and operating efficiency by minimising surface contact by levitating above the track. Furthermore, the FLOAT system is flexible and adaptive since it doesn't require a lot of on-site building because the rails unroll straight into the lunar regolith.

What Will the Lunar Express Carry?

At a speed of up to 0.5 metres per second, the suggested FLOAT system may carry payloads of various forms, demonstrating outstanding payload transportation capabilities. Furthermore, a large-scale FLOAT system would be able to transfer up to 100,000 kg of regolith per day over several km, which would be very helpful for basic lunar base operations. NASA Delays Its Mission To Take Humans Back to Moon Until 2025, Plans To Send First Women and First Person of Colour on Lunar Surface.

Upcoming Initiatives

According to NASA's project plan, sub-scale robot and track prototypes will be designed, built, and tested. The goal is to assess system durability and performance in a lunar-analogue demonstration. NASA wants to make sure that the FLOAT technology is ready to be included into future lunar exploration projects by improving it as the project moves forward.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2024 08:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).