NASA Launches Revolutionary FLOAT Project to Transport Goods on Moon’s Surface

NASA has recently launched a new project called FLOAT, which involves robots that use “paramagnetic lifting” technology to hover on the Moon’s rails. The project is part of NASA’s NIAC program, which aims to establish a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. FLOAT, led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will build a rail system with magnetic robots that can transport goods efficiently and reliably to support lunar base development.

The FLOAT rail system will be capable of moving regolith, the soil layer on the Moon’s surface, to extract materials that can be used by astronauts or lunar bases. It is expected to transport 100 tons of cargo per day autonomously in the harsh lunar environment. The robots operate without a power supply, hovering above the rails on a 3-layer track at a speed of 1.6 km/h thanks to “diamagnetic lift” technology, minimizing abrasion from lunar dust.

John Nelson, director of the NIAC program, expressed excitement about the diverse and innovative projects in phase II studies of the program. He believes that these projects provide NASA with valuable insights into future possibilities for space exploration. The FLOAT project represents a cutting-edge solution to transportation challenges on the Moon and has the potential to revolutionize how materials are moved in space environments.