Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT)
==========
NASA is proposing to develop the Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) system, which is a lunar railway system that will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. The FLOAT system employs unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a 3-layer flexible film track. The robots can passively float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation and generate electromagnetic thrust to propel themselves along the tracks. The system will be able to transport regolith mined for ISRU consumables or construction, as well as payloads around the lunar base and to/from landing zones or other outposts. FLOAT tracks can be unrolled directly onto the lunar regolith and individual robots will be able to transport payloads of varying shape/size at useful speeds. A large-scale FLOAT system will be capable of moving up to 100,000s kg of regolith/payload multiple kilometers per day. The system will operate autonomously in the lunar environment with minimal site preparation, and its network of tracks can be rolled-up/reconfigured over time to match evolving lunar base mission requirements. In Phase 2, NASA will continue to retire risks related to the manufacture, deployment, control, and long-term operation of meter-scale robots/km-scale tracks that support human exploration activities on the Moon.
#Nasa #LunarBase #PayloadTransport #MoonMissions #Robotics
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/flexible-levitation-on-a-track-float/
NASA /
npub1jw…q3rj6
2024-05-01 19:38:40
Author Public Key
npub1jwmjfj70dw07w3f6xa0dg4en9444emnn4m7vt9zvg0w94zckxjlswq3rj6Published at
2024-05-01 19:38:40Event JSON
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"content": "Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT)\n==========\n\nNASA is proposing to develop the Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) system, which is a lunar railway system that will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. The FLOAT system employs unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a 3-layer flexible film track. The robots can passively float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation and generate electromagnetic thrust to propel themselves along the tracks. The system will be able to transport regolith mined for ISRU consumables or construction, as well as payloads around the lunar base and to/from landing zones or other outposts. FLOAT tracks can be unrolled directly onto the lunar regolith and individual robots will be able to transport payloads of varying shape/size at useful speeds. A large-scale FLOAT system will be capable of moving up to 100,000s kg of regolith/payload multiple kilometers per day. The system will operate autonomously in the lunar environment with minimal site preparation, and its network of tracks can be rolled-up/reconfigured over time to match evolving lunar base mission requirements. In Phase 2, NASA will continue to retire risks related to the manufacture, deployment, control, and long-term operation of meter-scale robots/km-scale tracks that support human exploration activities on the Moon.\n\n#Nasa #LunarBase #PayloadTransport #MoonMissions #Robotics\n\nhttps://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/flexible-levitation-on-a-track-float/",
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