DARPA and Northrop Grumman are exploring the concept of a lunar train and railroad system

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Space Train: DARPA is the Pentagon's main research and development agency, working on "emerging" technologies and their potential military use. The latest research funded by the organization, however, is something that's literally out of this world.

DARPA has tasked Northrop Grumman Corporation to come up with a plan for a railroad network on the Moon. The transportation system would be used to move humans, supplies, and other resources around the lunar surface, the US military contractor said, strengthening the creation of a proper "space economy" for both the United States and interested international parties.

Northrop Grumman, one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military technology contractors, will provide DARPA with a complete study about the feasibility and design challenges of lunar railroad technology. This study will define the "interfaces" and resources required to build the space railroad, put together a "critical" list of costs, technological and logistical risks, and identify prototypes and "demonstrations" of a fully operational lunar railroad concept.

The Moon train is expected to be built and operated by robotic equipment. Northrop Grumman will therefore need to study how robots could prepare foundations, place and align tracks, and inspect, maintain, and eventually repair the railroad system. Northrop Grumman VP Chris Adams said that the corporation has a proven experience in the integration of complex systems, and is now seemingly ready to tackle the challenges of a "sustainable space ecosystem."

The proposed study on a lunar railroad is part of DARPA's LunA-10 initiative, a study aiming to develop foundational technology concepts of scalable, interoperable systems for a lunar economy. Northrop Grumman is one of the 14 companies tasked by the agency to properly research the topic, developing designs and ideas that could inspire future initiatives.

DARPA is not funding any building or manufacturing project to bring an actual train to the Moon, as we're still in the conceptual phase of a theoretical lunar economy of the far future. NASA and other major space agencies plan to bring humans back to the Moon with the ambitious Artemis program, but the first actual landing of a new generation of astronauts on the lunar surface has now been postponed to late 2026.

Three years ago, the US space agency proposed its own idea about a maglev-based transportation system known as Flexible Levitation on a Track or FLOAT. The network was designed to send autonomous bots around the Moon surface using diamagnetic levitation, overcoming the issues experienced by Apollo astronauts with lunar regolith. The silicate-rich particles are extremely abrasive, and they can easily wear space suits and harm both equipment and human health.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102360-darpa-northrop-grumman-toying-concept-lunar-train-railroad.html

 

[VitalyT]

Lunar railroad - that is the dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Railroads are built on the principle whereby the load creates sufficient friction force for the wheels to move forward. Friction force on the moon will be close to zero, no forward pull of any kind.

 

[rhavenn]

Lunar railroad - that is the dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Railroads are built on the principle whereby the load creates sufficient friction force for the wheels to move forward. Friction force on the moon will be close to zero, no forward pull of any kind.

Well, in a "classic" train the engine is turning the wheels at the axle and the friction from the wheel to the track causes it to "push" the train forward. Same thing your car does where the rubber meets the road. The road isn't "pulling" you forward. You're pushing against the road and it's pushing against you.

However, I'm sure Darpa scientists are aware of the lower lunar gravity and, as the article states, are probably thinking something more like maglev where you just need electric "impulses" to push the train forward. The lower gravity is probably even helpful in that scenario as everything is "lighter".

 

[Thrackerzod]

Lunar railroad - that is the dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Railroads are built on the principle whereby the load creates sufficient friction force for the wheels to move forward. Friction force on the moon will be close to zero, no forward pull of any kind.

It wouldn't be that kind of train. Obviously they aren't going to be launching tons of iron rails and 400,000 pound locomotive engines to the moon. It will be a maglev system. https://www.nasa.gov/general/float-flexible-levitation-on-a-track/

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Transport on the moon would be super fuel efficient given the lack of any kind of wind resistance or even much gravity to work against.

A "rocket" train would likely be the best method of transport since really all the rail is doing is making sure the train doesn't fly off into space.

 

[rhavenn]

Transport on the moon would be super fuel efficient given the lack of any kind of wind resistance or even much gravity to work against.

A "rocket" train would likely be the best method of transport since really all the rail is doing is making sure the train doesn't fly off into space.

A "rocket" would imply some need for fuel "on train" unless you were thinking of some sort of "rail gun" that would shoot the train down the tracks.

and "fuel" would imply some sort of loading / unloading mechanism in a low g environment. I think going electric / maglev would be more economical and probably safer.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

A "rocket" would imply some need for fuel "on train" unless you were thinking of some sort of "rail gun" that would shoot the train down the tracks.

and "fuel" would imply some sort of loading / unloading mechanism in a low g environment. I think going electric / maglev would be more economical and probably safer.

- I hear ya, but I feel that offloads the complexity onto the track, which IMO on a moonscape should be as low tech and newtonian as possible.

In my minds eye I imagine pretty basic pylons with adjustable height and a leveling base with a length of track running above them laid out end to end. Super simple to deploy with little "grading" or heavy equipment required to prep the track length in an already hostile construction environment.

The train itself would be self contained, with everything it needed onboard to get to its destination or in the event of a track failure, back to its port of origin without being stranded in the middle of the moonscape due to a power outage or cable malfunction.

 

[Endymio]

A "rocket" train would likely be the best method of transport since really all the rail is doing is making sure the train doesn't fly off into space.

A rocket train would require volatiles for reaction mass, which are extraordinarily rare on the lunar surface. Their EM-based levitation system also provides propulsive power from the (solar-powered) track -- the vehicles themselves are entirely unpowered.