‘Lunar railroad’ concept to put trains on Moon gets backing from US government

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A rail network on the Moon that connects different lunar bases could be realised within the next decade after a US government agency approved the concept for development.

The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will help fund the venture, which was proposed last year by aerospace firm Northrop Grumman.

It forms part of a broader 10-year lunar infrastructure plan from DARPA, which aims to support a future lunar economy that is expected to form as space agencies around the world look to establish a permanent presence on the Moon.

Both China and the US already have programs in place to set up lunar bases before the end of the decade, with Nasa’s Artemis mission expected to be the first to return humans to the Moon’s surface.

“The envisioned lunar railroad network could transport humans, supplies and resources for commercial ventures across the lunar surface – contributing to a space economy for the United States and international partners,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement.

After being selected for the Lunar Architecture Capability Study (LunA-10), Northrop Grumman will now work towards building a prototype of a fully operational lunar rail system.

The firm will also explore different ways of constructing, operating and repairing a train network on the Moon, which will likely involve the development of robots capable of carrying out key tasks.

DARPA program manager Dr Michael Nayak said that there is a “large paradigm shift” coming over the next decade for the lunar economy.

A lunar rail system, according to Dr Nayak, would provide a network that could support a thriving commercial economy on the Moon.

“This investment in key developmental research keeps our technology at the forefront of next-generation solutions,” said Chris Adams, a general manager at Northrop Grumman.

“With our proven experience in the integration of complex systems and commercialised autonomous services, we will continue to create lasting change for a sustainable space ecosystem.”