Nasa funds project to develop a floating robot railway on the Moon

Image source, Ethan Schaler/NASA

Image caption, Could the Moon get a railway run by floating robots?

A sci-fi concept to build a lunar railway could be one step closer to reality after being awarded extra money and time from Nasa.

The Flexible Levitation on a Track (Float) project would use magnets to 'float' robotic trays on the Moon's surface, allowing astronauts to transport items and material more easily.

Float was first proposed in 2021 and is one of six ideas chosen to be supported in the second phase of Nasa's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.

This looks to develop exciting ideas that could go on to become new space missions.

Video caption, Moon mission Artemis II crew answer questions from schoolchildren

In the plans put forward by Nasa, each individual floating robot would be able to transport up to 30kg of cargo on the railway tracks.

But unlike railways on Earth, that are built and drilled into the ground, these tracks would simply unroll onto the Moon's surface, leaving no damage.

Image source, Ethan Schaler/NASA

Image caption, The moon railway could see a floating robot tray transporting lunar 'regolith', meaning the rock and dust on the surface of the moon, for construction or research

It's early days for the team as the idea will be tested on Earth first, with some prototype robots.

It's hoped that Float could play a role in Nasa's Moon to Mars program, which sets out to build a sustainable and permanent base on the Moon, where future missions to Mars will launch in the future.

Other projects funded by NIAC include plans for a space observatory, as well as more efficient power sources to use in missions.