MOON: The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has commissioned Northrop Grumman to develop a concept for a railway to transport humans, supplies and resources on the Moon.
The study is to define the interfaces and resources required to build a lunar rail network; draw up a list of cost, technological and logistical risks; identify prototypes, demonstrations and analyses needed; and explore concepts for constructing, operating and maintaining the railway using robots.
The project forms part of a broader 10-year Lunar Architecture Capability Study which aims to establish a framework for scalable lunar infrastructure that could be shared by future government and commercial users.
‘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’, said Chris Adams, Vice-President & General Manager, Strategic Space Systems at Northrop Grumman, on March 19.