Lunar Rail Network

[Iskra]

No, it's not an early April Fools.

Northrop Grumman are genuinely doing a study into developing a moon based rail network. I bet nobody had that on their 2024 rail bingo card...

Northrop Grumman to Develop Concept for Lunar Railroad

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – March 19, 2024 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected by DARPA to further develop the concept of building a moon-based railroad network as part of the broader 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability...

news.northropgrumman.com

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – March 19, 2024 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been selected by DARPA to further develop the concept of building a moon-based railroad network as part of the broader 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study. 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’s study will:

• Define the interfaces and resources required to build a lunar rail network.
• Establish a critical list of foreseeable cost, technological and logistical risks.
• Identify prototypes, demonstrations and analyses of a fully operating lunar rail system’s concept design and architecture.
• Explore concepts for constructing and operating the system with robotics, including grading and foundation preparation, track placement and alignment, joining and finishing, inspection, maintenance and repair.

Expert:

Chris Adams, vice president and general manager, strategic space systems, Northrop Grumman: “This investment in key developmental research keeps our technology at the forefront of next generation solutions. With our proven experience in the integration of complex systems and commercialized autonomous services, we will continue to create lasting change for a sustainable space ecosystem.”

Details:

DARPA’s LunA-10 Capability Study is designed to quickly create new technology ideas shifting from individual scientific projects to shared, scalable systems that work together. The goal is to establish an analytical framework for integrated lunar infrastructure that minimizes lunar footprint and provides commercial services for future lunar users. Learn more about Northrop Grumman’s civil and commercial space capabilities and programs.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

 

[rg177]

I wonder if it'll have a Taktfahrplan and zonal fares A use for the MK5s?

Certainly an interesting proposal even if it seems a bit "pie in the sky"...

 

[StephenHunter]

It'll be likely be near completely underground to protect passengers from radiation. You've got similar issues with Mars.

 

[Iskra]

It'll be likely be near completely underground to protect passengers from radiation. You've got similar issues with Mars.

I was thinking it would more likely be a light rail open air thing with seat belts to keep you on it and passengers wearing space suits with oxygen in the open air.
Rails bolted into the ground. Tunnelling on the moon sounds complex, and you’d need a lot of expensive and heavy equipment for it, which has to get there. You’d be much better keeping it simple I expect.

 

[edwin_m]

The low gravity most likely means a traditional railway wouldn't work.

Trains on the Moon

The US government is contracting defense contractor Northrop Grumman to develop a concept for passenger and freight rail on the Moon, the idea being to use this to transport resources and perhaps b…

pedestrianobservations.com

The issue is that lunar gravity is 1.6 m/s^2, and not 9.8 as on Earth. This turns out to affect how vehicles can round corners.

Air brakes, or even vacuum brakes, wouldn't work either!

I'm guessing the solution will be some sort of monorail where the vehicle wraps round underneath the guideway to stop it from taking off.

 

[htafc]

What happened to preserving our only natural satellite in perpetuity? Arguably the moon has already entered a new geological era... https://www.newscientist.com/articl...w-geological-period-thanks-to-human-activity/
Not that this rail network will be happening in the near future, though!

 

[AndrewE]

What happened to preserving our only natural satellite in perpetuity? Arguably the moon has already entered a new geological era... https://www.newscientist.com/articl...w-geological-period-thanks-to-human-activity/
Not that this rail network will be happening in the near future, though!

or keeping our planet habitable? I can't begin to conceive the carbon footprint of just getting the materials there... every frivolous space flight winds me up already!

 

[43096]

What happened to preserving our only natural satellite in perpetuity? Arguably the moon has already entered a new geological era... https://www.newscientist.com/articl...w-geological-period-thanks-to-human-activity/
Not that this rail network will be happening in the near future, though!

But will probably take less time to get up and running than SWR will have taken to get the 701s in traffic.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm just wondering how long it will be until the first rail replacement space shuttle turns up.

 

[Trackman]

Air brakes, or even vacuum brakes, wouldn't work either!

Neither would the horn, which would be dangerous for the resident Martians

On the positive side, they would have no problem with vegetation, also no problems with wind/rain/snow interfering with the OLE/Third rail

I'm just wondering how long it will be until the first rail replacement space shuttle turns up.

I bet Branson and Musk are already fighting it out for the contract.

 

[yorksrob]

I bet Branson and Musk are already fighting it out for the contract.

Indeed

 

[AdamWW]

Air brakes, or even vacuum brakes, wouldn't work either!

Air brakes would be fine so long as you supplied your own air or other suitable gas, surely?

 

[StephenHunter]

or keeping our planet habitable? I can't begin to conceive the carbon footprint of just getting the materials there... every frivolous space flight winds me up already!

There's quite a lot of mineable material on the Moon already - you'll be able to make most of the stuff locally. Getting polluting industries off Earth would be even better.

 

[Brissle Girl]

It would eclipse any other network, that’s for sure.

 

[StephenHunter]

It would eclipse any other network, that’s for sure.

Ba doom tish.

 

[AndrewE]

Neither would the horn, which would be dangerous for the resident Martians

I wasn't aware that the Martians had got to the (our) moon before us?

 

[Zamracene749]

There's quite a lot of mineable material on the Moon already - you'll be able to make most of the stuff locally. Getting polluting industries off Earth would be even better.

There certainly is. Cheddar, Wensleydale, Brie, Stilton, Edam spring to mind. Imagine an Epoisses mine, it could make a fortune

 

[edwin_m]

It would eclipse any other network, that’s for sure.

That joke really cratered.

 

[htafc]

Haven't Wallace and grommit already conquered the moon?

 

[StephenHunter]

That joke really cratered.

Well, let's hope this thread remains a sea of tranquillity.

 

[Trackman]

I wasn't aware that the Martians had got to the (our) moon before us?

Yes, I went wrong there! Well, with some of the flat earther videos I've seen anything is possible
Was going to say The Clangers, but apparently was a different moon. Then the Space:1999 crew, but the moon was knocked out of orbit - I suppose it counts though.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I wasn't aware that the Martians had got to the (our) moon before us?

They are round the back hiding, waiting, with their alternative competitive transport system: cars with red men carrying flags.