NASA's FLOAT: The Future of Lunar Transportation
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Project Name | FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track) |
| Agency | NASA |
| Purpose | To create a lunar railway system for payload transport on the Moon |
| Technology | Magnetic levitation using unpowered robots on a 3-layer flexible film track |
| Track Layers | 1. Graphite layer (diamagnetic levitation) |
| 2. Flex-circuit layer (electromagnetic thrust) | |
| 3. Optional thin-film solar panel layer (power generation) | |
| Speed | ~1.61 km/h |
| Payload Capacity | Up to 100 tons of material daily |
| Primary Applications | Transporting lunar soil, materials, and equipment |
| Supporting spacecraft landing sites and base locations | |
| Developer | NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California |
| Integration | Part of NASA's Artemis program |
| Artemis Target Date | September 2026 |
| Mission Alignment | Moon to Mars initiative and Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2) |