DARPA selected Northrop Grumman to develop lunar railroad concept

DARPA has selected Northrop Grumman to develop and advance a concept of building a rail transport system on the Moon

On Tuesday, Northrop Grumman revealed that it had been chosen by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to advance the development of a moon-based railroad network concept. DARPA, a branch of the United States Department of Defense dedicated to pioneering advanced technology, played a pivotal role in facilitating humanity's lunar exploration through its contributions to the Apollo program, notably the Saturn V rocket. The proposed lunar railroad, a brainchild of DARPA, aims to facilitate the transportation of humans, supplies, and resources across various regions of the lunar surface. This initiative aligns with the United States' vision for fostering a burgeoning space economy. Northrop Grumman's selection by DARPA for the lunar railroad project forms part of the overarching Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study, spanning a decade, aimed at fostering a "lunar economy."

In the forthcoming study, Northrop Grumman will undertake several tasks. This includes defining the necessary interfaces and resources for constructing a lunar rail network, identifying potential cost, technological, and logistical risks, and developing prototypes, demonstrations, and analyses for the concept design and architecture of a fully functional lunar rail system. Additionally, the company will explore concepts for robotic construction and operation of the system, encompassing tasks such as grading, foundation preparation, track placement, alignment, joining, finishing, inspection, maintenance, and repair.