As part of its forward-looking Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, NASA is developing ambitious plans to build a first-of-its-kind transportation network on the lunar surface – one composed of diamagnetically levitating, autonomous robots capable of hauling 100 tons of cargo per day. The system, dubbed the Flexible Levitation on Rails (FLOAT), envisions a network of flexible film-based tracks rolled out across the lunar landscape. Autonomous robotic platforms equipped with electromagnetic systems would then levitate above these tracks, allowing frictionless transport of payloads to support NASA's future permanent moon base.

"A robust and durable robotic transportation system will be necessary for the day-to-day operation of a stable lunar base in the 2030s," explained Ethan Chaler, the robotics engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading the FLOAT project concept.

Enabled by the low-gravity lunar environment, the FLOAT tracks rely on passive diamagnetic levitation generated between the graphite-based bottom layer and the robotic platforms themselves. This levitation eliminates need for wheels or tracks that could be compromised by abrasive moon dust.

An onboard electromagnetic system provides propulsion to move the robots along the deployed track network at a walking pace of around 1.6 km/h. While relatively slow, the system could sustain high-volume cargo operations continuously without maintenance or fuel requirements.

"The path network can expand and reconfigure over time to meet changing mission needs at lunar bases," Chaler stated. "Individual robots will carry removable payload carts of various sizes up to 100 tons."

In addition to the levitation and locomotion layers, the FLOAT track system integrates thin-film solar panels to generate supplemental power for the overall lunar outpost's energy needs.

Compared to traditional rovers or wheeled vehicles, NASA sees multiple key advantages of the FLOAT concept for lunar operations. Its unique levitating design avoids the need for grading or excavating terrain, allowing it to simply unroll across the harsh regolith like a carpet. This minimizes environmental disturbances to the lunar surface.

The system's lack of moving mechanical parts also reduces exposure to debilitating effects of dust and other elements that have hampered previous moon rovers over extended periods. And its modular, rail-based nature allows the network to flexibly adapt and grow alongside an evolving lunar base's infrastructure requirements.

Currently in an early development phase under NIAC, the project's next steps include testing small-scale prototypes and modeling the system's resilience against the punishing lunar environment's extreme temperatures, radiation levels and other hazards.

Should those tests and simulations prove promising, NASA hopes to progress toward demonstrating the technology during suborbital or future lunar landing missions in the latter half of this decade.

While still conceptual, the innovative FLOAT system underscores NASA's strategic vision of establishing a permanent, sustainable presence on the Moon by 2030 – a crucial stepping stone toward the agency's lofty ambitions for human exploration of Mars and beyond.

By leveraging cutting-edge concepts like this levitating robotic rail network, NASA aims to construct resilient lunar infrastructure and transportation capabilities that can withstand the harsh conditions while dramatically reducing operational complexities and logistics burdens.

The path toward humanity becoming a truly multi-planetary species hinges on such bold technological developments. If successful, FLOAT could become one of the first building blocks enabling that extraordinary journey from our latest "small step" on the Moon to our next "giant leap" further into the cosmos.