Northrop Grumman to Study Lunar Railroad Concept

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected Northrop Grumman to research the feasibility of a lunar railroad network.

Northrop will identify the necessary groundwork for such a network, establish a list of potential costs and logistical and technological risks, work on prototypes and demonstration models and explore robotics-enabled construction and operation concepts. Chris Adams, vice president and general manager of strategic space systems at Northrop, said the study would support a sustainable space ecosystem.

The research is conducted under the 10-year Lunar Architecture Capability Study, which aims to establish an analytical framework for integrated lunar infrastructure for future commercial services, Northrop said Tuesday.

Northrop is among the 14 companies DARPA selected for LunA-10. The project’s initial focus areas are lunar power; mining and commercial in-situ resource usage; communications, navigation and timing; logistics; and robotics.

Beyond lunar mission support, the company also offers orbital support missions. In January, it launched its 20th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station, carrying over 200 payloads under an ISS National Laboratory sponsorship.