Given the goal is to minimize exposure of moving parts to abrasive moon dust, and one option is a maglev track, has anyone proposed wrapping the maglev sheet in a loop and making a magnetically levitated caterpillar track? ie. a tank track that uses electromagnetic levitation and induction instead of wheels?
@cstross unfortunately the track would require joints and links, as well as complex, self stabilizing positioning engines to stay on the vehicle at all since lateral traction would be non existant. All of this is more complex and prone to failure from moon dust contamination than balloon wheels.
So you have all of the problems of a tank track AND all of the cost in exotic materials and power drain of maglev.
@petes_bread_eqn_xls@ryansingel@cstross (Francophone North Africa has pretty solid public transit construction; Al-Boraq has one of the lowest construction costs of any high-speed rail line in the world, which is not at all normal for developing countries.)
Add comment