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Forward-looking: As NASA aims to return astronauts to the moon and other nations attempt landings, numerous proposals for building lunar infrastructure have emerged in recent years. One company is designing a network of massive towers to provide astronauts and prospective lunar bases with power, communication, and other services.
Honeybee Robotics recently released a video detailing its design for a series of enormous towers that could form the basis of a power grid on the moon. The pitch is one of many for creating various types of infrastructure on the lunar surface.
Called LUNARSABER, the network of towers would generate power from solar radiation, provide communication services, and facilitate observation of the moon's surface. The towers could reach heights exceeding 100 meters (approximately 328 feet) to support bases in mountainous regions or inside deep craters.
Unlike most solar power systems, LUNARSABER's usefulness wouldn't be limited to daylight hours. The towers employ two versatile solar panel arrays collectively called DIABLO (Deployable Interlocking Actuated Bands for Linear Operations), which can capture radiation from all directions or dynamically track the sun. Honeybee claims that the system can even work in the moon's southern polar regions, which haven't received any light in around 2 billion years.
The towers would wirelessly beam energy to lunar rovers or other devices used by astronauts at a maximum range of roughly 37 kilometers (23 miles) or provide wired connections at the base. Camera and lidar systems could provide additional eyes during lunar missions.
Moreover, a network of towers could keep astronauts in constant contact with Earth in all regions of the moon's surface. Normally, radio contact with Earth ceases when the planet is no longer visible, but bouncing signals between towers around the moon would compensate for the blackout. Some could also be stationed in lunar regions that always have a view of the Earth.
Honeybee is one of several companies cooperating with DARPA's efforts to explore ideas for establishing the infrastructure for a lunar economy. Others include SpaceX, Nokia, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin.
Various entities have recently proposed projects such as lunar nuclear power plants, data centers, 3D-printed homes, roads melted from lasers, rail lines, and a universal moon time zone. Some of these ideas might support NASA's Artemis mission, in which astronauts are expected to orbit the moon in 2025, land in 2026, and dock with the planned Gateway lunar space station in 2028.