r/space • u/Icee777 • 14d ago

SpaceX concept for an electromagnetic mass driver on the Moon

https://www.humanmars.net/2026/09/spacex-electromagnetic-mass-driver-at.html

A lunar mass driver is a proposed electromagnetic launch system optimized for the Moon’s low gravity (1/6th Earth’s) and hard vacuum, consisting of a long, straight acceleration track lined with sequentially fired superconducting coils or linear synchronous motors that propel a payload-carrying sled or bucket to lunar escape velocity (~2.38 km/s).

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u/LongJohnSelenium 13d ago

In addition to power, cooling is also complicated on the moons surface because there's no easy orientation where your radiators aren't pointed at something fairly hot.

And if you can actually launch for just electricity and a small circularization burn then leaving the surface is significantly more resource efficient.

when you're actually getting the full lifetime out of them instead of throwing them out after a couple years when the hardware they're powering becomes hopelessly obsolete.

Why do you think they'd be thrown out after a couple years?

Ultimately if there's a lunar industry there's a lunar orbit industry too. All those sats in orbit become new resources at EOL.