⚡ An electromagnetic catapult on the Moon

During a recent exchange with his collaborators, Elon Musk unveiled his projection: within the next two to three years, space could offer the most economical solution for deploying computing capabilities dedicated to AI. To achieve this, he envisions a permanent settlement on the Moon, where local raw materials would be used to manufacture hardware. Starship, with its high payload capacity, would then be a central element of this plan.

This method already has precedents. As early as the 1970s, physicist Gerard O'Neill had envisioned facilities to extract lunar materials. With a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he designed prototypes of electromagnetic launchers using funding. Their goal was to ship these minerals into space, from the Moon, to build habitats or orbital solar power plants.


Recent technical advances now give more credence to this scenario. In a document prepared for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Robert Peterkin indicated that contemporary electromagnetic launchers offer major advantages. They could leverage solar power, which is abundant on the Moon, thus avoiding the import of fuel from our planet. This option would lead to reduced costs and greater efficiency for launch operations.

Our satellite holds interesting resources like silicon, titanium, or aluminum. Their exploitation could fuel a local economy serving space activities. Thus, vehicles in lunar orbit could be resupplied or repaired at a reduced cost. This possibility paves the way for Solar System exploration that is both more advanced and more sustainable.

Realizing this vision will require synergy between the public and private sectors. Space agencies like NASA are already working on lunar bases, which could incorporate these propulsion technologies.

How do these propulsion systems operate?

Electromagnetic launchers, sometimes called mass drivers, catapults, or electromagnetic guns, use magnetic fields to accelerate objects without direct contact. Their principle is similar to that of a maglev train, but it is adapted here to eject payloads at very high speed. The device relies on a series of coils that generate successive forces, propelling the projectile along a track.

Unlike conventional rocket engines, these facilities do not require chemical propellant. An electrical power supply, for example from solar panels positioned on the Moon, may suffice. This characteristic significantly lowers the mass that must be sent from Earth, making launches both more affordable and less problematic for the terrestrial environment.

On the Moon, where gravity is only one-sixth of Earth's, a moderately sized electromagnetic launcher can reach the speed required to escape lunar gravity. Scaled-down models have already been validated in the laboratory, confirming the viability of the concept on an operational scale.

These technologies could be configured to ship different types of cargo, whether satellites or construction materials. They constitute a serious pathway for establishing a sustained human presence in space, relying primarily on locally available resources.