We’ve Lived to See a NASA Motorcycle Meant for Riding Around on the Moon

Yes people, this really is a motorcycle that is destined to be ridden around on the moon. And none other than NASA would also be the ones to do it. However, this is not exactly the case. This design was actually created by Andrew Fabishevskiy, a Senior Designer somewhere in Moscow. And just as we don't know much about the designer, all we have for this concept are just these photos.

But, if there is anything we know about space technology, is that it is optimized to the very bone. It’s made to be light, efficient, and surely uses the best and newest tech around. But since we have no info from the designer as to what possible materials or technologies it uses, this is all just speculation. But what a visually pleasing speculation!

I'm going to start off by saying that this design looks like it just comes packed up in a box, and at the push of a button it bursts into place like a pop-up tent. Taking into consideration that this device is to be sent into space via rockets and such, a light weight should be one of the most important aspects if this design is to ever be successfully implemented. And, by the looks of it, weight reduction has been rigorously implemented.

At the front we can see that a Lefty fork is being used. But even this design has seen a modification. The fork connects right above the fender to another structural component that finally attaches to the side of the body. At first sight this leaves you wondering how the hell it’s supposed to turn. But if you look closely, we see a couple of red lines, probably electrical and hydraulic, that connect the front wheel system to the handlebars.

But those red lines continue down that fork to the center of the wheel. Could we possibly find a motor there? Yup, I think so, as the rear wheel sees the exact same treatment. And 2x2 wheel drive is most essential on the moon as dust doesn’t offer the best traction. As for how strong these motors would be, we don’t know. But taking into consideration the moon’s gravitational pull on a body, these motors wouldn’t need to be very strong.

So, how does it all work? We can only guess that inside that framed body there are some sort of components that offer propulsion. Here we will also find all other components for systems such as steering and probably even braking. But, unlike other space vehicles we may be used to, this one seems to stray away from the ever-present solar energy. It’s possible that some sort of fuel is hidden inside that golden orb under the seat.

Now, by the time NASA will even think about doing something like this, the tech that will be used in component construction will probably be 3D printing as the results will most definitely be weight optimized. But then again, we could build something like this today. It's just that NASA probably doesn’t see the point.