Catapult plan for 'exports' to moon.

SCIENTISTS are looking at developing a giant slingshot that could catapult material to the moon from earth, it was revealed today.

The project by the University of Glasgow will look at whether it would be theoretically possible to create massive cables with an orbital pull that could push items, such as raw materials for mining, food, water and aerospace equipment into space.

If successful, scientists Dr Gianmarco Radice and Prof Matthew Cartmell believe the cable system could replace rockets and be cheaper in the long term as they do not consume fuel.

The cables used would be many kilometres long and could be made of Kevlar, tungsten or graphite. Another set of long cables could be built on the moon so as to pull the items towards it. It would also be possible to create other cables in space that orbit the planet and have an orbital pull.

The three-month study is looking at the maths surrounding the system rather than creating a physical model of the slingshot.

The study was considered alongside 50 other application by the European Space Agency before being awarded 10,000 euros of funding.

Dr Radice said: "Tether systems are an extremely attractive possibility for space transportation as they do not require any fuel."

The research is a joint project between the university's department of aerospace engineering and school of mechanical engineering.