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Toyota announces its intention to partner with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to build a self-contained pressurized rover that will land on the moon in 2029. The six-wheel electric vehicle will accommodate 10,000 people over 10,000 kilometers thanks to Toyota's fuel cell technology.
At 6 meters long, 5.2 meters wide and 3.8 meters high, the rover will be about the size of two minibuses. Inside, a 13-square-meter living space hosts astronauts who will enjoy a lunar view without needing their spacesuit. in case of emergency, there is room for two other people on board.
This concept will use Toyota's fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology, which, instead of using a battery, uses a fuel cell composed of oxygen and compressed hydrogen, which react with each other. other to produce electricity. zero-emission technology is already used on the mirai toyota vehicle.
"Fuel cells, which use clean energy production methods, emit only water and, because of their high energy density, they can provide a lot of energy. This makes them particularly ideal for the project under discussion with JAXA., & # 39; said shigeki terashi, executive vice president of toyota.
the announcement comes at an active time in space exploration. After a successful launch on Saturday, the spaceX crew dragon capsule is moored to the international space station. Earlier this year, the LG Chang-e-4 of China landed off the moon before announcing its ambitions to build the first power plant in space The month Last, the Japanese start-up, backed by Japanese airlines, announced that its HAKUTO-R mission would gravitate around the moon in 2020 before the landing mission to the surface in 2021.
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Moon Express, based in the United States, is interested in the exploitation of moon resources such as water ice on the lunar surface. If separated into its components – hydrogen and oxygen – they could potentially be used as rocket fuel for vehicles already in space, such as Toyota's Moon Rover.
"Manned and pressurized rovers will be an important part of human lunar exploration, which should take place in the 2030s."Said Koichi Wakata, vice president of jaxa. "our goal is to launch such a vehicle in space in 2029. "
project information
manufacturer: toyota / JAXA
model: toyota moon rover
status: concept
Kieron Marchese I designboom
March 12, 2019
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