JAXA SIGN 3-YEARS, Deal With Toyota To Build Fuel Cell!

JAXA SIGN 3-YEARS DEAL WITH TOYOTA TO BUILD FUEL CELL MOON ROVER

The latest news from Japan says JAXA sign a 3-years deal with Toyota which is aimed at developing a fuel moon rover. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) had previously announced its collaboration with Toyota with a target launch date for a moon mission precisely 2029. But, a couple of days ago pen down a formal agreement with the Japanese auto giant (Toyota), which stipulate a three-year joint research agreement for joint development of pressurized lunar rover prototype.

According to reports, the pressurized rover to be developed will potentially transport astronauts over a distance of one thousand kilometers (1,000km) with the aid of its onboard fuel cells coupled with its solar recharging mechanism, before the recent partnership agreement was endorsed, the vehicle distance capacity and concept has been detailed. The vehicle is designed to have a seating capacity of persons, which could convey four people should in case of an emergency.

It is also understood that every single year will see the partnership of these organizations aim at a different phase of the original prototype, while this year 2019, they will focus on the primary aspect, specifically identifying the technical requirements and drawing up design specification, then the following year, the team will develop, test parts and couple all together in its rover prototype. In the same sequence, the team will in 2021 test the rover parts and rover prototype so as to evaluate the result of the final production.

The series of the lunar mission is intended on a continuous note, and also an inclusion of the 2007 Selene mission, that sent a pair of communication satellites with an orbit to lunar orbit. More importantly is JAXA’s objective, which is to send non-astronauts into space, under a broader Lunar Exploration Program, precisely to establish the presence of Japanese astronauts in a combined international lunar program.

A report from Toyota says the dimension of this prototype should be about the size of two microbuses, meaning 20 feet of length, 17 feet wide and 12.5 in heights. Meanwhile, the prototype is designed with six wheels, with other great features of deployable solar panels for recharging, communication equipment applications and that which enables it to get itself out of jams.

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