TOYOTA

Luna Cruiser: new ‘lunar car’ from the Japanese brand

When NASA returns to the Moon, astronauts will need different exploration vehicles. Toyota may be the first automaker in the world to send an Earth vehicle into space.

A six-wheeled “lunar car” will be made by the company and is part of a partnership signed this month between the USA and Japan. Considered the largest automobile brand in the world for many consecutive years, Toyota calls its product the Lunar Cruiser, a homage to the iconic Land Cruiser.

The space agency awarded contracts to companies to create vehicles capable of transporting astronauts safely to the Moon.

The Japanese model developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota is almost the same size as two minibuses side by side and functions as a mobile outpost.

In it, two astronauts can live and work for up to 30 days. As it is pressurized, the model eliminates the need to use spacesuits.

The vehicle, which will be used to explore the south polar region of the Moon, is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, complemented by solar panels. As a result, the vehicle's estimated range is an impressive 10,000 km.

Under the new agreement signed by NASA and Japan on April 9, 2024, JAXA/Toyota will provide the vehicle while NASA will transport it to the Moon as part of the Artemis VII mission, which is expected to take place in 2031.

Once in place, the mobile station is expected to operate for at least 10 years. Furthermore, the partnership between the countries will see the first Japanese astronaut set foot on the Moon in an official mission from the American space agency.

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