JAXA, Toyota co-operation: crewed, pressurized, fuel-cell driven lunar rover

[jacqmans]

JAXA and Toyota Reach Agreement on Taking Up the Challenge of International Space Exploration

-Aim is to make future lunar mobility a reality-

March 12, 2019 (JST)

Tokyo, Japan, March 12, 2019-The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) agreed today to study the possibility of collaborating on international space exploration.
As a first step, JAXA and Toyota agreed to further cooperate on and accelerate their ongoing joint study of a manned, pressurized rover that employs fuel cell vehicle technologies.

Such a form of mobility is deemed necessary for human exploration activities on the lunar surface.
Even with the limited amount of energy that can be transported to the moon, the pressurized rover would have a total lunar-surface cruising range of more than 10,000 km.

International space exploration, aiming to achieve sustainable prosperity for all of humankind by expanding the domain of human activity and giving rise to intellectual properties, has its sights set on the moon and Mars.

To achieve the goals of such exploration, coordination between unmanned missions, such as the recent successful touchdown by the asteroid probe Hayabusa2 on the asteroid Ryugu, and manned missions, such as those involving humans using pressurized rovers
to conduct activities on the moon, is essential.

When it comes to challenging missions such as lunar or Martian exploration, while various countries are competing in advancing their technologies, they are also advancing their cooperative efforts.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa had this to say today about the agreement between JAXA and Toyota:
“At JAXA, we are pursuing international coordination and technological studies toward Japan’s participation in international space exploration.

We aim to contribute through leading Japanese technologies that can potentially generate spin-off benefits.
Having Toyota join us in the challenge of international space exploration greatly strengthens our confidence.
Manned rovers with pressurized cabins are an element that will play an important role in full-fledged exploration and use of the lunar surface.

For this, we would like to concentrate our country’s technological abilities and conduct technological studies.
Through our joint studies going forward, we would like to put to use Toyota’s excellent technological abilities related to mobility, and we look forward to the acceleration of our technological studies for the realization of a manned, pressurized rover.”

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said this:
“The automotive industry has long done business with the concepts of ‘hometown’ and ‘home country’ largely in mind.

However, from now on, in responding to such matters as environmental issues of global scale, the concept of ‘home planet’, from which all of us come, will become a very important concept.

Going beyond the frameworks of countries or regions, I believe that our industry, which is constantly thinking about the role it should fulfill, shares the same aspirations of international space exploration.
Furthermore, cars are used in all of Earth’s regions, and, in some regions, cars play active roles as partners for making sure that people come back alive.

And I think that coming back alive is exactly what is needed in this project.
I am extremely happy that, for this project, expectations have been placed on the thus-far developed durability and driving performance of Toyota vehicles and on our fuel cell environmental technologies.”

URL:
http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2019/03/20190312a.html

[TrevorMonty]

Storage of H and O is important part of fuel cell rover. Here are some options for H.

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/hydrogen/basics/storage.htm

Storage as compressed gas and as in Complex Metal Hydrides seem most promising. Not sure which is more important for rover storage space or weight.

[Zed_Noir]

The JAXA-Toyota Lunar rover is got to be heavier than 5 tonnes and wouldn't fitted inside EELV class payload fairing. So how is JAXA getting this rover to the Moon? Did JAXA give any hints to how they are getting the rover off Earth and landing on the Moon.

[Phil Stooke]

The most sensible interpretation would be that this is intended for a time, maybe 10 to 12 years from now, when international operations are in progress at the Moon and this is Japan's contribution to the global effort.  Capabilities shared between various partners would include a large cargo lander to deliver it to the surface, and heavy launch to get it off Earth.  JAXA doesn't have to provide all that itself.  Whoever launches it, whoever lands it, they get to share in its use on the surface.  We  can expect a variety of plans for landers, habitats, surface power modules, rovers etc. to come from different places and eventually get rolled into the program, without each component being provided by a partner who can deliver it unaided.

[RonM]

The JAXA-Toyota Lunar rover is got to be heavier than 5 tonnes and wouldn't fitted inside EELV class payload fairing. So how is JAXA getting this rover to the Moon? Did JAXA give any hints to how they are getting the rover off Earth and landing on the Moon.

It will be okay as long as it can fit through the cargo door of a SpaceX Starship. A cargo lander launched from SLS would work too, but AFAIK nothing like that is currently being designed.

[TrevorMonty]

The JAXA-Toyota Lunar rover is got to be heavier than 5 tonnes and wouldn't fitted inside EELV class payload fairing. So how is JAXA getting this rover to the Moon? Did JAXA give any hints to how they are getting the rover off Earth and landing on the Moon.

It will be okay as long as it can fit through the cargo door of a SpaceX Starship. A cargo lander launched from SLS would work too, but AFAIK nothing like that is currently being designed.

Human lander descent stage could be used for large payload delivery eg habitats and human rovers.

[Zed_Noir]

The JAXA-Toyota Lunar rover is got to be heavier than 5 tonnes and wouldn't fitted inside EELV class payload fairing. So how is JAXA getting this rover to the Moon? Did JAXA give any hints to how they are getting the rover off Earth and landing on the Moon.

It will be okay as long as it can fit through the cargo door of a SpaceX Starship. A cargo lander launched from SLS would work too, but AFAIK nothing like that is currently being designed.

Human lander descent stage could be used for large payload delivery eg habitats and human rovers.

IIRC the SpaceX Starship cargo hatch is 3.85m x 3.85m.

According to the press release the JAXA rover's nominal overall dimensions is:
Length 6.0m; width 5.2m; height 3.8m

The rover appears to be too wide to pass through the Starship cargo hatch as depicted now.

Fun factoid, the conceptual JAXA rover got a bigger frontal profile than current main battle tanks!

[TrevorMonty]

For more information on using these Rovers see this article. No mention of RTG in Toyota rover, would be limiting for commercial applications as RTG are restricted to government agencies plus there is limited supply of fuel.

http://fiso.spiritastro.net/archivelist.htm
See 20sept2017 podcast

[DistantTemple]

The JAXA-Toyota Lunar rover is got to be heavier than 5 tonnes and wouldn't fitted inside EELV class payload fairing. So how is JAXA getting this rover to the Moon? Did JAXA give any hints to how they are getting the rover off Earth and landing on the Moon.

It will be okay as long as it can fit through the cargo door of a SpaceX Starship. A cargo lander launched from SLS would work too, but AFAIK nothing like that is currently being designed.

Human lander descent stage could be used for large payload delivery eg habitats and human rovers.

Transport to Mars: A mad idea: Jaxa/Toyota purchase outright (or similar contractual arrangement) a "chomper" SS modified to have the chomper door detachable on Mars, and a suitable crane designed build and installed for unloading of the rover and other payloads. The rover could be packed with supplies for its first journey, and there would be room on the flight for a backup, and comprehensive parts, consumables, extra instrumentation for future explorations and projects etc.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/japangov/status/1249215798456901632

Today is the International Day of Human #SpaceFlight!! @JAXA_en & leading Japanese manufacturers are joining forces to conceptualize a manned, pressurized lunar rover with Japan’s state-of-the-art technologies for launch in 2029: global.jaxa.jp/press/2019/03/… #InnovationJapan

[jacqmans]

JAXA and Toyota Announce “LUNAR CRUISER” As Nickname for Manned Pressurized Rover

https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2020/08/20200828-1_e.html

August 28, 2020 (JST)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that they have named the manned pressurized rover which is currently under joint research by JAXA and Toyota the “LUNAR CRUISER” as “nickname”. JAXA and Toyota previously announced and have been conducting joint research on a manned, pressurized lunar rover that uses fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technologies.

The nickname LUNAR CRUISER was chosen because of the familiar feeling it offers the people involved in the development and manufacture of the vehicle prototype as part of the joint research project as well as the familiarity it will provide the general public. The name, which references the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, was decided upon based on the quality, durability, and reliability expected of the pressurized lunar rover, and the concept that Toyota has long held to for the Land Cruiser, which was for people to “come back alive,” especially true for the lunar rover as it will be traversing the harsh environment of the moon’s surface.

JAXA and Toyota signed a joint research agreement to work on a manned pressurized lunar rover last year, on June 13, 2019, with an expected launch date in the latter half of the 2020s. Together, they are working to manufacture test parts for each technological element, and the prototype rover itself, during this fiscal year (FY2020). The work involves the use of simulations to confirm power and heat dissipation performance while driving, the manufacture and assessment of prototype tires, and the use of virtual reality and full-scale models to consider the layout of equipment in the cabin of the LUNAR CRUISER.

Furthermore, as part of their efforts to create new partners with “Team Japan,” JAXA and Toyota have been discussing laterally with a variety of industries via study meetings based on the theme of “a lunar society pioneered by the manned pressurized rover” (also known as Team Japan Study Meeting)*. The meetings focus on how the manned pressurized rover becomes the starting point of a vision of a future lunar surface-based society while discussing the challenges associated with the creation of this type of society.

JAXA and Toyota will gather the knowledge, experience and technological capabilities of enterprises from across a variety of industries in their attempt to realize their dream of sustaining continuous activities on the surface of the moon as “Team Japan,” moving forward.

* The Team Japan Working Group, led by JAXA, Toyota and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., was launched in August 2019. Three working groups and one session on the co-creation of a lunar society have been held to date, with about 100 companies registered.


Related Links
Study meetings based on the theme of “a lunar society pioneered by the manned pressurized rover” (Japanese Only)
https://iss.jaxa.jp/future/lunar/index.html

National Research & Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Toyota Motor Corporation

[TrevorMonty]

Cool sounds like Japan's industry is getting onboard. Pressurized rover like this is essential human exploration of moon.
Now all we need is for ESA and others to tackle permanent habitat structures.

[tul]

JAXA wants to move forward with the development. After having spend 717 Million Yen during the current fiscal year, JAXA wants to spend 2 billion Yen during FY 2022.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210827-mxt_kouhou02-000010167_19.pdf (page 4)

[eric z]

   I need to see if "Pimp My Ride" or "Counting Cars" could convert my 2018 Toyota Sienna into a facsimile of the Lunar Cruiser. Put some solar panels on the sides...

[Slarty1080]

JAXA wants to move forward with the development. After having spend 717 Million Yen during the current fiscal year, JAXA wants to spend 2 billion Yen during FY 2022.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210827-mxt_kouhou02-000010167_19.pdf (page 4)

All very fascinating, but how are they planning to get it to the Moon?

[DanClemmensen]

JAXA wants to move forward with the development. After having spend 717 Million Yen during the current fiscal year, JAXA wants to spend 2 billion Yen during FY 2022.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210827-mxt_kouhou02-000010167_19.pdf (page 4)

All very fascinating, but how are they planning to get it to the Moon?

Lunar payloads like this rover are to be carried by CLPS landers. Big loads like this one would be carried by the second-round heavy landers. SpaceX is a qualified CLPS vendor. Apparently SpaceX intends to use an uncrewed cargo version of Starship HLS. There is no requirement that these lander be able to leave the lunar surface after delivery of the landed payload.

[Zed_Noir]

JAXA wants to move forward with the development. After having spend 717 Million Yen during the current fiscal year, JAXA wants to spend 2 billion Yen during FY 2022.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20210827-mxt_kouhou02-000010167_19.pdf (page 4)

All very fascinating, but how are they planning to get it to the Moon?

According to the last press release JAXA rover's nominal overall dimensions is: Length 6.0m; width 5.2m; height 3.8m.


In theory, a Starship with modified payload bay could do it. The Toyota Lunar Rover will sit on it's tail vertically in a deployment cradle. The cradle will move sideways out from the payload bay with a beam crane and hoisted down to the Lunar surface. Then the cradle will rotate until it is horizontal so the rover can drive off.

[tul]

The whole budget for the rover for next fiscal year is 2 billion yen. So it is moving forward to development.

https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20211223-mxt_kouhou02-000017672_1.pdf page 66

[MickQ]

Anyone seen or heard any updates on this project ?

[yg1968]

Here is a recent tweet by Administrator Nelson:

https://twitter.com/SenBillNelson/status/1623534267434438656