Toyota Motor and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries detailed plans to build hydrogen-powered with solar elements moon vehicles, that could be available for the U.S.-led Artemis Project aiming for the first manned lunar landing in half a century starting in 2025, Japan newspaper Nikkei wrote.
Lunar rovers are expected to be launched in 2029.
Toyota began working with JAXA in 2019 to develop a lunar exploration vehicle prototype called the Lunar Cruiser.
The Lunar Cruiser is to travel a total of more than 10,000 km on the moon for exploration activities. The Japanese auto giant revealed four key features on the vehicle: The use of regenerative fuel cells (RCF); off-road driving performance; automated driving; and user experience.
RCF refers to automotive batteries made from hydrogen converted by water electrolysis from the solar energy, which is being developed by MHI with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.
On the moon, where days and nights last for two weeks, batteries that continue to regenerate during the daytime are extremely important technology, as well as the fuel cell technology that Toyota has adopted for its cars on Earth.
“[RCF] has a big advantage,” stressed Ken Yamashita, head of lunar exploration projects at Toyota, as the size and weight of the battery required to produce the same amount of energy are significantly smaller compared to lithium-ion batteries.
While developing the RCF technology for space use, Toyota intends to apply it on the ground as well. Energy from water and sunlight alone can be used as a power source on remote islands or in times of disaster, and is expected to contribute to carbon neutrality.
The vehicle is also to be equipped with living space of roughly 7 square meters, where passengers can spend time without their space suits. As astronauts will be spending as long as a month in the tiny space for exploration, the companies plan to design it as comfortably as possible using know-how from their conventional businesses.
Development status https://is.gd/TVhO57
