NASA 'Artemis' Project Participation
Japanese Astronauts Expected to Land in 2028
Toyota's Lunar Exploration Vehicle 'Luna Cruiser' Joins Mission
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed on the lunar landing of Japanese astronauts during their summit on the 10th (local time). This is interpreted as an effort to counter China's lunar exploration while securing economic interests in pioneering the space market.
According to foreign media including Bloomberg News, President Biden announced at a press conference held at the White House with Prime Minister Kishida that "two Japanese astronauts will participate in NASA's future lunar exploration project," adding, "They will become the first non-American astronauts to land on the moon."
The joint statement released after the summit specified that through NASA's exploration project 'Artemis,' Japanese astronauts will be the first to land on the moon after Americans. Earlier, Masahito Moriyama, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also signed a document outlining the activities of the Artemis project.
The Artemis project aims for an American lunar landing around September 2026. If successful, it will be the first in about half a century since Apollo 17. The lunar landing by Japanese astronauts is expected to be possible as early as 2028. Japan is currently responsible for supply logistics and lunar rover development within the Artemis project.
Additionally, Toyota Motor Corporation, in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is jointly developing the lunar exploration vehicle 'Luna Cruiser,' which is participating in Artemis with a planned launch in 2031. According to a report by Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), the Luna Cruiser will function as a lunar 'camping car' by regulating the internal cabin pressure, allowing astronauts to live without wearing spacesuits.
The Luna Cruiser, capable of carrying two astronauts and traveling 20 km per day, will conduct soil surveys and resource exploration missions at various points on the lunar south pole for about a month. The total driving distance is expected to be 10,000 km, with operations planned for 10 years. Toyota plans to develop the exploration vehicle by combining battery technology that produces hydrogen from solar power with tire technology suitable for driving on the fine lunar sand.
The reason advanced countries are intensifying lunar exploration is interpreted to include economic interests alongside diplomatic strategies. Recently, water resources are presumed to exist near the lunar south pole, suggesting potential uses for drinking water and rocket fuel through electrolysis. Global consulting firm PwC forecasted that a total economic zone worth $170 billion (approximately 260 trillion KRW) will be formed on the moon from 2021 to 2040. Of this, $100 billion (approximately 150 trillion KRW) is expected to be from service industries transporting observation equipment and other items to the lunar surface.
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