Toyota joined forces with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA to create a Lunar Cruiser – a futuristic moon rover that channels the Land Cruiser.
NASA’s Artemis mission will see the US space agency sending humans to the moon for the first time in decades.
The lunar expedition is set to get underway in 2027 and aims to ‘establish the first long-term presence on the moon’.
And as part of that mission, Toyota is helping to develop a Lunar Cruiser: a crewed pressurized rover that ‘will carry the Land Cruiser’s spirit’ to the moon.
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NASA first sent a manned space flight to the moon back on Apollo 11 in 1969.
Decades on, the space agency is gearing up to send a team of astronauts to the moon ‘for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers’ with its Artemis mission.
As part of the project, Toyota has been working with Japan’s space agency JAXA to develop the Lunar Cruiser.
Explaining why they chose to nickname the rover the Lunar Cruiser, Toyota said it was ‘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 marque also said that much like its Land Cruiser, the Lunar Cruiser will offer ‘quality, durability, and reliability’.
The vehicle is still in its prototype stage, but it has been carefully designed and built to tackle the tough lunar terrain and conditions.
The Lunar Cruiser has six independently powered wheels and uses Bridgestone airless, all-metal tires that are ideal for the moon’s powdery surface.
They are also able to withstand huge temperature changes from -170°C to +120°C.
The Lunar Cruiser will also come with a high-tech regenerative system that was built in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
When it’s complete, Toyota says it will allow astronaut crews to take trips across the moon for up to 30 days and will enable them to live independently from the station by using its life support system as a backup.
It can also operate without a crew.
The rover has recently been tested at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center.
One small step for Toyota, one giant leap for space exploration.
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