More than half a century has passed since, in 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin F. Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface for the first time. Later, there were some more missions that took other astronauts to our satellite. A total of 12 people have had the privilege of walking on that firm but it has been a long time since the last time.
And it is that, since 1972, no human has returned to the Moon. Among the missions planned for the future is that of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which recently signed a joint research agreement with Japan’s largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corporation.
From the outset, the goal of this agreement has been to develop a robust all-terrain vehicle capable of protecting an entire team of astronauts from the challenging environment of outer space and being, in itself, a true laboratory on wheels. And this is the goal of the Lunar Cruiser.
The specs on this Toyota resemble many of those vehicles we’ve seen in sci-fi movies over the years. The length will be around 6 meters and the height will be 3.8 m. Inside, a living space of 13 m2 will serve to accommodate two people or even four in possible emergency situations.
Among the forecasts, the vehicle must have a range of 1,000 km with a single charge from its hydrogen tank. It is precisely in this sense that the news that has just been made public is directed. And it is that Toyota is committed to a regenerative fuel cell system with which it intends to meet expectations.
Thanks to the announced technology, the fuel cell allows dual-mode operation, switching between power generation and energy storage, and oxygen production. This is a significant improvement considering that, during its space mission, the Lunar Cruiser will have to face a lunar night. This supposes, in equivalence, a period of 14 Earth days in darkness, without the presence of sunlight that can be used to generate energy with photovoltaic panels.
Current storage technologies that could provide power for two weeks are too large and heavy for this type of vehicle. Therefore, missions on the dark side of the Moon are really complicated. And that’s also why regenerative fuel cell technology is supposed to be so relevant.
Despite this novelty, there are still important challenges to overcome, and the most important are related to reducing the weight of the Lunar Cruiser and its hydrogen and water tanks. In any case, the mission still has scope, as it is scheduled to launch in 2029. If you want to see a digital simulation of how this spacecraft will move on the surface of the Moon, just take a look at the video accompanying this article.
