TOKYO - Japanese automaker Toyota has unveiled the first images of its exploratory vehicle, designed in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
According to the newspaper "Sunnyt France", the width of the unique vehicle of 5.2 meters and a height of 3.8 meters and 6 meters long, and can accommodate two to four people in an emergency.
"The manned and compact vehicle will be an important part of the support for human exploration of the moon," said Koichi Wakata, vice president of the company.
The Japanese giant is equipped with solar panels to operate the secondary systems, but the drive will run through a hydrogen battery, a technology already in place at Toyota, and will allow the vehicle to travel 10,000 kilometers.
Toyota's Vice President Shigiki Terashi says the fuel batteries on the vehicle are powered by a clean energy system and only emit water.
Due to the energy density of the batteries, they can provide sufficient energy, making them ideal for the project.
The real challenge remains to provide a vehicle that is powerful and efficient enough to move in a different environment, such as the Moon. Temperatures can reach 120 degrees in the sun and less than 180 degrees in the shade. Cosmic rays can pose a real challenge for the vehicle, Its surface is full.
Toyota had previously conducted space exploration when it helped develop a small robot sent to the International Space Station. JAXA recently achieved success in space, with the Hayabusa2 spacecraft conducting contact with asteroid Ryugu last month.