Meet 'Lunar Cruiser': Japan's big moon rover for astronauts gets a nickname

[Admin]

The crewed lunar rover being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Toyota now has a (nick)name.

Meet 'Lunar Cruiser': Japan's big moon rover for astronauts gets a nickname : Read more

 

[newtons_laws]

That could be a useful vehicle to have for manned lunar exploration, and it's interesting to see that Toyota is part of the Japanese partnership designing this, as Toyota has several years experience in developing the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle. The Apollo lunar rovers of course just used one time use non-rechargeable (silver-oxide) batteries. However for a lunar vehicle that is meant to be re-used it makes a lot of sense to use hydrogen and oxygen fuel cells since the hydrogen and oxygen required can be produced on the lunar surface from the water ice that is known to exist in the Moon's polar regions.

 

[motie]

Thank heavens it's pointy in front. The air drag at 2 miles per hour in a vacuuum must be tremendous.

 

[egribble]

The crewed lunar rover being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Toyota now has a (nick)name.

Meet 'Lunar Cruiser': Japan's big moon rover for astronauts gets a nickname : Read more

Will it have the ability to dock? The Dynetics lander has a low slung configeration in part so rovers can dock. Also a habitat module on the descent Blue Origin may also be able to be configured so a rover can dock. Why suit up and depressurize (risking lunar dust contamination) if docking is possible?

 

[newtons_laws]

Will it have the ability to dock? The Dynetics lander has a low slung configeration in part so rovers can dock. Also a habitat module on the descent Blue Origin may also be able to be configured so a rover can dock. Why suit up and depressurize (risking lunar dust contamination) if docking is possible?

Good point, but that would require collaboration between the different nations/companies to ensure compatible docking mechanisms. In an ideal situation that would take place, but I think at the moment the individual lunar exploration designs aren't internationally co-ordinated.

 

[Mergatroid]

Will it have the ability to dock? The Dynetics lander has a low slung configeration in part so rovers can dock. Also a habitat module on the descent Blue Origin may also be able to be configured so a rover can dock. Why suit up and depressurize (risking lunar dust contamination) if docking is possible?

I don't see why they would design it without docking in mind. In any case, astronauts will have to go outside at times. There was one scifi movie, can't remember which, where they had a spacesuit or two basically docked into the rear of the pressurized rover they were using. They would enter the spacesuit from the inside, then seal and undock the suit.