Toyota's regenerative fuel cell to power Lunar Rover, tapping moon's water ice for energy
Toyota Motor revealed their ambitious plan to utilize regenerative fuel cell technology for propelling a manned lunar rover. This cutting-edge approach opens up exciting possibilities for harnessing the moon's water ice as a potential energy source in the days to come. Japan, under the leadership of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has significantly amplified its space exploration aspirations.
The nation is actively engaged in NASA's Artemis program and has set its sights on stationing an astronaut at the lunar space station named Gateway in the latter half of the 2020s. Since 2019, Toyota has been collaborating with Japan's space agency to create a manned lunar rover, which they have aptly named the Lunar Cruiser. The ambitious goal is to deploy this innovative rover on the moon by the year 2029.
"In order to conduct long-term and stable research on the surface of the moon, we are aiming to source various items on site over a long period," said Ken Yamashita, head of lunar exploration projects at Toyota. According to presentation materials released on Friday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that NASA has requested Japan to contribute a lunar rover to the Artemis program. The target launch date for this rover is set for the year 2029.
In a fuel cell vehicle, similar to an electric vehicle, an electric motor is employed. However, the power is derived from a fuel stack that employs a catalyst to split hydrogen, generating electricity. Toyota has announced that its technology will take advantage of solar energy and water to create hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis during daylight hours.
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