Nissan Introduces Moon Explorer Prototype Developed With JAXA

Illustration of Nissan and JAXA's lunar rover. (Source: Nissan)

JAKARTA - Nissan Motor Co., Thursday introduced a prototype lunar rover jointly developed with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which will use the automaker's motor control technology to maneuver across the loose terrain of the Moon.

The automaker said it aims to create a rover capable of smoothly traversing the Moon's undulating surface, applying technology developed for use in its electric vehicles such as the Leaf and Ariya, citing Kyodo News Dec. 2.

The cruising vehicle, which is expected to be driverless and run on solar power, will likely have wheels specially developed to tackle the challenges of traversing the lunar surface. The launch date of the rover has not yet been decided.

Toshiyuki Nakajima, general manager of Nissan's Advanced Vehicle Engineering Department, said the company and JAXA plan to continue joint research on the project for another year, although they still don't know when development will be completed.

Illustration of Nissan and JAXA's lunar rover. (Source: Nissan)

"The use of cars and driving situations is very broad. We aim to produce the best driving performance through research and development. We believe the knowledge gained from this joint research with JAXA, will result in innovations in our vehicles that will bring benefits to customers," explained Nakajima who responsible for the development of the e-4ORCE control at Nissan, reports Motor1.

To note, among other automakers working with JAXA, Toyota Motor Corp., has conducted joint research on a rover that will be sent to the Moon in 2029.

Meanwhile, Honda Motor Co., has been studying circular renewable energy systems to provide oxygen, hydrogen and electricity for use in long-term space exploration projects.