Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is looking to take Toyota to the moon. Instead of a family sedan, the car manufacturer is making a pressurized self-driving rover to cruise the lunar surface.

The vehicle, which is expected to make its debut in 2029, is expected to have six wheels and be capable of transporting two humans (four in an emergency) a distance of 10,000 using solar power as well as fuel-cell technology being developed by Toyota.

“At JAXA, we are pursuing international coordination and technological studies toward Japan’s participation in international space exploration. We aim to contribute through leading Japanese technologies that can potentially generate spin-off benefits,” JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said in a prepared statement. “Having Toyota join us in the challenge of international space exploration greatly strengthens our confidence…

“Through our joint studies going forward, we would like to put to use Toyota’s excellent technological abilities related to mobility, and we look forward to the acceleration of our technological studies for the realization of a manned, pressurized rover,” Yamakawa continued.

Size-wise, the rover will be around the size of two minibusses and will have 13 square meters of habitable space for astronauts to move around inside while they’re exploring the moon’s surface.

The vehicle will be sent separately from the humans that will ride in it and will meet the astronauts once they arrive on the moon.

日本政府管理的科研机构宇宙航空研究开发机构（JAXA）希望将本国汽车巨头丰田产的汽车送上月球。选择的不是家用小轿车，而是一辆加压的自动驾驶越野车，届时将在月球表面行驶。

这辆车预计将在2029年面世，装有六个轮子，可载两人，紧急情况下可容纳四人。车辆利用太阳能和丰田开发的燃料电池技术，续航可达1万公里。

JAXA的总裁山川宏在事先准备的声明中表示：“JAXA争取通过国际合作和技术研究，让日本参与国际空间开发。我们希望贡献日本尖端技术，产生一些潜在的附带益处。丰田加入国际空间开发极大地增强了我们的信心。”

“通过联合研究不断推进，我们将利用丰田在运输领域的出色技术，加快技术研究，让载人的加压越野车成为现实。”山川还称。

在尺寸方面，该款越野车与两辆小巴差不多，居住空间约有13平米，可供探索月球表面的宇航员休憩。

这辆车和驾驶的宇航员将分别进入太空。待登陆月球后，车将跟宇航员会合。（财富中文网）

译者：Pessy

审校：夏林