Japan's Space Agency Wants to Put a Toyota On The Moon

I would be great to see another vehicle on the moon, especially with the improvements in technology and materials that have occurred since the LRV's went there. Is it going to have a big Toyota badge on the front? :sly:
 
Toyota Motor Corporation

Founded: 1937.
Vehicles on the Moon: 2030.
Exploring the galaxy: 2300s (Lead by Captain Jean-Luc Picardrius).

houston-toyota-has-a-problem-nasa-steps-in-18657_1.jpg
 
The aliens living on the moon will be surprised when they see our super high hybrid technology.
 
Famine
Lupra is a good shout. How about Sele-ca?

Edit: As it'll be the second vehicle to drive on the Moon, how about the Moon Rover 2, or "MR2" for short?
Click to expand...

Sounds good

I'd suggest the MJ Cruiser, since it will allow the people to walk on the moon if you catch my reference :sly:
 
Not what I expected (I thought it would be more car than truck like) but I guess its similar to the lunar and mars vehicles that have been proposed by space agencies over the past decade.
 
That's what I call doing it properly. Fully pressurised, fuel cell power units, 6,200-mile range...

No idea how they're getting it up there though. Saturn V could only put 48 tons into a lunar orbit injection, and the CSM and LM (mainly their fuel) were 44 tons of that. Doesn't leave much wiggle room, and that's on the most powerful rocket ever constructed.

Construction on ISS, perhaps?
 
Famine
That's what I call doing it properly. Fully pressurised, fuel cell power units, 6,200-mile range...

No idea how they're getting it up there though. Saturn V could only put 48 tons into a lunar orbit injection, and the CSM and LM (mainly their fuel) were 44 tons of that. Doesn't leave much wiggle room, and that's on the most powerful rocket ever constructed.

Construction on ISS, perhaps?
Click to expand...

Maybe the SLS currently under development. Looks like that will put 45 tons of payload to heliocentric orbit. I wonder why they'd make this thing pressurized. The only reason I can think of is that they want it make it a sort of moving lunar base - where people will live for extended periods. It's less of a car and more of a lunar Winnebago.
 
Famine
No idea how they're getting it up there though
Click to expand...
In a cargo container of course.
spdd2627.jpg

The Eagle (transport) has landed! And taken off again.


If they could somehow combine a rover and a lander into one unit they'd be onto something. Being separate makes for a lot of size and tonnage.
 
IfAndOr
If they could somehow combine a rover and a lander into one unit they'd be onto something. Being separate makes for a lot of size and tonnage.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about that, but I was also thinking that it might not be entirely desirable to drag your return vehicle 6000 miles across the lunar surface. If something were damaged during travels, astronauts could presumably suit up and get back to the return vehicle without any atmospheric pressure. Also staging is pretty key here. You don't really want to bring anything you don't need back off the surface of the moon. So having two pressurized systems, while appearing redundant, might be the most efficient way to shed mass for the return trip - where propulsion capability will be extremely limited.
 

Latest Posts

Back