Japan accelerating on space exploration

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corp. have announced a project to develop a manned lunar rover that will enable astronauts to spend long periods exploring the moon’s surface.

 Other companies are expected to participate in the development of the rover, which the team aims to have operating on the moon in the 2030s.

 JAXA’s Vice President Koichi Wakata and Toyota Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi announced the project at a symposium on space exploration in Tokyo on Tuesday.

 The rover, which is expected to be 6 meters long, 5.2 meters wide and 3.8 meters high, will feature Toyota’s fuel cell technology.

 It will be capable of allowing two people to spend more than 40 days on the moon.