00:00Toyota has driven a Land Cruiser on the Moon for the first time, or at least a prototype intended for use on Earth's satellite.
00:10The futuristic vehicle, dubbed the Lunar Cruiser, recently underwent testing in an open environment and was accompanied by cameras.
00:19The test marks the first significant progress in this ambitious project in some time.
00:24The Lunar Cruiser is the culmination of years of development work that began in 2019, inspired by the U.S. return to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
00:38The rover received its name in 2023, a reference to the proven Land Cruiser SUV that established Toyota's reputation as an off-road vehicle specialist on Earth.
00:47Unlike the other concepts for so-called lunar terrain vehicles, which are being developed for NASA by three different companies, Lunar Outpost, Intuitive Machines, and Venturi Astrolab, the Lunar Cruiser is a pressurized vehicle.
01:03The competition relies on unprotected vehicles for short distances, while Toyota is proposing a vehicle that can take astronauts on missions of up to approximately 10,000 kilometers without the need for spacesuits.
01:21This range is made possible by a hydrogen propulsion system based on the technology of the already available Mirai fuel cell vehicle.
01:28The use of hydrogen is particularly useful on the Moon, as it can cover long distances with comparatively little energy.
01:39The dimensions of the Lunar Cruiser are impressive.
01:42It is the size of two minibuses parked side by side and measures around 6 meters in length.
01:49Despite its size, it only has room for two people under normal conditions.
01:53In emergencies, the vehicle can accommodate up to four people for short periods.
02:01The limited space results from the extensive life support systems and technical equipment necessary to keep the vehicle operational under extreme conditions.
02:09These range from temperatures between minus 170 and 120 degrees Celsius, minus 330 and 258 degrees Fahrenheit, to low gravity, which is only one-sixth that of Earth's.
02:24NASA plans to deploy the rover as part of the Artemis II mission in 2032 and use it on the Moon for at least a decade.
02:31This close collaboration was made possible by an agreement with the Japanese space agency JAXA.
02:40In return, Japan will be allowed to send two of its own astronauts on future missions.
02:47Even though the rover is not mentioned by name in the agreement, it is considered certain that it is the Lunar Cruiser,
02:53as no other project of this type is currently at a comparable stage of development.
02:57The Lunar Cruiser is expected to be transported to the Moon on a SpaceX rocket, but not before 2032.
03:09The vehicle could then be used for missions lasting up to 30 days, during which great distances on the lunar surface would be covered.
03:15This would be a significant step for manned lunar exploration.
03:23Even though the currently tested prototype bears little external resemblance to previous visualizations of the Lunar Cruiser,
03:30the technology behind it is no less impressive.
03:34Thanks to Toyota Times News, there is now public video footage of this innovative rover in action for the first time.
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04:07Untertitelung des ZDF, 2020
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