U.S., Japan Expand Space Collaboration with Lunar Rover Agreement

The crewed, pressurized lunar rover will give astronauts more time to conduct experiments on the moon and the ability to travel farther than ever before.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 04:48 PM ET

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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson signs an agreement with Masahito Moriyama, Japan’s minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. and Japan signed a quid-pro-quo agreement to boost space exploration, focusing on NASA's Artemis lunar program.
Japan will design, build, and operate a crewed, pressurized lunar rover (the Lunar Cruiser) to serve as a mobile habitat and laboratory for extended missions on the moon's surface, anticipated for Artemis VII around 2030.
In exchange, NASA will reserve positions for two JAXA astronauts on future Artemis moon landing missions, with a shared goal for a Japanese national to be the first non-American to land on the moon.

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The U.S. and Japan on Wednesday signed a quid-pro-quo agreement to give both countries’ space exploration initiatives a boost.

NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have agreed to facilitate missions to the moon using a crewed lunar rover designed, built, and operated by Japan. The enclosed and pressurized rover is designed to serve as a mobile habitat and laboratory for human personnel.