The Lunar Cruiser is the nickname of a crewed pressurized lunar rover being developed jointly by JAXA and Toyota that astronauts can drive and live on the Moon.[1]
The Lunar Cruiser is being developed as a part of NASA's Artemis program and will enable astronaut crews to take trips across the Moon lasting up to 30-45 days, live independently from the station by using its life support system as a backup.[2] Named after the Toyota Land Cruiser, its name was chosen "because of the familiar feeling it offers the people involved in the development and manufacture of the vehicle prototype as part of the joint research project as well as the familiarity it will provide the general public." The rover is currently being manufactured, with an expected launch date in the latter half of the 2020s. The rover itself will use fuel-cell electric-vehicle technologies.[3] [4] An update by the development team in late 2023 indicated the very first cruiser would be deployed in 2029 along with the first moonbase.[5] Mitsubishi is helping develop the hydrogen electrolysis unit due to its development in new maritime technology.[6]