THE JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY (JAXA) IS working toward the launch this year of a small lunar rover that will pave the way for a large, follow-on pressurized crewed lunar vehicle due for deployment to the Moon at the end of the decade. To be launched by SpaceX and carried to the lunar surface on Mission 1 (M1) of Tokyo-based Ispace's Hakuto-R program, the small spherical rover is designed to split in half after landing. The two hemispheres will act as wheels, propelling the vehicle as it collects data on autonomous driving technology. The Japanese rover will be deployed to the lunar surface at the same time as another vehicle, the United Arab Emirates' round, wheeled robot Rashid, which is intended to adapt its shape autonomously to suit the varying topography of the lunar terrain.
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