Dec 30 2010
The space agency of Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is planning to establish a robot base on the Moon.
One of Japan space agency JAXA's grand plans is a robot base on the Moon.
An expert panel has suggested the minister for space development of Japan to send a wheeled robot to the Moon within five years of time. The panel first suggested a two-legged humanoid, but that was rejected because of the bumpy surface of the moon.
The expert panel has envisioned constructing a lunar base staffed by advanced robots, by the year 2020. This will be a milestone in the country’s space exploration.
In 2009, JAXA achieved safe return of a deep-space probe from Hayabusa, after picking up asteroid dust from a space rock. The low cost of the Hayabusa mission encouraged the country’s interest in such space programmes.
Source: http://www.jaxa.jp/