Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Science and Technology, Academia

On April 9, during a visit to the United States, MEXT Minister MORIYAMA Masahito and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson signed an Implementing Arrangement concerning Lunar Surface Exploration using the Pressurized Rover.

Under the arrangement, NASA will provide two opportunities for Japanese astronauts to travel to the lunar surface on future Artemis missions. It also outlines that Japan will carry out lunar exploration and will develop and operate a pressurized rover for exploration on the Moon. This implementing arrangement is the first arrangement that the U.S. signed for the landing on the Moon with an international partner.

Minister Moriyama said, “It was an honor to sign the historic implementing arrangement that will be long remembered as the symbol of the new era of Japan-U.S. partnership for lunar surface exploration. Under the partnership stronger than ever, we will drive the initiative together with JAXA, including the development of the pressurized rover that vastly extends the exploration capability on the lunar surface, to realize the shared goal for Japanese and American astronauts to, together, explore the moon."

Reference: Implementing Arrangement between MEXT and NASA concerning Lunar Surface Exploration using the Pressurized Rover (in English)
https://gov-jp.co/content/20240411-mxt_uchukai02-000035256_1.pdf