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Japan Wants to Put Giant, Intelligent Robots on the Moon

by Matthew Zuras on May 31, 2010 at 06:00 PM

Japan robot moonbase
Japan apparently didn't get the memo that the whole Space Race is so last century, so it's going ahead with a project that will confirm just about every hard sci-fi stereotype about Japanese innovation: they're going to put massive, intelligent humanoid robots on the moon. The Japanese space agency JAXA is moving forward with the $2.2 billon project that aims to get the robots to the lunar surface by 2015, and have them build their own unmanned moon base by 2020.

Weighing in at 660 pounds, the proposed space bots will be equipped with HD cameras, solar panels and tank treads. They'll have seismographs and some other scientificky instument-y things, too -- but we don't want to lose focus on the fact that there will be giant robots on the effing moon. And even though the robots' masters will have a remote link on Earth's surface, the bots will be able to make decisions for themselves and operate with "a high degree of autonomy," according to Popular Science. Will they get the keys to the CIA's secret nuclear base on the dark side?

For you empirical types, JAXA wants the droids to collect rock samples, among other things, which will be shipped off to Earth via rocket. They'll also be charged with constructing a lunar base near the south pole, which may eventually be inhabited by humans. (That is, if the orbiting bots haven't become self-aware and angry at their human overlords. Tanegashima, we have a problem!) The whole thing is beginning to sound a bit like the plot of the sleeper hit 'Moon,' no? We wonder if all the bots will be equipped with thespian Kevin Spacey's creepy/soothing voice. [From: Popular Science]

Tags: japan, jaxa, lunar base, LunarBase, moon, moon base, MoonBase, robot, robots, space, space station, SpaceStation, top

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