TOKYO — A vehicle known as the “Lunar Cruiser” that is being developed by companies including Toyota Motor to carry astronauts on the moon’s surface is set to join the U.S.-led program to revive manned exploration of Earth’s nearest neighbor.
The Artemis project, led by NASA, also plans to send two Japanese astronauts to the moon, with both developments potentially boosting the East Asian nation’s influence in any lucrative lunar economic bloc of the future.