Hakusan Industry Collaborates with JAXA on Lunar Infrastructure Development

Collaborating for Lunar Exploration: Hakusan Industry Targets Infrastructure Development

Hakusan Industry Co., Ltd., headquartered in Fuchu City, Tokyo, has been selected as a collaborating organization in the second phase of the Space Strategic Fund project organized by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This initiative aims to advance essential technologies for building infrastructure on the lunar surface, specifically focusing on a project titled "Development of Electronic Beam Regolith Solidification Technology and Lunar Mobile Work Robot Systems," led by Professor Kazuya Yoshida of Tohoku University.

Recent years have seen rapid advancements in lunar exploration plans by various national space agencies and private enterprises, all targeting the establishment of a sustainable operational base. A core challenge in realizing future lunar activities is the prohibitive cost of transporting materials from Earth. To address this, the project emphasizes developing technology that utilizes the abundant lunar regolith as a primary material on site to construct necessary structures.

The project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of generating structural materials on the moon by melting and solidifying regolith using electronic beams. This foundational technology will enable the direct formation of infrastructures like landing pads and pathways on the lunar surface. Additionally, the development of a multifunctional lunar mobile work robot (see Figure 1) is planned, with the aim of validating construction techniques under realistic environmental conditions, facilitating the establishment of a technology system necessary for constructing lunar bases.

Furthermore, Professor Kazuya Yoshida, who previously spearheaded the HAKUTO team during the Google Lunar XPRIZE and recently led Project Manager roles in the Moonshot Research and Development Project Goal 3, will direct this project alongside an industry-academia collaboration team that includes Space Quarters Co., Ltd., System Planning Institute Co., Ltd., JAOPS Co., Ltd., and Asteria ART LLC.

Hakusan Industry excels in developing robot and sensor technologies adapted for extreme environments and has practical experience in deploying robots for decommissioning operations. The company has also participated in Tohoku University’s ongoing project focused on developing flexible AI robots as part of the Moonshot Research Project. Currently, Hakusan is evaluating the robot arms to be utilized in the manned pressurized rovers for NASA's Artemis project. For this lunar infrastructure project, Hakusan is responsible for developing hardware for a compact, transportable mobile work robot, introducing innovative lightweight, high-output mechanisms and sensor systems to enhance Japan's international competitiveness in lunar development.

The Space Strategic Fund is established within JAXA and supports the advanced technology development, technology demonstration, and commercialization in the space sector, provided by private companies and universities over multiple years. This fund is crucial in fulfilling governmental objectives, such as doubling the market size of Japan's space industry to 8 trillion yen by the early 2030s.