The LUPEX project is an initiative aimed at exploring the Moon for water and other resources and gaining expertise in exploring the surface of the Moon. The LUPEX project is an international cooperative project, with JAXA in charge of the lunar rover and ISRO responsible for the lander that will carry the rover; observation instruments from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will also be mounted on the rover.

International interest in the Moon is on the rise, as exemplified by the Artemis mission (a US-led plan to send astronauts back to the Moon to stay on the lunar surface and conduct sustained exploration activities). Inoue, whose duties encompass international cooperation and the selection of candidate landing sites for the LUPEX project, explained the reason for this.

“Analyses of various observational data over recent years suggest that water may be present in the lunar polar regions, the lunar polar regions being those areas around the Moon's north and south poles. If water can be found in these regions, it could be used as an energy source for future human activities on the Moon. For this reason, countries are aggressively pursuing lunar exploration.”

Fujioka, who is involved in developing the rover, had this to say on the significance of the LUPEX project in the context of this international trend.

“The LUPEX project will investigate the quantity and quality of water on the Moon. We hope to use this data as a basis for considering sustainable human activities on the Moon in the future. In addition, acquiring the technologies needed for rovers and landers to operate in the harsh lunar environment is very important for pursuing space exploration.”

The rover being developed by JAXA will drive on its own to search for areas where water is likely to be present and sample the soil by digging into the ground with a drill. The plan is to acquire data by analyzing the collected samples in detail with observation equipment mounted on the rover.

“The rover will be equipped with instruments for measuring the water content of regolith (lunar sand), drilling and sampling, as well as with other world-first and world-leading technologies for the driving system and batteries. It is a challenging project to transport a rover weighing several hundred kilograms loaded with these instruments to the Moon, move it around, and measure the collected samples in situ.”

Fujioka said the rover is in the basic design phase, noting that she often faces difficulties when building prototypes and conducting running tests.

Meanwhile, Inoue is coordinating with ISRO.

The LUPEX project is currently scheduled for launch in 2025. Inoue talked about the future of the LUPEX project.

“With respect to my own area of responsibility, we need to decide on a specific landing site. We are currently planning to land in the Moon's south polar region. This area is thought to have a high potential for water, but there are very few flat, easy landing sites with good illumination and communication conditions. Given the possibility that our selection could coincide with that of another country, we are looking to announce our landing site as soon as we find an optimal location.”

If we can get detailed data regarding water on the Moon, we may be able not only to live on the Moon but even to use this water to generate propellant on the Moon and travel to more distant celestial bodies. Developments are underway to expand the sphere of human activity.

*News on the progress of the LUPEX project is also posted on SNS from time to time.