Month: September 2023

Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd., a think-tank and consultancy for a Japanese major financial group (“MURC”), and JTB Corporation, a major Japanese travel agency (“JTB”), have launched a trial to develop a one-stop service for local governments and private companies interested in the space industry to support their entry into the space industry. MURC and JTB will specifically provide the following services:1. Support for visits to spaceports and space industry centers for educational purposes;2. Research into the potential for expansion of the space industry in the region, and development of strategies and surveys that make use of the region’s strengths;3. Support for the organization of meetings and seminars ...

SORA-Q(Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2(LEV-2)), an ultra-compact transformable lunar robot developed by Japanese toy manufacturer TOMY Company, Ltd., together with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA), Sony Group Corporation, and Doshisha University, is aiming for the Moon. ‘SORA(宙)’ means universe in Japanese. As for the letter “Q”, it is named after the English words “Question” and “Quest”, the Japanese word “Kyu” (reads as ‘q’) means sphere, and the robot’s silhouette that resemble the shape of the letter “Q” in the alphabet. The robot is ultra-compact, weighing approximately 250g, and transforms from a spherical shape with a diameter of approximately 8cm into a robot on the Moon’s surface. SORA-Q can move freely on its ...