A Japanese Robot Moon Base by 2020?

Image Credit: NODE

You heard right: “Japanese robot” and “moon base.” Who wouldn’t be excited by the prospect of a robot-run base on Earth’s satellite?

According to the Japanese prime minister’s office, a government panel is planning to robotically survey the moon by 2015, with full lunar colonization set for 2020. The $2.2 billion project will serve as Japan’s base of operations for exploring the solar system.

The plan? Special 660-pound droids will build the unmanned base, which will be powered by solar panels. The robots will roll on treads and feature their own solar panels, seismographs to investigate the moon's inner structure, high-definition cameras and heavy-duty arms to gather rock samples, which will be returned to Earth via rocket.

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[cna training]

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