Development of a Dust Removal System in Space and Technical Cooperation Toward Ground-based Applications
Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) has entered into a joint development agreement regarding dust removal technology with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota). In collaboration with Toyota, Konica Minolta will study the possibility of developing a dust removal system in space for a manned pressurized rover1 (nicknamed “Lunar Cruiser” by Toyota), on which Toyota has been conducting R&D with JAXA, and applying developed technologies to ground-based products.
Toyota has been taking on challenges in an international space exploration mission beyond national and regional borders by leveraging the durability and driving performance of its vehicles as well as environmental technologies, including fuel cells. The manned pressurized rover, a vehicle for crewed exploration activities on the moon, is required to drive more than 10,000 km over rugged terrain, including craters, cliffs, and hills, under harsh radiation, temperature, and extreme vacuum conditions. R&D is under way with JAXA in preparation for launch in 2031 or later.
Konica Minolta will collaborate with Toyota on the research and development of the manned pressurized rover. The joint development agreement has been concluded because Konica Minolta’s technology for removing electrostatically charged toner, which it has refined in the field of MFPs, is expected to serve as one of the elemental technologies for removing lunar regolith, which is likely to adhere to the body of the manned pressurized rover. The possibility of applying developed technologies and know-how to ground-based products will also be explored in the joint development.
This is not the first time that Konica Minolta’s technology has made its way into space. Back in 1962, NASA astronaut John Glenn carried a Minolta Hi-Matic camera in a first manned orbital space flight and used it to capture historic images of Earth.
