Japan-based company Dymon signs agreement to deliver their first lunar rover Yaoki on Astrobotic’s upcoming Peregrine mission in 2021
Ota, Tokyo, Japan – Dymon proudly announces at the CEATEC 2019 their signing of a joint agreement with Astrobotic to send the first Japanese lunar rover onboard the Peregrine lunar lander to the Moon in 2021.
This agreement comes after Dymon surveyed the field of commercial lunar delivery providers around the world and determined Astrobotic to be the most mature provider, with the most capable end-to-end service for their needs. With this announcement, Dymon joins Astrobotic’s manifest of 18-signed contracts toward Peregrine Mission One.
CEO of Dymon, Shinichiro Nakajima, commented, “We are really excited to fly our mission with Astrobotic. This lunar rover Yaoki will result in the first lunar rover from Japan to explore the lunar surface, and marks a unique contribution to Peregrine’s mission. Yaoki has already successfully passed more than 100 tests, and has the smallest but most effective rover wheels ever produced. We are ready to complete development and fly in 2021.”
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will be launched on a Vulcan Centaur rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch will carry the first lunar lander from American soil since Apollo.
“Dymon’s unique single axle rover is a creative design that we look forward to delivering on Peregrine in 2021. We’re excited to deliver this groundbreaking Japanese rover to the Moon,” said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton.
About Astrobotic
Astrobotic Technology, Inc. is a space robotics company that seeks to make space accessible to the world. The company’s lunar lander, Peregrine, delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals for $1.2 million per kilogram. Astrobotic was selected by NASA in May 2019 for a $79.5 million contract to deliver payloads to the Moon in 2021. The company also has more than 30 prior and ongoing NASA and commercial technology contracts, a commercial partnership with Airbus DS, and a corporate sponsorship with DHL. The company is also an official partner with NASA through the Lunar CATALYST Program. Astrobotic was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
About Dymon
Dymon Co., Ltd. is a privately held Tokyo based company that is working on innovative robotic designs. Dymon has continuously developed its lunar rover called Yaoki for 8 years, with the base technology completed in 2018. Dymon’s approach to robotic development is based on open innovation, and seeks to collaborate with likeminded innovators. Yaoki project has been selected by the Start Up Factory operated by Toshin Manufacturing Co., Ltd. a Tokyo based corporaton, and set up its main factory in the Haneda area of Tokyo where innovative and ground-breaking technologies, like Dymon’s Yaoki can be developed for the global market .
This Yaoki project that will explore the Moon in 2021 will continue and evolve as a group exploration after 2022, and Dymon aims to send 100 Yaokis to the Moon by 2030. By that time, Yaoki will have an autonomic nerve and seek to create a symbiotic society on the Moon. Dymon’s goal is not only to explore the Moon with robots but the company also believe robots have great potential for permanent body repairs by 3D printers and artificial intelligence.