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Space
Space
Science
Robert Z. Pearlman

JAXA and Toyota's 'Lunar Cruiser' moon rover is now a Transformers toy

Toyota Jaxa Optimus Prime Transformers NASA Japan collectSPACEcom
Closeup of a six-wheeled white moon rover transformer toy with the words "jaxa" and "toyota" written on its side, in front of the box it's sold in.

It can now be revealed that Japan's proposal for a future moon rover is "more than meets the eye."

As first announced last June but just now starting to ship, a new scale model of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Lunar Cruiser not only faithfully reproduces the details of the astronaut transport developed in conjunction with Toyota, but also transforms into Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots.

Yes, the new Takara Tomy toy is a crossover between the real agency's concept and Transformers, the "robots in disguise" franchise.

"Bring the ultimate Transformers experience to your collection with the Takara Tomy Transformers Lunar Cruiser Optimus Prime action figure!" reads Habro's Pulse website, the toy company's direct-to-fan online store, which took $75 pre-orders for the Takara Tomy release. "This figure was designed to replicate the appearance of the Lunar Cruiser pre-exhibited in 2019."

Related: Meet 'Lunar Cruiser': Japan's big moon rover for astronauts gets a nickname

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