Japan launches effort to colonize moon with robots

Duelling isn't the only thing the Japanese have planned in the next decade for robots in space. Apparently as reported by the Asahi Shimbun the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (which we can only assume is tantamount to our own NASA) are taking action on their earlier intentions to build lunar and inter-planetary exploration and colonization robots. Meaning they've gathered their team to develop robots with artificial intelligence to land on and explore the moon within 10 years, and independently colonize the joint within 20. But once these robots have completed their objective of taking over the moon, what makes the Japanese think they're gonna hand it over just like that?

[James Scott @ Apr 13th 2006 3:44PM]

The Japanese obsession with robots concerns me. If any country is going to end up being responsible for the destruction of man kind at the hands of an army of anatomically correct yet anime looking robots it will be them.

[Greg2point0 @ Mar 1st 2008 11:51PM]

Let them have their fun with robots, it's not like they are allowed to have an army.

[Spectral Flagellum @ Apr 13th 2006 3:50PM]

Yeah whatever... they better not touch our flag.

[jstn. @ Apr 13th 2006 4:23PM]

#2 hahahahahahahah,literally a laugh out loud.

[daschupa @ Apr 13th 2006 4:23PM]

Meh-they'll just fake it with green screens and transformer toys. They always imitate us. Us Americans however will make a movie out of it but try to have some sort of love affair in the midst like with the cryogenically frozen body of Leonardo DeCaprio.

[Nate @ Apr 13th 2006 4:39PM]

In keeping with the theme set forth by #2...since the American flag is there, and no one else's is, doesn't that mean that America -owns- the Moon?

Like, in the "old" days when things were still being discovered, didn't the land belong to the first person to slap a flag on it and slaughter/subjugate/humiliate the natives? Since we didn't have to kill any moon-men, and our flag is there, I think it's ours.

The Japanese should ask us for permission to land there.

And the government should start charging usage fees for nighttime illumination.

And yes, this is completely sarcastic.

[Henry @ Apr 13th 2006 4:40PM]

I, for one, welcome our new... nevermind.

[Matt E. @ Apr 13th 2006 4:54PM]

#4 - No, the U.S. doesn't own the moon. Nor does anyone else. So beware of people trying to sell you parcels of land up there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty

[D. @ Apr 13th 2006 5:04PM]

#4: Nope, The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and later the 1979 treaty disallows anyone from owning it (although I guess someone will sue someone over it one-day)

Artical 11, Paragraph 3: Neither the surface nor the subsurface of the moon, nor any part thereof or natural resources in place, shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person. The placement of personnel, space vehicles, equipment, facilities, stations and installations on or below the surface of the moon, including structures connected with its surface or subsurface, shall not create a right of ownership over the surface or the subsurface of the moon or any areas thereof.
Link: http://www.greaterearth.org/laws/moon_try.htm

/Waiting for Japan to build a black matte robot with dimensions 1:4:9
//All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there.

[momotarosan @ Apr 13th 2006 5:14PM]

hmmm, aliens will then transform them into creatures with tripod legs and send them to attack us like in the movie "War of the Worlds"

[MuDoggy @ Apr 13th 2006 5:15PM]

I WANT a robot before they start populating the moon with them! gimme!

[Stephen @ Apr 13th 2006 5:19PM]

#7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty

As no country with a space program has signed this it doesn't make it very relevent. Although I don't know if anyone really can say they have claim to the moon I do recall only one country ever sending anyone to the moon ;)

[Ed Hardy @ Apr 13th 2006 6:17PM]

You know, about seventeen manned missions to the moon could have been funded by the amount the U.S. has spent on invading Iraq (2 billion a week). And I'll bet the Moonanites don't have car bombs.

[Emerson @ Apr 13th 2006 8:25PM]

they are AI, no? they will learn to recreate and improve upon their designs, and they WILL take over the world just for the sole purpose of colonizing it and harvesting its resources to continue space travel..."MOM WHERES THE TINFOIL?"

[Osiris @ Apr 13th 2006 9:06PM]

Hmmm i reckon the moon should become a country of its own.
Still not sure if anyone did actually land on the moon; i've heard some pretty strong arguments for the conspiracy theories, not to mention that it's the American government we're talking about.

[Bart @ Apr 13th 2006 9:10PM]

Re #5 and Eddie Izzard: Do they have a FLAAAAAG?

[eEZER @ Apr 13th 2006 9:10PM]

About freaking time.

[Chris K @ Apr 13th 2006 10:31PM]

Well it seems gadgeters often revel in the superiority of many Japanese products, companies and such: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Sony, Canon, etc ... but wasn't it several years ago economists informed the world Japan was running a ghost economy? I guess Japan, like the FED, can print all the money they want, simply because they can,after all they don't really pay for it! For pennies on the $100 bill, they just stick your kids with the bills! Regardless, I think the moon is very important and like NASA's new effort, it is worthy a venture, worth the billions of dollars and will solve many problems the world faces, like hunger, disease, poverty ... RIGHT! I'm glad the worlds superpowers are so in touch with UNreality!

[Merkur @ Apr 14th 2006 3:24AM]

Do I need a VISA to go to the moon ?

About the US flag on the moon, I think you will be sad to learn it was a con !!! this event never happened, it was all planed by the Illuminati !!! Who's with me on that one ?

[Salman @ Apr 14th 2006 7:32AM]

#19.. I am with you on that one... the flag is a con. Maybe the Japbots will prove it when they go there!

[FTGreen @ Apr 14th 2006 9:35AM]

Great! Right about time. Looks like JAXA is not sitting idle while China sends one ShenZhou after another to space. This is not simply putting Gundam in space no more; this is about a Space Race between Japan and China. Look for the Korean govn't to pitch a bunch of money just to keep up. Most likely they'll piggy back on the Chinese space program for their own slice of Moon Colony.

American flag? That's probably the first thing the Chinese will uproot when they setup the first Moon Colony with HUMAN BEINGs. The Japanese can send all the robot or Gundam they'd want, but it's no true colony unless human can live there for a long period s of time. Yeah, cus of our govn't lack of true Space Initiatives and the lack of interest for Space and Robotic technologies from our youngsters (just look at the sarcasm on this page), the Moon will be carved up between Asian powers. While they're building Lunar Tokyo or Lunar Hong Kong, the Merkin kiddies can debate about whether the frigging flag meant we own the moon. Yeehaw!

[Doug @ Apr 14th 2006 7:33PM]

The October, 1928, edition of Amazing Stories had a story called "To the Moon by Proxy" about robotic exploration of the moon. The magazine also has a great cover showing the robot they had in mind.

Maybe the Japanese are reading our magazines.

[loikll @ May 11th 2006 5:56PM]

How awesome that the best and brightest minds in Japan will be preoccupied for the next 20 years trying to send robots to the moon to see what's up there ... because no one has any idea, ya know, what the moon might be like. Maybe there are people there! And green pastures and bees! Maybe whole new species of food with extra tentacles and eyeballs for the Nipponese market!

[england forever @ Jun 16th 2006 11:53AM]

i think we should send all the americans to pluto to give the rest of the world a break from your over the top ways

[Chris @ Aug 25th 2006 12:57AM]

What we need to do is send machines that we can control here on earth to start making the things we need to survive. Like water, air, fuel, living spaces...

[Jean E @ Apr 18th 2009 12:46AM]

It has been said that even in the outer space, recession occurs. Not really in a recession per se but it has been constantly enlarging since the beginning of time and it will continuously grow forever. Companies like Roskosmos and Space Adventures travel companies, have been seeing less business and now they can't book any more flights to the International Space Station because actual space agencies are using it. A flight through these companies costs more than any payday loan will cover, as it is in the dozens of millions to get booked. Turns out even the largest of a no fax cash advance doesn't matter in outer space.
http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/04/08/outer-space-recession/