On April 7th, it was announced that the "HELLO, HARO" project has begun, which aims to operate "Minna no Haro," an autonomous space robot modeled after Haro from the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam," on the International Space Station (ISS). Minna no Haro, designed by Kunio Okawara, a mechanical designer known for "Mobile Suit Gundam," will be launched to the ISS and will stay in the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo for an extended period. The project aims for completion by 2026 and is scheduled to launch by next spring.
Minna no Haro is made of aluminum, with a diameter of approximately 22 centimeters and a weight of approximately 4.5 kilograms. It has LED eyes and is equipped with a camera, fan, sensors, and other features. It can be remotely controlled from the ground and can communicate with astronauts staying on the ISS. We are seeking crowdfunding to give people the opportunity to participate in a mission where they can experience the process of developing, assembling, launching, and operating the robot in space.
On April 7th, a press conference was held at the Inagi Information Base Pair Terrace (Inagi City, Tokyo), featuring Ryoichi Kumagai, CEO of Space Entry, the company behind the project, Mr. Okawara, and Inagi City Mayor Katsuhiro Takahashi. Mr. Okawara spoke about the design of Minna no Halo, saying, "It's the cheeks. Initially, they suggested a square hole, but we made it round."
