Gundam Designer Aims to Put Haro Robot on International Space Station

Space development company Space Entry announced on Tuesday that it plans to put the Mobile Suit Gundam mascot character Haro aboard Kibō, the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station (ISS),. Under its “Hello, Haro” mission, the company aims to send the “Minna no Haro” (Everyone’s Haro) to the ISS to collect long-term data on the “feasibility of autonomous robots in outer space.”

Mobile Suit Gundam mechanical designer Kunio Ōkawara personally designed the aluminum robot, which will measure 210 millimeters (about 8.3 inches) in diameter and weigh 4.5 kilograms (about 9.9 pounds). Its internal propellers can move it around in 360 degrees, and its cameras will let ground-based staff monitor the situation aboard the ISS. Its microphones will allow it to chat, at least with the Japanese astronauts.

According to Space Entry, “Minna no Haro” will be the first in the world in three feats: the first autonomous robot by a private enterprise aboard the Kibō, the first space robot to run the Zephyr OS, and the first capable of chatting.

Space Entry plans to fund the “Hello, Haro” project through a crowdfunding campaign on the Campfire platform. The campaign will begin on April 14 with a goal of 3 million yen (about US$19,000).

Anime in the Final Frontier

This isn’t anime’s — or even Gundam‘s — first foray into space. A “G-Satellite” launched the first Gundam plastic models into space from the ISS in 2020, and Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino wrote a message transmitted by the satellite.

Project Longinus aimed in 2015 to loosely recreate a Neon Genesis Evangelion scene by sending a Spear of Longinus replica to the lunar surface, but it failed to meet its crowdfunding goal.

Astronaut Sōichi Noguchi wore a shirt inspired by Space Battleship Yamato‘s uniform to welcome Naoko Yamazaki, another Yamato fan and astronaut, to the ISS in 2010. Noguchi, Yamazaki, and another astronaut, Akihiko Hoshide, have all made voice cameos in space-themed anime (Space Brothers and Rocket Girls).

Japanese Internet company investor Daisuke “Dice-K” Enomoto had planned to go to the ISS in 2006 as the world’s fourth “space tourist” — cosplaying as the Gundam anime character Char Aznable. However, he was unable to fly to the station due to a physical exam.

Sources: Space Entry’s X/Twitter account, Space Entry, Space Entry’s YouTube channel, PR Times, Hello, Haro Campfire campaign website, Mantan Web, Net Labo