Two months ago, Japanese space development company Space Entry launched a CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for their upcoming Minna no Haro project, sponsored by Bandai Namco Filmworks. As part of the “HELLO HARO” mission, the goal of the project is to send an autonomous space robot into orbit to support Japanese astronauts on the International Space Station. What makes this project even more intriguing, however, is that the autonomous robot is based on Haro, the cute mascot of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, and is designed by mech designer Kunio Okawara himself.
Following its launch on April 17, the crowdfunding campaign reached its goal of 3 million yen (roughly $18.5k USD) in only two days. Roughly two months later, on June 16, Space Entry announced that the project had managed to raise more than 12 million yen, which is 400% of its original goal. At the time of writing, the total amount raised sits at about 12.75 million yen ($78.8k USD). With only 8 days left until the end of the campaign, the company is hoping to reach the stretch goal of 13 million yen. One reason why the project ended up being so popular (aside from turning the dreams of many Gundam fans into reality) could be the fact that it offers special rewards for backers who want to be directly involved in the HELLO HARO mission.
The robot itself was made to resemble the fictional Gundam character as much as possible, down to its features. It includes 360-degree propulsion via propellers, and even AI-based conversational skills, which allows it to directly talk to and interact with Japanese astronauts. If all preparations go as planned, Mina no Haro will hopefully be launched into space in Winter 2026, with further experiments in orbit scheduled for 2027. According to the company, findings of the experiments are set to be used for the development of future generations of space robots.
