The makers of Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat have retained a Pittsburgh robotics firm to help get their product to the moon.

A Japanese sports drink company’s attempt to place a large quantity of its product on the moon will involve a Pittsburgh-based robotics company. Astrobotic, founded in 2008 and headquartered in the Strip District, is highlighted in an item on The New Yorker‘s website about Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company’s plan to deposit a capsule full of Pocari Sweat, one of its curiously named sports drinks, in a time capsule on the northeastern part of the moon.

Astrobotic will provide the mission with a lunar lander called the Griffin as a part of the company’s ongoing efforts to net the GoogleLunar X Prize.

Read more about Astrobotic’s role in the commercial moon mission on The New Yorker‘s Currency blog.

Matthew Wein is a local writer, editor, blogger, storyteller and proud native Pittsburgher. Once described as "a man of things," he covers city design, spirits and craft beer for NEXT, where he keeps all of the editorial meetings light-hearted and interesting. His interests include sorting books, looking at old things and candles which smell like old-growth pine forests.