[Exclusive] Korean Lunar Lander to Launch in 2031... 620 Billion KRW Invested, 1.8t Class [Reading Science]

Korea Aerospace Research Institute Unveils Project Plan at Public Hearing on the 25th

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The outline of South Korea's lunar lander, scheduled for launch in 2031, has been revealed. With a budget of approximately 620 billion KRW, the lander will be built with a total weight of 1.8 tons, equipped with an exploration rover and scientific instruments, focusing on geological and topographical exploration of the lunar surface. South Korea had planned to send a lunar landing probe around 2031 following the lunar orbiter 'Danuri' launched on the 5th, but this is the first time that detailed plans regarding the lander's form, performance, mission, budget, and schedule have been disclosed.

According to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on the 31st, KARI unveiled this project plan at a public hearing on the lunar lander development project held on the 25th. KARI plans to spend about 618.4 billion KRW over seven years from 2024 to 2031 to build a 1.8-ton class lunar lander and send it to the moon using the next-generation Korean launch vehicle, an improved version of the Nuri rocket. The project's goal is to secure independent and leading planetary exploration capabilities by achieving a soft landing on the moon and conducting surface exploration for about one year.

To this end, KARI plans to develop the lander and ground systems, an exploration rover, a lunar soil volatile substance extractor, and a small nuclear power source device. The lander will weigh a total of 1.8 tons and will use either a direct transfer orbit, arriving at the moon in three days, or a phase transfer orbit taking 30 days. This approach differs from Danuri's choice of a ballistic lunar transfer orbit (BLT), which takes over 130 days to conserve fuel.

The lunar lander will enter a 100 km lunar orbit in December 2031, then slowly descend to the lunar surface using powered descent for a soft landing. To achieve this, three main engines producing 420N thrust each (1 Newton = thrust to move 1 kg at 1 m/s²), six auxiliary engines producing 220N each, and sixteen 20N attitude control thrusters will be installed. The maximum speed will be 3.5 km/s, and the fuel will account for 67% of the total weight, approximately 1.21 tons.

The lander's structure is designed as an octagon. Four fixed landing gears will be attached as legs. Fixed solar panels will be installed on the sides and top plate, along with four spherical fuel tanks and two pressurized tanks. A device for storing and deploying the exploration rover will be installed on the side.

The scientific and technological missions of the lunar lander have also been selected. Through recent expert surveys, KARI identified four objectives: demonstration of volatile substance extraction technology from lunar regolith, securing long-term stable power technology, demonstration of rover technology to maximize wide-area lunar surface data collection, and three-dimensional imaging and characterization of lunar surface dust.

Specifically, the lander will carry a total payload of 43 kg. A 13 kg lunar soil volatile substance extractor will be onboard to mine, heat, analyze, and extract resources from the lunar regolith, verifying technology to produce oxygen and hydrogen. Additionally, a small nuclear power device weighing only 0.75 kg but capable of high output will be attached to the lander body to test technology that minimizes heat loss while providing optimal electrical output.

An ultra-light exploration rover weighing about 20 kg will also be loaded onto the lander and deployed after landing. The rover will secure lunar surface mobility technology and analyze lunar dust characteristics, including suspended dust, through three-dimensional imaging and electron gun testing. A visible light camera on the rover will capture and observe the terrain around the landing site.

Beyond hardware, KARI will develop navigation and control technologies for lunar landing (including obstacle detection and avoidance), propulsion system technologies, and lunar landing verification and testing technologies. A lunar landing test facility will be constructed to conduct hovering, soft landing, and obstacle detection and avoidance tests. This facility will simulate the moon's gravity environment, which is only one-sixth of Earth's, to perform final performance checks on landing and navigation systems. Facilities for landing impact and stability testing, as well as propulsion system combustion testing, will also be established.

Once the project plan and budget are finalized within 2023, KARI will begin actual development work in January 2024. The project will proceed in stages: preliminary design in 2026, detailed design in 2028, assembly in 2030, and final inspection, launch, and landing in 2031.