In 2031, a 50 Billion Won Korean Rover Will Roam the Moon [Reading Science]

Korea-US Companies and NASA Collaborate on Lunar Resource Exploration Rover Development
MOU Signed on July 19 Between Jiyayeon and Tamer Space for Technology Development
NASA Unveils Plans for 'Lunar Safe Shelter' Construction in July

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The 2019 film "Ad Astra" depicts a near future where the Moon, colonized by humanity, becomes a battleground for resource wars. The protagonist, Brad Pitt, sets out from a base to Mars but narrowly escapes death when his lunar rover is attacked by pirates.

This is no longer just a story from a movie. The era of lunar colonization will begin in the 2030s. Following the discovery of the American continent during the Western expansion, this is expected to be humanity’s greatest turning point. The United States, the leading space superpower, has already visited the Moon in the 1960s and 70s and now combines cutting-edge technology with ongoing research and development in in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies. South Korea has also officially entered the lunar resource development race. Plans are underway to develop and send a Korean-style resource exploration platform, i.e., a rover, for the 2031 lunar landing mission.

◇How to Build a Lunar Base

NASA has been developing systems and technologies to create infrastructure on the lunar surface that supports continuous habitation, experimentation, and research. The Artemis program, humanity’s second manned lunar exploration mission planned for after 2025?about 50 years after the last?will initiate the construction of a manned lunar base. NASA’s July release titled “Constructing a Lunar Safe Haven” provides a preview of the technologies, equipment, and methods that will be used to build the lunar base.

NASA plans to deploy small two-wheeled mobility vehicles aboard a large lander that will serve as the mothership, which will then be sent down to the lunar surface. These excavator-type mobility vehicles, called “RASSOR,” will operate autonomously and unmanned in coordination with the lander. They will receive location data via communication satellites deployed around the Moon to explore the lunar surface. Positioning reference systems will also be installed across the lunar surface. These systems, mounted on tall poles equipped with GPS transceivers and solar panels, resemble masts and serve as traffic signs by charging the excavators wirelessly via laser and providing location information. The excavators will use LIDAR to collect high-resolution data of areas requiring mapping and scout potential sites for the safe haven construction. Equipped with sampling and analysis tools, they will verify the presence of usable resources and transmit the data.

Once the site is finalized, these excavators will prepare the foundation by digging into the lunar surface and sorting out small rocks to create a flat base. Subsequently, multi-wheeled vehicles capable of attaching various equipment such as rollers and cranes will be deployed. Rollers will be used to smooth the lunar surface to make construction possible. Pre-assembled facilities where humans can live, work, research, and experiment will then be landed. This facility is the core of the project. Using cranes attached to the multi-wheeled vehicles, large pyramid-shaped pillars will be erected on top of the landed habitation module. Tunnels serving as entrances will be constructed on both sides. The roof will be covered with panels, and then small autonomous unmanned excavators and multi-wheeled vehicles will transport lunar regolith to cover the roof. This is to protect the internal facilities and inhabitants from cosmic radiation and meteoroids. On top of that, metal “tiles” manufactured on Earth will be stacked pyramid-style to form a sturdy three-layer protective shield.

NASA stated, “The lunar safe haven will be constructed using local resources, unmanned autonomous driving systems, and advanced construction technologies,” adding, “It will provide safe housing and protection for sustainable mission operations for the occupants.”

◇South Korea to Send Its Version of ‘Perseverance’

South Korea, which launched its first lunar orbiter Danuri in August, has already begun developing a lunar lander scheduled for 2031, led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Of particular note is the development of a “rover,” a planetary resource field exploration device, and key technologies for extracting major resources. This means a Korean version of the Perseverance rover sent by the U.S. to Mars is in the works. An independent platform capable of autonomous unmanned driving on the lunar surface, mining and collecting rocks, analyzing their composition, and transmitting data back to Earth will be realized. This plan was announced by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) at the Lunar Resource Prospecting and Utilization (LRPU) forum held at the National Assembly on the 15th.

Regarding this, on the 19th, KIGAM signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. space development startup “Tamer Space” to develop a lunar soil volatile extractor to be mounted on the 2031 lunar lander. The total budget is estimated at approximately 50 billion KRW. KIGAM pledged scientific and knowledge-based technological cooperation related to local resource development, including △estimation, exploration, and processing of planetary minerals △development of planetary resource exploration and utilization equipment △platform mission development for the developed key equipment △lunar navigation and mapping. Tamer Space is one of the next-generation space exploration companies developing full-cycle platform technology to operate small lunar resource factories based on NASA Langley Research Center technology, lunar and Mars exploration, and soil analysis mapping. Lee Pyung-gu, Director of KIGAM, stated, “For the Republic of Korea, which has fully entered the space age, utilizing local lunar resources and terraforming Mars based on them is no longer a dream but becoming reality. We will spare no effort in supporting the development of georesource technology solutions and nurturing future talent to become the main players in the next 100 years of Korea’s future and the space exploration era.” A KIGAM official added, “Details and plans, as well as inter-agency consultations, have not yet been finalized. Once consultations with NASA conclude early next year and an agreement is signed, we will announce specific details and final policies.”

To this end, KIGAM plans to promote related foundational technology development in three phases over nine years in cooperation with NASA’s Langley Research Center. This platform will initially be equipped with a micro spectrometer capable of measuring helium-3, water, oxygen, and more. It will also carry detectors for rare earth and volatile elements such as uranium and titanium, equipment to measure carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen on rock and soil surfaces, and mass spectrometers to analyze soil and atmospheric components. Additionally, basic technologies for lunar resource development, such as extraction technologies for oxygen and helium-3, and ESPB technology to generate power continuously regardless of day or night, will be developed. South Korea recently announced a space development strategy that includes next-generation launch vehicle development, such as performance improvements to the Nuri rocket last month, lunar landers, and lunar exploration rover (exploration robot) technology development. The lunar lander will conduct missions including lunar surface exploration, geological and space environment research, resource extraction and collection, construction, energy production, and mobility. Kim Sung-won, Director of KIGAM’s National Geology Research Headquarters, said, “Not only NASA but also Russia and China are moving under meticulous plans for lunar exploration and resource extraction. To respond to this, South Korea will establish a stronger and more detailed space development strategy and immediately begin execution to emerge as a genuine space power.”

The most notable lunar resource is helium-3, a clean energy source estimated to exist in about 1.1 million tons on the Moon, enough to supply Earth’s 7 billion population for 10,000 years, valued at approximately 6 trillion KRW per ton. Director Kim said, “Space resources grant development rights to the first occupiers, leading to a ‘Moon Rush’ among space exploration superpowers. Through lunar local resource surveys and resource extraction technology development, it will be possible to secure the resources and technologies needed for the Moon, Earth, and Mars (colonization). We plan to secure independent technology in cooperation with NASA and play a leading role in the Artemis project.”