[Reading Science] Will a Korean Astronaut Go to Mars in 2040?

Government Unveils Unmanned Exploration Roadmap
Aiming for Participation in Crewed Mars Missions

The government has formalized a mid- to long-term strategy that prioritizes securing "participation capability" in crewed Mars exploration by 2040, rather than immediately embarking on a crewed mission. This will be achieved through a phased approach to unmanned Mars exploration, progressing from orbiters and landers to rovers and aerial vehicles.

According to the "Korea Mars Exploration Strategy" and "Space Science Exploration Roadmap" released by the Korea Aerospace Administration on December 16, Mars exploration has been designed as a continuous program spanning several decades, rather than a single mission. The plan is to gradually secure advanced technologies-such as launch vehicles, orbital insertion, landing and EDL (Entry, Descent, and Landing), deep space communications, and life support-through unmanned missions, and to expand Korea’s role in international joint missions based on these capabilities.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Mars exploration rover 'Perseverance' lifted off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on July 30, 2020 (local time). Photo by Reuters/The Yonhap News Agency

In this strategy, the government has set a clear policy goal: not "crewed Mars exploration itself," but rather "the acquisition of technologies and systems that enable participation in crewed missions."

Kang Kyungin, Director of Space Science Exploration at the Korea Aerospace Administration, stated at a media brown bag meeting on this day, "Mars exploration is not a project that yields results in the short term, but a long-term endeavor that requires decades of preparation. The key is to gradually increase technological maturity through unmanned missions and to secure the capability to play a substantial role in international joint missions."

From the Moon to Mars... A Phased Unmanned Exploration Strategy

The basic structure of Korea's Mars exploration consists of a stepwise series of unmanned missions: a Mars orbiter, a Mars lander, and rover and aerial vehicle missions. Through this approach, the plan is to conduct detailed analyses of Mars' atmosphere, geology, and radiation environment, search for the possibility of life, and accumulate essential data for future long-term crewed missions.

In particular, Mars exploration is designed not as a standalone project, but as an extension of technologies validated through lunar exploration. Technologies such as precision landing control, rover mobility and autonomous driving, and deep space communications, which were secured through lunar missions, will be applied to Mars exploration. Furthermore, AI-based autonomous operations, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and life support technologies will be gradually advanced.

Director Kang explained, "Mars exploration should be approached as an extension of lunar exploration. A stepwise exploration strategy is needed to expand the landing, mobility, autonomous operation, and communication technologies validated on the Moon to Mars."

The Long March 5 Y4 rocket, which will carry China's Mars probe Tianwen-1, was installed on the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province on July 17, 2020. Photo by Xinhua/Yonhap News

The 'Mars Race' Has Already Begun... U.S. and China Put Crewed Missions at the Forefront

This strategic choice is set against the backdrop of an already intensifying international competition for Mars exploration.

The United States has formalized its "Moon to Mars" phased exploration strategy, which connects lunar missions to Mars exploration, and is building a long-term crewed deep space exploration system through the Artemis program. Crewed Mars exploration is positioned as a mid- to long-term national strategy, with the mid-2030s as a target timeframe.

China, after operating an orbiter, lander, and rover in a single mission in 2021, has announced plans to launch Tianwen-3 around 2028 to attempt Mars sample return in the early 2030s. China has also openly discussed a stepwise roadmap leading to crewed Mars missions.

India, following its successful Mars orbital insertion in 2014, is preparing for its second Mars Orbiter Mission (Mars Orbiter Mission-2, 2026) and a Mars lander mission (2028). The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to relaunch the previously suspended Rosalind Franklin rover with a target launch in 2028. Japan is pursuing a Mars moon (Phobos) probe, while the UAE is advancing a national strategy that considers the long-term potential for human habitation on Mars.

High-resolution surface images taken by a high-resolution camera mounted on NASA's Mars exploration spacecraft. The streams, ranging from 0.45 to 4.5 meters in width, suggest that salty water once flowed on Mars. Provided by NASA

'Crewed Mars' Is a Result, Not a Declaration

Within this international competitive environment, the Korea Aerospace Administration has clearly set Korea's goal as "securing participation capability in crewed Mars exploration," rather than "crewed Mars landing" itself. The agency has chosen to accumulate technologies and systems through unmanned missions and make substantial contributions to international joint missions, rather than pursuing independent crewed exploration.

Director Kang stated, "Rather than immediately pursuing a crewed Mars mission, it is a realistic choice for Korea to accumulate technologies and systems through unmanned exploration and secure a meaningful role in international cooperation. The newly announced Mars exploration strategy and roadmap clearly set this direction."

The Korea Aerospace Administration plans to implement specific projects in stages, such as developing a Mars orbiter and key exploration instruments, through five-year action plans. There is an assessment that Korea’s deep space exploration, progressing from the Moon to Mars, is gradually entering its main phase under the goal of "participation in crewed exploration by 2040."