사진 확대

(NASA)

A Korean-developed instrument designed to measure space radiation on the Moon will land near the lunar south pole in 2030 aboard a U.S. commercial lunar lander, marking another milestone in space cooperation between South Korea and the United States.

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said Monday that it signed an implementation agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Aug. 14 to fly the Lunar Surface Radiation Detector (LVRAD) on a commercial lunar mission.

KASA plans to complete the flight model by 2027 and deliver it to the United States in line with NASA’s launch schedule.

Developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), LVRAD consists of a space radiation dosimeter and spectrometer, along with a neutron spectrometer.

The instrument will measure the energy of space radiation and detect high-energy particles on the lunar surface.

Its primary mission is to observe the Moon’s radiation environment and collect data that can help assess the safety of future astronauts working on the lunar surface.

NASA will support payload operations and the transmission of scientific data after the lander reaches the Moon.

The mission will mark the second time a Korean-developed payload has flown aboard a U.S. commercial lunar lander.

Later this year, the Lunar Space Environment Monitor (LUSEM), also developed by KASI, is scheduled to launch aboard an Intuitive Machines lunar lander.

Although LVRAD had long been expected to fly on a U.S. commercial lander, the latest agreement formally confirms both the mission and its schedule.

The lander carrying LVRAD will be built by U.S.-based Intuitive Machines under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

Under its contract with NASA, Intuitive Machines will deliver scientific instruments and cargo through a series of robotic lunar missions ahead of the Artemis crewed lunar landings.

The first two missions have already been launched, while the third is scheduled for later this year.

If the current schedule remains unchanged, the lander carrying LVRAD will launch in 2030.

The mission will carry seven scientific payloads in total. LVRAD will be the only non-U.S. payload and will be solely responsible for measuring space radiation near the Moon’s south pole.

Officials said Korea’s previous demonstrations of space radiation measurement technology through missions such as its next-generation small satellites helped secure the payload’s selection.

Oh Tae-seog, administrator of KASA, said the agreement would strengthen future cooperation between KASA and NASA on lunar base development and pledged to expand international partnerships while advancing Korea’s lunar exploration technologies.

사진 확대

(KASA)