South Korean radiation detector to fly to moon's south pole on NASA lander in 2030

South Korea's radiation detector is set to journey to the moon's south pole aboard a NASA-affiliated private lunar lander, with a potential launch in 2030. The Lunar Vehicle Radiation Dosimeter (LVRAD), developed in South Korea, will measure space radiation on the lunar surface. This data will be crucial for understanding the radiation environment and its effects on future human and robotic exploration.

The Korean Space Agency announced on April 17 that it signed an implementation agreement with NASA. This pact allows for the LVRAD to be included as a payload on a lander selected through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The agency aims to complete the flight model development by 2027 and will then transport it to the U.S. for integration with the lander.

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This implementation agreement will serve as an opportunity to further solidify future lunar base cooperation between the Korean Space Agency and NASA.

NASA will manage the launch, operation of the detector on the lunar surface, and data transmission. The launch is currently scheduled for 2030, though this timeline is subject to change based on NASA's schedule. The LVRAD comprises a space radiation dose and spectrometer to measure radiation penetration and a neutron spectrometer for neutron environment measurements.

Intuitive Machines is developing the private lunar lander that will carry the South Korean instrument, along with six other payloads. Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korean Space Agency, stated that the agreement strengthens future cooperation on lunar bases between the two agencies. He added that South Korea plans to continue expanding international collaboration to advance lunar exploration technologies and bolster its contributions to global space science.

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We will continue to expand international cooperation to advance lunar exploration technologies and further strengthen our contributions to the international community in space science.