The Korea AeroSpace Administration announced on the 12th that it will transport the space radiation measurement cube satellite "K-RadCube" to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, which will be deployed in the "Artemis 2" lunar exploration mission.
K-RadCube is the first space radiation measurement cube satellite launched together with a manned spacecraft in Korea. When Artemis 2 is launched aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), K-RadCube is expected to be placed in a space connected to the crewed spacecraft ORION.
Artemis 2 is tasked with carrying four astronauts around the Moon and returning to Earth. K-RadCube will become the first artificial satellite made in Korea to pass through the Van Allen radiation belt, which surrounds the Earth and acts as a barrier against dangerous particles from the Sun. This radiation can cause significant damage to satellites, so most avoid this area, but K-RadCube intentionally passes through the radiation zone.
K-RadCube will measure space radiation and create foundational data analyzing the effects of radiation on astronauts and space semiconductor devices and components.
K-RadCube's radiation measurement payload was developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), and the satellite system was developed by Naraspace. Ground station operations are managed by KT SAT. Additionally, experiments will be conducted to verify the radiation resistance characteristics of semiconductor components developed by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the space environment.
Artemis 2 is set to launch in April next year. The observational data collected by K-RadCube will be made public to domestic and international researchers. The space agency has been preparing the development and transportation schedule under the agreement signed with NASA in May to cooperate in deploying K-RadCube aboard Artemis 2.
Kang Kyung-in, head of the Space Science Exploration Division at the space agency, said, "We have secured the capability to produce cube satellites that meet the criteria for manned space exploration, enhancing our international competitiveness, and we will continue to expand opportunities for Korea's participation in space exploration through international cooperation with NASA and others."