Korea is narrowing the candidate landing regions for the lander it will send to the moon in 2032 to latitudes between 40 and 70 degrees, fleshing out its lunar exploration plan. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said it will finalize the candidate landing sites within the year after a comprehensive review of scientific value and mission feasibility.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) on the 25th held a public hearing titled "Establishing Korea's lunar exploration mission" at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in Yuseong District, Daejeon, and disclosed these details. KASA is designing a related mission with the goal of sending a lunar lander to the moon's surface in 2032 aboard a next-generation launch vehicle.
On the day, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) also presented a mid- to long-term roadmap that extends beyond short-term exploration to establishing a lunar economic base in the 2040s. To that end, it plans to secure baseline data needed for surface and resource exploration, analyze polar geological structures and resource distribution, and then pursue a phased strategy leading to long-term observations and in-situ resource utilization.
The core goals of the 2032 lander mission are set to understanding the characteristics and interactions of lunar surface dust and the space environment, surveying the moon's chemical composition and resources, and analyzing topography and geological structures. This is seen as a process of accumulating basic data to assess the potential for deeper exploration and resource utilization in the future.
Candidate landing site latitudes were set between 40 and 70 degrees. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) explained that this band can secure more than 10 days of mission time on the lunar surface and is advantageous not only for operating the lander but also for scientific exploration using its payloads.
In the Northern Hemisphere, candidates include the Gartner crater, Endymion crater, and Lacus Mortis. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Clavius crater, Pingré crater, and Maginus crater were cited as major candidates.
Beyond these regions, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) has put around 30 other sites on the review list. It plans to further weigh landing safety, mission suitability, and potential scientific outcomes and select the final candidate sites at the end of the year.
Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), said, "We will continue to gather a wide range of expert opinions so that Korea can fully push forward lunar exploration technology and scientific exploration."