The lunar surface space radiation detector (LVRAD), developed with domestic technology, will head to the lunar south pole aboard a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) commercial lunar lander.
Korea AeroSpace Administration said on the 17th that it signed an implementation agreement with NASA on the 14th for cooperation on LVRAD's payload integration and operation. Korea AeroSpace Administration plans to complete development of a flight model that will perform an actual mission in space by 2027 and then ship the equipment to the United States according to NASA's launch schedule. NASA will launch the detector aboard a commercial lander and support instrument operations and transmission of observational data after arrival on the lunar surface.
The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, under which NASA purchases lunar landing and payload delivery services from U.S. private companies. In March, NASA signed a $180.4 million contract with Intuitive Machines, with a landing target of 2030. The total mass of the seven payloads is about 75 kg, of which five are NASA instruments. LVRAD development is led by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
LVRAD is an instrument that identifies the characteristics of space radiation reaching the lunar south pole. It consists of a space radiation dosimeter/spectrometer that measures radiation transmission and energy distribution, and a neutron spectrometer that analyzes the neutron environment. The observational data will be used to determine how radiation affects the lander, exploration equipment, and astronauts, and to enhance the safety of future crewed and uncrewed lunar exploration.
The lunar lander that will carry the detector is being developed by the U.S. space company Intuitive Machines. The company has previously delivered payloads to the moon twice, and this contract is Intuitive Machines' fifth CLPS mission award.
Oh Tae-seok, head of Korea AeroSpace Administration, said, "This agreement will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation between Korea AeroSpace Administration and NASA on future lunar base efforts."