Mission and Optimal Trajectory Design for the Korean Lunar Exploration Mission

The design and future of the Republic of Korea's KSLV-2, jointly engineered with Roscosmos, is uncertain. A Korean unmanned lunar orbiter in 2020, a lander in 2025 and sampler in 2030 as envisioned in this detailed student study might depend, instead, on a KSLV-3 of undetermined capacity [GlobalSecurity.org].

So Hyung Kim, Kwang Ho Ahn, Ho Jin Park, Heekun Roh
Korea Science Academy of KAIST
Prof. Jaemyung Ahn
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
APEC Youth Scientist Journal Vol. IV, No.1

The design of the mission and the trajectory for the Korean lunar exploration program. For this research, previous lunar missions carried out by other countries were benchmarked. Korean experts who are involved in the lunar exploration program were interviewed so that various perspectives on Korean lunar program can be collected. Using the space exploration simulation program STK (Satellite Tool Kit), we designed three Korean lunar exploration missions, called Boreum-1, Boreum-2, and Boreum-3.

Boreum-1 mission is a lunar orbiter mission using direct injection trajectory.

Boreum-2 mission is a lunar landing and sample return mission. Boreum3 mission is a Earth-Moon lagrange point (L1) exploration mission. We expect that the results of this research will contribute to the future Korean lunar exploration program.

By this research we designed three lunar exploration missions and named it ‘Boreum’.

Boreum means full moon in Korean. To have symbolic meaning as a first Korean lunar exploration project, we designed each mission to be held on Chuseok in year 2020, 2025, and 2030. Chuseok is a Korean thanksgiving day, which is represented with a full moon (Boreum). Boreum 1 mission uses Korean Space Launch Vehicle 2 (KSLV-2) which is now in research process. Boreum 2 and Boreum 3 mission requires technological advancement from Boreum 1, so that Boreum 2 and Boreum 3 to be placed after conductiong Boreum 1 mission.

Review this comprehensive student scenario, HERE (pdf).

From left to right, So Hyung Kim, Kwang Ho Ahn, Ho Jin Park and Heekun Roh [KSA/KAIST].

Koreans build unmanned lunar lander

3 Pub Alley Moments, a UK blogger, is, at first glance, an apparently unlikely source pointing to the English version of Korea's Digital Chosunilbo story on an independent and successful effort to construct a prototype unmanned lunar lander.

Kwon Se-jin, a professor of aerospace engineering at KAIST, on Thursday said the team, in collaboration with Space Solution, have developed and tested a module that can travel to the moon from the earth's orbit and land on the moon's surface with its own engine propulsion.

The lunar module can be carried on a rocket into the earth's orbit and propel itself on into lunar orbit from there with its own engine several times. It measures 40 cm by 40 cm and consists of a propulsion engine and a control system. It can land on the moon's surface using its four legs. The engine also reduces the speed for the moon landing.

The concept puts the cost of a lunar lander mission using the basic design way below that of 1998's Lunar Prospector orbiter. The data gathered by that mission may have doubled our knowledge of the Moon, and it's data is still being stretched for more discoveries.

Not much for payload, even below the International Lunar Network's proposed 40 kilogram ceiling, but it may be an outstanding achievement anyway. It shows how technology has advanced in the four decades since Surveyor (1966-1968), especially in miniaturization and in the milling of materials, like valves and tanks. Smarter, lighters, stronger. Most of the cost appears to be locked into booster, TLI and cruise.

Competitors for the Google Lunar X-Prize take note!