The K-RadCube, a Korean-made cube satellite designed to measure space radiation. (Image courtesy of KASA)
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s small satellite designed to measure space radiation will take part in the Artemis II mission, a U.S.-led moon exploration program, the Korean space agency said Friday.
Under an agreement between the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the K-RadCube, a Korean-made cube satellite, will be mounted on the Orion stage adapter, located between the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the crewed Orion spacecraft.
The 19-kilogram satellite will monitor cosmic radiation and analyze its effects on astronauts as it passes through the Van Allen radiation belts, located more than 1,000 kilometers above Earth.
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute is leading the development project of the satellite in collaboration with a Korean space startup, Nara Space Technology Inc.
KASA said it plans to deliver the satellite to NASA by July, ahead of its integration into the Orion spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in April 2026.
Artemis II is a planned mission under the NASA-led Artemis program and will mark the first crewed mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
(Yonhap)
