Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
NASA seeks Korea's role in Moon Base project
NASA Moon Base Program Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan, right, speaks during a press conference hosted by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) in Seoul, Wednesday. Chief Architect Nujoud Merancy joined Garcia-Galan at the event. Courtesy of KASA
By Nam Hyun-woo
Space agency eyes Korean capabilities in communications, landers, robotics as it builds permanent lunar infrastructure
NASA is seeking Korea’s participation in the sector of communications, landers and robotics in its Moon Base program, the program’s chief said Wednesday.
“During Apollo, it was a United States effort, but to build the moon base and even to get back to the moon, we don’t plan to do it alone,” NASA Moon Base Program Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan said during a press briefing in Seoul.
“We hope to go hand-in-hand with our international partners and create a team that can achieve the near-impossible. … South Korea is one of the players that we’re hoping will engage with us in this incredible endeavor.”
The Moon Base program is part of Artemis, NASA's international lunar exploration initiative aimed at landing humans on the moon. The agency initially planned to establish Gateway, a space station in lunar orbit, but has since shifted its focus to building a permanent base on the lunar surface.
Under the revised road map, NASA aims to deploy more than 4,000 kilograms of cargo to the lunar surface by 2028, introduce permanent infrastructure and pressurized rovers by 2032, and connect habitat modules beginning in 2033.
Korea became the 10th signatory to the Artemis Accords in 2021. Following the establishment of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the agency signed a research cooperation agreement with NASA in October 2024.
Members of NASA's Moon Base program attend a press conference hosted by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) in Seoul, Wednesday. Second from left are Chief Architect Nujoud Merancy, Program Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan, International Lead Eric Maier and International Specialist Nathan Kumar. Courtesy of KASA
In February this year, KASA proposed potential cooperation items related to the Moon Base program, and the two agencies are currently discussing specific areas of collaboration. Garcia-Galan’s visit is in line with detailed consultations with KASA on the proposed projects.
“We think South Korea has important capabilities and the industrial base to back those up, and those are the basis of the conversations we have with our partners here,” he said.
Nujoud Merancy, the program's chief architect, said NASA has been looking to collaborate in areas of landers, communication, mobility systems, science sampling and containers.
“Korea has a strong history in telecommunications satellite systems and we have partnered with Korea and KASA on the KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) mission,” she said, referring to Korea’s first home-developed lunar orbiter Danuri, which was launched in August 2022 on board SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
“All of those areas, the industrial base for robotics, the mobility systems as well as the scientific research and sensors, KASA did the majority of the work looking to partner with the industry, and we’re looking to build on that.”
Under the current Moon Base road map, Japan is responsible for developing a pressurized rover, while countries including Italy are expected to contribute to permanent surface infrastructure. Korea's role, however, has yet to be determined.
Garcia-Galan said the program is still in its first phase, with discussions currently focused on defining major elements such as habitation and mobility. He added that the fact that NASA teams have come to Korea for talks is “an encouraging sign” that Korea could become a major contributor to the project.
He said the participating agencies expect to define the program's major elements within the next three months, paving the way for more specific discussions on each country's contributions.
"A new economy has spawned where individual companies have developed the ability to take humans to the International Space Station,” Garcia-Galan said.
“We see a lot of opportunity to extend some of those economic models to the moon and develop the type of vibrant market that we have seen in low Earth orbit."