• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.333-336
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• 2007

SELENE, a Japanese lunar mission, has been launched this year. There are large volumes of images that were already archived and will be archived by missions such as SELENE. Automatic image analysis systems, which extract useful information from large amounts of data, are now required. The authors propose Lunar Surface GIS, which archives lunar surface information collected by lunar orbiting spacecraft and conducts geological analysis automatically. This system includes automatic crater detection, automatic age determination, and lava thickness estimation methods. In this paper, methods for automatically determining the age and estimating the lava thickness of lunar mare are described. The lunar surface age was determined by analyzing data of detected crater size and number using a crater chronology method. Lava thickness was estimated by the extent of the overlying material around the crater as well as the composition of underlying terrain units. In this result, the age map at Mare Crisium suggests the mare had been formed 3.0-3.7 b.y. ago. The lava thickness result suggests the thickest part of the mare is distributed around the center of the mare. The Lunar Surface GIS can produce a geological map, age map, and mare lava thickness map, for example.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.123-129
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• 2023

This paper presents an analysis of the trans-lunar trajectory insertion performance of the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), the first lunar exploration spacecraft of the Republic of Korea. The successful launch conducted on August 4, 2022 (UTC), utilized the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The trans-lunar trajectory insertion performance plays a crucial role in ensuring the overall mission success by directly influencing the spacecraft's onboard fuel consumption. Following separation from the launch vehicle (LV), a comprehensive analysis of the trajectory insertion performance was performed by the KPLO flight dynamics (FD) team. Both orbit parameter message (OPM) and orbit determination (OD) solutions were employed using deep space network (DSN) tracking measurements. As a result, the KPLO was accurately inserted into the ballistic lunar transfer (BLT) trajectory, satisfying all separation requirements at the target interface point (TIP), including launch injection energy per unit mass (C3), right ascension of the injection orbit apoapsis vector (RAV), and declination of the injection orbit apoapsis vector (DAV). The precise BLT trajectory insertion facilitated the smoother operation of the KPLO's remainder mission phase and enabled the utilization of reserved fuel, consequently significantly enhancing the possibilities of an extended mission.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2024

Nowadays, the trend in lunar exploration missions is shifting from prospecting lunar surface to utilizing in-situ resources and establishing sustainable bridgehead. In the past, experiments were mainly focused on rover maneuvers and equipment operations. But the current shift in trend requires more complex experiments that includes preparations for resource extraction, space construction and even space agriculture. To achieve that, the experiment requires a sophisticated simulation of the lunar environment, but we are not yet prepared for this. Particularly, in the case of lunar regolith simulants, precise physical and chemical composition with a rapid development speed rate that allows different terrains to be simulated is required. However, existing lunar regolith simulants, designed for 20th-century exploration paradigms, are not sufficient to meet the requirements of modern space exploration. In order to prepare for the latest trends in space exploration, it is necessary to innovate the methodology for producing simulants. In this study, the basic framework for lunar regolith simulant development was established to realize this goal. The framework not only has a sample database and a database of potential simulation target compositions, but also has a built-in function to automatically calculate the optimal material mixing ratio through the particle swarm optimization algorithm to reproduce the target simulation, enabling fast and accurate simulant development. Using this framework, we anticipate a more agile response to the evolving needs toward simulants for space exploration.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.96-107
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• 2014

Korea Aerospace Research Institute has a plan to launch experimental lunar orbiter in 2017, and lunar orbiter and lander in 2020. In the mission planning phase, LOI(Lunar Orbit Insertion) maneuver strategy should be designed using finite burn model because on-board propulsion system of lunar orbiter in finite burn type. LOI maneuver plan and amount of required ${\Delta}V$ using finite burn model depend on the spacecraft attitude at burn, a type of propellant, thrust level and burn timing. This paper describes the LOI maneuver of lunar orbiter of foreign space agency and then comes up with the LOI maneuver plan of Korean lunar orbiter. Adequate thrust level and burn duration of Korean lunar orbiter also present by performing simulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.357-367
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• 2008

Preparing for future Korean Lunar missions, preliminary Lunar mission design software is developed using a impulsive thrusting method. Developed software is capable of design and analysis every required mission phases to design Lunar mission, including the Earth departure, Lunar transfer, Lunar arrival and mission operation phases. Also, assuming that KSLV-II is selected as a launch vehicle, future Korean Lunar explorer's mass budget is estimated based on driven optimal trajectory characteristics. Tracking analysis is also performed using Deep Space Network including angle geometry analysis between Earth - Moon - Lunar explorer - Sun which are very important for communication, solar panel pointing strategy and eclipse analysis when Lunar missions are under designing phase.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.591-605
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between lunar and earth rotation, by quantitatively describing the rotation of lunar configuration which is observed during the lunar diurnal motion. Our research suggests that observation of the lunar diurnal motion could be used as a study topic in the earth science courses. The rotation of the lunar configuration is an apparent phenomenon that can be seen when an observer. standing on the ground. looks at the moon as if the lunar dark configuration rotates on the basis of horizontal line. In spite its competence as a study topic because it is observable by naked eyes, there are only few major textbooks that introduce this phenomenon with regard to the earth rotation. Therefore, this study induced the mathematical principle of the lunar rotation in detail and proposed that this could be developed as a scientific inquiry through practical observation. In addition, an analytical proof and qualitative method of explanation of the lunar reverse rotation were also presented.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.97-108
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• 2016

Lunar rover plays an important role in lunar exploration. Especially, performance of rover wheel related to interaction with lunar soil is of great importance when it comes to optimization of rover's configuration. In this study, in order to investigate the motion performance of lunar rover's wheel on Korean Lunar Soil Simulant (KLS-1), a single wheel testbed was developed and used to carry out a series of experiments with two kinds of wheel with grousers and without grousers which were used to perform the experiments. Wheel traction performance was evaluated by using traction parameters such as drawbar pull, torque and sinkage correlated with slip ratio. The results showed that the single wheel testbed was suitable for evaluation of the performance of wheel and rover wheel with grousers which was likely to have higher traction performance than that without grousers in Korean Lunar soil simulant. The experimental results could be utilized in verification of the optimum wheel design and effectiveness of wheel traction for Korean lunar rover.

• Current Industrial and Technological Trends in Aerospace
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.119-129
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• 2011

The soft landing of a lunar lander after the entrance of lunar orbit is an essential prerequisite for the accomplishment of the lander's lunar mission. During the landing process of a lunar lander, efficient shock absorption and stability maintenance are indispensible technology to protect payloads. Therefore, the landing gear is a crucial structural component of a lunar lander, it has to absorb the kinetic energy associated with touchdown and support the static load of the landing module in an upright position. In this paper, various landing gears of lunar landers which are being developed as well as which had been successfully landed on the moon surface are investigated. In the end, the Korean lunar lander, which is being designed for preliminary development model, is presented as an example of the lunar lander development.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.13-19
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• 2023

Lunar ice is a resource available for future human exploration in deep space and long-term extraterrestrial habitat. However, the origin and nature of lunar ice remains unclear. In addition to remote sensing, international space agencies are competitively planning and conducting missions for lunar surface exploration to determine the existence and resource extent of lunar ice. If a sufficient amount of lunar ice is confirmed, its future in-situ resource utilization is expected to be greatly beneficial. However, due to ice extraction, settlement may occur, which should be taken into account from a geotechnical engineering perspective. Herein, experimental investigations of the potential settlement caused by lunar ice extraction were conducted and different textures of lunar ice were simulated. Consequently, it was confirmed that significant settlement occurs even at the initial water content of ~10% in lunar regolith simulant-ice-mixed soil.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.984-997
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• 2015

Chang'e-3 consisting of a lunar lander and exploration rover was launched on December 1, 2013 aboard a Long March 3B rocket flying from Xichang space launch center. Chang'e-3 was inserted into the lunar orbit after about a 5-day transit to the Moon and landed on the targeted landing site after orbiting around the Moon for 8 days. The successful landing of the Chang'e-3 gives a lot of help to analyze the future needs of the subsystem technologies and to figure out the trajectory from launch to lunar landing as well as operation sequences in the development of Korean lunar exploration is scheduled. Therefore, the configuration and analysis of overall mission of Chang'e-3 is performed based on the public information from the press and website. As a result, overall mission trajectory is reconstructed by solving boundary condition and then estimating control variable. Visibility status and eclipse status also analyzes so communication and power charge condition is as good as to operate lunar lander. Mass budget of the lander is derived using ${\Delta}V$ according to specific impulse.