An Asian ultracompact satellite, K-RadCube, will be deployed aboard the United States’ crewed lunar mission Artemis II, marking a key step in measuring radiation exposure on the path to the moon.
K-RadCube will repeatedly pass through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth, conducting precise measurements of radiation intensity and particle distribution across different altitudes. The belts, dense with high-energy particles, are a critical region that spacecraft must traverse for lunar missions but pose significant risks to both humans and electronic equipment.
The satellite will analyze radiation exposure conditions for astronauts while also verifying changes in semiconductor performance and potential malfunctions under extreme space environments using real-world data.
Semiconductor components from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will be used in the mission to evaluate durability and reliability under actual space conditions.
About five hours after launch, the satellite will separate from its host spacecraft and enter an elliptical orbit reaching up to 43,500 miles, repeatedly crossing the Van Allen belts. Unlike typical satellites that avoid the region, K-RadCube is designed to intentionally pass through it to collect data.
The collected data will be analyzed over approximately six months before being released and is expected to support future crewed lunar exploration and deep space mission design.
The Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts and mark the first time in 54 years since 1972 that humans travel beyond low Earth orbit to lunar orbit. The mission is a preparatory test flight and will not include a lunar landing, instead orbiting the moon for about 10 days to evaluate flight performance, survival conditions and operational systems.
Notably, the crewed spacecraft is expected to enter a trajectory approaching the far side of the moon. While uncrewed probes have previously reached the lunar far side, this will be the first time a crewed mission does so.
If successful, the launch is expected to accelerate the development of the so-called “lunar economy,” or “lunomics.”
The moon is believed to contain resources such as ice that can be used for water and fuel, as well as helium-3 and rare earth elements, making it a focal point in future resource competition.
Global consulting firm PwC projects the lunar economy could reach approximately $127 billion annually by 2050.