Hyundai takes off – next stop: the moon

The Hyundai Motor Group, together with partners from the aerospace industry, has initiated the construction of a first development model for a lunar exploration vehicle. This research and development prototype is intended to verify the performance requirements of the rover.

Multilateral Research Project

In July 2022, the subsidiaries Kia and Hyundai Motor, together with six Korean research institutes from the aerospace industry, signed a multilateral research agreement. The partners thereby declared their intention to establish and support an advisory committee that aims to develop a mobility solution for the exploration of the lunar surface.

The committee includes, in addition to Kia and Hyundai, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), the Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI), the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH).

First tests already in 2024

Following discussions with various stakeholders, the Hyundai Motor Group has outlined the requirements for the first development model of the rover. The company expects the first test unit to be completed in the second half of 2024 and aims to present an operational model in 2027.

"The Hyundai Motor Group has consistently reaffirmed its intention to contribute to expanding the scope of human reach and spectrum of mobility experiences," said Yong Wha Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Planning & Coordination Center at Kia and Hyundai. "The development of the model for a lunar exploration vehicle underscores this objective and simultaneously highlights our ambitions to achieve tangible results in the face of significant challenges. With the development of the rover, we are going beyond land, sea, and air mobility and expanding into space mobility."

Kia and Hyundai Vehicle Components

The group utilizes systems from Kia Corporation and Hyundai Motor Company for the rover in the areas of robotics and autonomous driving (camera, lidar), drive system (motor, wheels, chassis) and charging technology (solar module, battery), as well as Hyundai Rotem's robotic manufacturing technology as part of a multi-purpose mobility platform.

The components of the group will form the lower part of the rover. The upper part is intended for payloads in the form of scientific instruments for exploring the lunar surface. To withstand the extreme conditions on the moon, the rover will be equipped with thermal management functions and radiation shielding.