In South Korea's Taebaek, Gangwon Province, robots are descending into abandoned coal mines to help the country prepare for lunar missions. The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) sent autonomous rovers into the former Hamtae mine to test technology for use in future space mining of lunar resources.
"The coal that was once mined in Taebaek fueled Korea's industrialization during the 1960s," KIGAM President Lee Pyeong-koo said. "We are now beginning a new mission to explore energy resources for future generations, and we are once again starting in Taebaek."
In 2022, South Korea launched the Danuri, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, the country's first space mission beyond Earth's orbit. And last year saw the formation of their space agency, KASA, with the 2032 goal of landing a robotic probe on the Moon.
"To compete in the global resource race, Korea must develop space resource technologies independently," said Kim Kyeong-ja, head of the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Center at KIGAM.
Previously:
• Blue Ghost lunar lander delivers spectacular photo of solar eclipse from the moon
• Watch stunning footage of private lunar lander beautifully stick its landing Sunday
• New lunar sunset photos may hold secret to 50-year-old mystery
