KASA-NASA Sign the Implementing Arrangement
– To board the K-RadCube (CubeSat for Space Radiation Monitoring) on Artemis II –
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), led by Administrator Yoon Youngbin, announced on May 2 that it signed an Implementing Arrangement* with the U.S.’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to collaborate on the Artemis II mission by launching the Korean cube satellite K-RadCube.
* Implementing Arrangement is a xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-xss-document.that specifies the roles, responsibilities, and procedures for carrying out the terms of a previously signed agreement or memorandum between the parties.
This Implementing Arrangement outlines the roles and responsibilities of both KASA and NASA in preparing, launching, operating, and disposing of the K-RadCube satellite. It also includes provisions for the joint use and open access of scientific data collected by the satellite. The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and NARA Space have participated in the development of K-RadCube, a cube satellite designed to measure space radiation in the Van Allen radiation belts around Earth. Its mission is to analyze the impact of space radiation on astronauts.
Through this arrangement, NASA will support the launch of the K-RadCube aboard Artemis II, providing an appropriate payload environment and interface. KASA plans to complete the development and flight certification of K-RadCube by July, after which it will be delivered to NASA and operated after launch.
The Artemis program is the first mission to send humans to the Moon since Apollo. Artemis II will carry four astronauts and perform a test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft. As part of this mission, K-RadCube is scheduled to be installed in the Orion Stage Adapter* (OSA).
* The OSA is a device that connects the Orion spacecraft to the SLS, ensuring that the spacecraft is safely launched into space along with other payloads.
KASA has closely worked with the U.S. since its establishment, and for the selection process for mounting K-RadCube on Artemis II, KASA was added as an implementing agency under the ROK-U.S. Framework agreement for Space Cooperation.
Since the Trump administration, both KASA and NASA have remained aware of the program’s importance and conluded the Implementing Arrangement, establishing a solid basis to proceed with all preparations for the launch scheduled for April next year―including payload integration and operations―without delays.
The data collected by the K-RadCube will be open so that it can be used by relevant research communities, and it is expected to play an important role in future cooperation on deep space exploration.
Administrator Yoon stated, “Through the signing of this Implementing Arrangement, we anticipate even closer collaboration with NASA in the field of deep space exploration beyond the Moon.”