Unmanned
Exploration
Laboratory
- #Moon exploration
- #Rover
- #In-Situ Resource Utilization
Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL) is Korea’s one and only enterprise specializing in research and development (R&D) of rovers for space exploration, developing core technologies related to space exploration in collaboration with government-funded research institutes and companies. The company is designing and manufacturing rovers for the Korean lunar lander project and aims to quickly enter and lead the emerging space exploration market.
- +82-2-468-7088
- Room 1204, Seoul Forest M Tower, 31, Ttukseom-ro 1-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- www.uel.co.kr
Product Overview and Main Content
- The domestic market for lunar rovers is quite small as it is still in its early stages, and although Japan and the United States are leading the way overseas, there are yet to be any commercialized products.
Product Highlights
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By working closely with government-funded research institutes and various companies in Korea, UEL has manufactured rovers that is in the form or can perform the mission desired by the client, proving its capability to quickly design and produce various types of rover according to user needs, not just those for scientific missions. A big advantage of this is that the company is not confined to just the space exploration field, but can also flexibly enter the non-space markets such as construction and the military.
Areas of Application
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Since space exploration robots can be operated in extreme environments (vacuum, radiation, extreme temperatures, etc.), their applications on the ground are limitless. For example, the technology to secure the necessary space for loading the robot on a launch vehicle (folding structure and folding wheels) dramatically improves the portability of the rover, which means that it may be applied by the army as a personal portable reconnaissance robot. Plus, there are numerous applications in extreme environments that are difficult for humans to access, such as development of rovers that can be used in dangerous construction sites with the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and development of rovers for Antarctic exploration.
Possible Areas for Cooperation
Technology license | ||
Investment Attraction | ● | |
Joint venture | ||
Technical Cooperation | Product Joint Development | ● |
(New Product) Performance Test | ● | |
Applying Other Products’ Technologies | ● | |
Production Consignment | New Material Production | |
Production Line Operation | ||
Changing Customers (CMO) | ||
Installing New Process | ||
Commercialization Contract Accompanying Technical Support | Assembly | |
Designing Commercial Products (Design & Engineering) | ||
Technical Consulting (Technical Advice, Education and Training) | ● | |
Quality Maintenance | ||
Operations Maintenance |
Business Results
Market Outlook
- At the Korea Space Forum 2022, the Korean government declared the exploration of the Moon and Mars as the first priority in its space economy roadmap and is planning a project to send a lunar lander to the Moon for a scientific mission in 2032. In 2021, PWC released a report predicting that the Moon will be inhabited by 1,000 people and that the moon-related market will be valued at USD 1.72 trillion by 2040. A market research firm called Allied Market Research reported that the space rover market generated USD 431.3 million in sales in 2019 and predicted that it will grow at 9.2%, on average, each year to reach USD 998.29 million by 2030. US NASA and Japan’s iSpace have initiated rover development, which is still in its early stages. Since no one has monopolized the global lunar rover market, UEL plans to develop an unmanned rover capable of performing scientific missions to lead the lunar surface exploration market.
Commercialization Plans
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When constructing a base to live on the moon or for commercial use of the moon by exploiting its resources and so on, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology is needed to build structures using lunar resources. In 2020, UEL obtained the technology related to the production of artificial lunar soil (“Korea lunar simulant”) from Hanyang University and is currently researching lunar soil 3D printing technology. Going forward, the company will develop payloads for construction of structures on the moon and sell them to generate revenue.
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To meet the requirement of a limited payload volume when sending objects into space, UEL conducted a joint research on a folding wheel with KAISTand applied it to the rover. This technology has proven to be promising for application to not only space robots but also portable reconnaissance robots.
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Using rover technology developed to withstand the extreme conditions of the moon, UEL will supply rovers that can engage in reconnaissance in places that are difficult for humans to access, such aspolar regions (extremely cold temperatures) and nuclear power plants (radiation). To this end, the company is with the Korea Polar Research Institute and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.
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The technology to accurately determine the rover’s location on the moon, where GPS cannot be used, is essential for rover operation.