South Korea Unveils Bold Plan to Build a Moon Base by 2045
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South Korea has revealed its most ambitious space goal yet: establishing a permanent base on the moon by 2045. The plan was announced as part of the Korea AeroSpace Administration’s (KASA) long-term exploration roadmap, which outlines missions spanning lunar development, low-Earth orbit activity, and deep space science. With this roadmap, South Korea positions itself alongside global space powers such as the U.S., China, and India in the race to colonize the moon.
The initiative includes developing homegrown lunar landing and rover technologies, resource extraction methods like harvesting water ice, and building a lunar economic hub. Some groundwork is already being laid — KASA has deployed prototype moon rovers for terrain testing and launched its first lunar orbiter, Danuri, in 2022. South Korea plans to land a robot on the moon by 2032 and deploy a new, more advanced lander by 2040, culminating in a fully functioning moon base five years later.
The moon isn’t the final stop either. KASA’s roadmap extends to Mars, with plans for a Korean Mars landing also targeted by 2045. With strong momentum and proven partnerships (such as past collaborations with SpaceX), South Korea’s space agency is transforming from an emerging player into a leading force in space exploration.
