"Building Rovers for the Lunar Surface"... 'Korea Space Rover Challenge' to Be Held in October

Korea Aerospace Administration to Host Space Mobility Competition for Students and Researchers

Preliminary Information Session at KAIST on June 29; Finals to Be Held in Conjunction with Sacheon Air Show in October

The government, which is working toward a lunar landing using domestic technology by 2032, will hold a competition for ideas to develop “space rovers,” a core technology for future space exploration. The goal is to discover next-generation space mobility technologies and talent by having university and graduate students, as well as industry professionals, design and build small rovers to compete in a simulated lunar environment.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced on June 25 that it will host a preliminary information session for the “2026 Korea Space Rover Challenge,” organized by the Korea Aerospace Administration, on June 29 at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Multipurpose exploration rover developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Provided by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

The Korea Space Rover Challenge is a competition aimed at broadening the base of the space sector and discovering creative missions and technologies for planetary surface exploration. The Korea Aerospace Administration is the main organizer, with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute serving as the chief manager, and KAIST and the Unmanned Exploration Research Institute as co-organizers.

The competition is open to university and graduate students and industry professionals interested in the space sector, who may form teams of up to seven members. In the preliminary round, teams will be selected for the finals based on the evaluation of technical proposals detailing the design of small rovers weighing 3 kg or less, capable of performing lunar surface missions.

In the finals, teams will be evaluated on the mobility and mission performance of rovers they have built themselves, operating them in simulated lunar terrains with uneven surfaces, soil, and obstacles. Awards will be given to one grand prize team, which will receive the Korea Aerospace Administration Director’s Award, and three teams for excellence.

Applications for participation are open until July 10, and technical proposals must be submitted by July 31. The finals are scheduled to be held over two days, October 23-24, in conjunction with the Sacheon Air Show.

The Korea Aerospace Administration is pursuing space exploration with the goal of achieving a lunar landing using domestic technology by 2032, at a time when global space powers are ramping up lunar base construction and Mars exploration. This competition has also been organized to discover space mobility technologies and creative mission ideas necessary for future planetary exploration.

The preliminary information session will take place on June 29 in the main conference room of the Mechanical Engineering Building at KAIST. The session will introduce the competition’s eligibility requirements, application process, format, and evaluation criteria, and will be held both in person and streamed online.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.