The Korean car company Hyundai has always been famous for its automobile manufacturing, but it recently announced that it is heading into the world of robotics. Hyundai is branching out into the world of space robots, and has clarified that it is developing a machine that can climb to the surface of the moon.
The company didn’t say exactly what kind of robot the team would be making, but the focus will be primarily on taking into account the harsh conditions of the moon.
This manufacturing could form part of South Korea’s planned space program, which aims for an automated lunar landing by 2030.
Hyundai announced that the project is a partnership with automaker Kia and six Korean research institutes.
“Hyundai and Kia are expanding their vision beyond the boundaries of Earth, toward space,” Hyundai said in a statement.
The company, valued at $300 billion, added that the project would focus on “mobility” to explore the surface of the moon.
That project could take the form of a bipedal robot that walks like a human, a dog-like machine, or a more traditional vehicle.
The company has not revealed exactly what lunar mission it is looking at as a potential beneficiary of the technology.
In a press release, Hyundai noted Korea’s first successful launch of a home-made missile in June.
As a newcomer to the aerospace industry, the country has set an ambitious program to catch up with the likes of Russia and China, and will launch its first lunar mission on August 2.
The Korean lunar module will orbit the Earth’s natural satellite for at least a year, measuring the magnetic force above its surface and scanning for resources such as water ice and uranium.
The mission is seen as the first step in South Korea’s spaceflight, which includes an automated moon landing by 2030, and a mission to return an asteroid sample is also underway.