Seoul: The Moon is where Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) wants to be in the near future. The automaker has revealed that it has begun construction on a prototype lunar exploration rover. Hyundai and Kia auto parts will be used in the spacecraft. The business aims to complete the prototype by the second half of 2024 and produce a model that can be launched in 2027.

It seems as though Hyundai is not just interested in automobiles. The company's most recent endeavour aims to "expand human reach" and offer "innovative mobility solutions."

The fact that Boston Dynamics, a robotics company with headquarters in Massachusetts, is also owned by Hyundai, which may work to its advantage, as it could contribute significantly to the development of the lunar exploration rover.

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The lower portion of the rover will contain company components, and the upper portion will contain scientific payloads for digging, excavation, and lunar surface exploration.

Delivering a universally usable mobility platform that can handle a range of payloads would be the main objective. The rover's lower portion is meant to serve as a platform for mobility, supporting the upper portion.

For the rover to survive the harsh conditions on the Moon, thermal management and radiation shielding will be included.
The lunar rover from HMG will be solar-powered and weigh about 70 kilogrammes. It will be able to drive on its own.
In order to conduct exploration, the automaker plans to set up the rover near the south pole of the moon.

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The lunar rover will make use of motors, wheels, suspension parts, cameras, and charging components like solar panels and batteries from Hyundai and Kia automobiles.

The company will carry out "mission-based performance testing of the development model" in a setting resembling the lunar surface before the rover is launched to the moon, and it will make adjustments in response to the test results.

In July 2022, an agreement was signed by HMG and six Korean aerospace research institutions to work together on the lunar rover project.

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A consultative body for the rover's construction is supported and run by the organisations. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) are on the list.