WORLD FIRST FACILITY ON MOON ENVIRONMENT

[Anchor Lead]

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Since then lunar exploration teams around the world have been aiming to build a base on the moon for long term settlement. Korean researchers have achieved a world first by constructing a facility that brings to life lunar conditions such as the surface temperature range and the vacuum state.

[Pkg]

On the surface of the moon, the temperature difference between night and day measures several hundred degrees. Gases are nearly nonexistent while the surface is covered with piles of minute dust particles. The extreme environment makes research activities very challenging. Korea unveiled a "dusty thermal vacuum chamber" that precisely duplicates the lunar surface environment.

[Soundbite] LEE JANG-GEUN(KOREA INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY) : "We first developed a technology to prevent and control the scattering of fine dust on the lunar surface and used that technology to create the vacuum chamber."

Until now, when drilling equipment or robots were sent off on a lunar orbiter, in many cases, they broke down due to dust or other reasons. Using the model chamber, missions can be tested beforehand in a real-life environment, likely reducing the chances of failure. Using today's advanced 3D printing technology one can create various structures. If the printers can be miniaturized into a portable gadget this can be a key technology for moon base construction in the future.

[Soundbite] BERNARD FOING(EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY)

The 50th anniversary of the moon landing rekindled global competition in lunar exploration. South Korea still lags behind in developing an indigenous launch vehicle. Experts highlight the need to focus on a different field of research in a order to narrow the technology gap with other space powerhouses