K-RadCube

Operator	Korea AeroSpace Administration
Spacecraft properties
Bus	12U CubeSat
Manufacturer	Korea AeroSpace Administration
Launch mass	19.6 kg (43 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	April 1, 2026, 22:35:00  UTC (6:24 pm  EDT) [1] [2]
Rocket	Space Launch System
Launch site	LC-39B
Contractor	NASA
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	High Earth orbit
Periapsis altitude	200 kilometres (120 mi)
Apoapsis altitude	70,000 kilometres (43,000 mi)
K-RadCube's mission patch Artemis Program

K-RadCube was a 12U cubesat developed by South Korea's Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) as a rideshare payload on the Artemis II mission. ^[3] The probe's primary mission was to characterize the effects of the Van Allen radiation belt and cislunar radiation environment on a silicone dosimeter designed to mimic human tissue. ^[4]

Contents

• Background
• Mission
• Anomaly
• See also
• References

Background

K-RadCube was one of four CubeSats picked from proposals by 50 different countries for the Artemis II mission, ^[5] and the only one from an East Asian country. ^[6] The satellite was developed for KASA by Nara Space Technology under supervision by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and operated by KT SAT. Electronics and components including semiconductors were provided by SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. ^[7] The satellite used an electrothermal steam thruster capable of up to 20 mN of thrust at 20 W of power for propulsion. ^[8] The CubeSat's mass was 19.6 kg (43.2 lb). ^[9]

Mission

K-RadCube was located inside of the stage adapter ring between the Space Launch System upper stage and the Orion spacecraft. ^[10] It deployed 5 hours and 7 minutes after launch at an altitude of 40,000 km (24,850 mi) at 12:58 PM, ^[11] with Orion having separated into high Earth orbit (HEO). The satellite continued in a highly elliptical orbit and was expected to reach altitudes ranging from 200 to 70,000 km (124 to 43,500 mi) above the Earth. ^[12]

The primary mission was to take in situ observations of high-energy particles within and beyond the Van Allen radiation belt. ^[13] The payloads included K-RAD-PD, a radiation dosimeter made of silicon designed to measure linear energy transfer, fluxes of protons and electrons, and total absorbed dose, and K-RAD-SS/SK, which was to analyze the effects of radiation on semiconductors and flight electronics. ^[14] As a secondary mission, data from the CubeSat was to be used to characterize the radiation resistance of semiconductors and integrated circuits by Samsung and SK Hynix. ^[15]

After deployment, the CubeSat was intended to establish radio communication with one of a number of ground stations. Operators were to raise the satellite's perigee to 150 km (93 mi) during the initial orbit, and again to 200 km (124 mi) in the second orbit, using a steam jet thruster on the satellite. ^[16]

Anomaly

Two days after the launch, KASA and media reported that the satellite had failed to establish normal communications. ^{[11] [17]} A weak radio signal with partial telemetry was detected from a distance of 68,000 km (42,250 mi) by a ground station in Maspalomas in the Canary Islands. ^[18] Later, an error signal was received by a station in Hawaii. ^[15]

The mission operations team repeatedly attempted to communicate with the CubeSat but did not detect any signals for two days. ^[15] Without the orbit raise, the CubeSat is expected to disintegrate upon atmospheric re-entry. ^[19]

See also

• Artemis II
• ATENEA (satellite)
• Tacheles (satellite)
• Space Weather CubeSat-1

References