KR | EN

Mission

KMAG (KPLO MAGnetometer) is one of payload for KPLO and observes the magnetic field around the moon. It was developed by Kyung Hee University. The magnetic field of the moon exists only locally on its surface, and this is called a magnetic anomaly. The origin of this magnetic anomaly is still an unsolved mystery in the solar system, and KMAG performs observations to solve the origin of the magnetic anomaly on the moon.

The magnetometer was developed using domestic technology in South Korea. The instrument consists of a sensor unit with a boom structure and an E-box, weighing about 3.5 kg. The sensor unit consists of a 1.2 m boom and deployment structure, and three sensors that measure magnetic fields with a resolution of 0.2 nT and a sampling rate of 10 Hz are inserted into the boom.

The reason for using the boom structure in the magnetometer is to minimize the magnetic field interference generated by the satellite. The folded boom is deployed to 135 degrees at the early operation of the mission. The three magnetic sensors mounted on a boom can compensate for the satellite's magnetic interference by discriminating it through a multi-sensing technique.

After the launch, KMAG successfully deployed its boom and it was the first to begin observations among scientific payloads of KPLO. KMAG keeps collecting scientific data during the whole KPLO mission. KMAG’s observaional data will be used for research on the lunar magnetic field and space environment.

KMAG (Credit: KARI/KHU)