Kolon Industries to develop new materials for space exploration

Kolon Industries Inc., a South Korean chemical and textile manufacturer, announced on Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), a state-owned research institute, to explore and develop space and terrestrial mineral resources.

The partnership aims to identify and evolve new materials crucial for resource exploration and extraction in harsh space environments. An additional joint initiative includes contributing to the material development for the government-backed Korean lunar lander.

Boasting unique next-generation material technology, Kolon Industries has been mulling over the use of Attometal as an exterior coating for lunar exploration robots.

Attometal, an alloy distinguished by its elasticity, hardness, wear resistance, and heat resilience, is formed by irregularly structuring the atomic composition of metals.

"We expect to create significant synergy with KIGAM," CEO of Kolon Industries Kim Young-beom said. "We will expand our proven material technology into various fields through the development of space resources."

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com