Hyundai and Kia Take on Space Exploration

Hyundai and Kia launch space exploration
The deal was heralded as a “minimum moment” in the automaker’s mission to expand its reach beyond Earth.

“We have taken the first step to transform our vision of robotics and the concept of Metamobility into reality,” said Yong Wha Kim, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor and Kia. “We will expand the range of human mobility experiences beyond traditional means of transportation and beyond the borders of the country to further contribute to the development of humanity and help create a better future.”

The news also follows Korea’s successful launch in June of a domestically designed and built rocket that was built to launch a satellite and shows the country’s growing ambitions in aviation.

For the space mobility initiative, the automakers formed a consortium with six Korean research institutes to research and develop not only the mobility system itself, but also the technology to send a vehicle to the moon and not even use it once there.