Yuri Ivánovich Borísov, exviceministro de Defensa de Rusia y actualmente al frente de Roscosmos, la agencia espacial rusa, confirmó que China y el país liderado por Vladímir Putin planeaban instalar un reactor nuclear en la superficie de la Luna. La dilatada experiencia de Rusia en el desarrollo de infraestructuras nucleares está fuera de toda duda. Y China, aunque ha llegado más tarde a esta industria, tiene la capacidad científica y los recursos necesarios para salir airosa.
Su plan pasa por tener lista en 2035 la Estación Internacional de Investigación Lunar (conocida como ILRS por su sigla en inglés). Rusia y China la operarán de forma conjunta, pero para que esta instalación llegue a buen puerto es imprescindible desarrollar una fuente de energía que garantice un suministro estable y sostenido a lo largo del tiempo. Esta es la necesidad que, precisamente, pretenden resolver estas dos naciones construyendo una pequeña central nuclear en la superficie lunar.
Pei Zhaoyu, el ingeniero jefe de la misión Chang’e-8, ha confirmado esta semana lo relevante que es la participación de Rusia en este proyecto: «Una cuestión importante para la ILRS es el suministro de energía. En este terreno Rusia tiene una ventaja natural debido a que en lo que se refiere a las instalaciones nucleares, y especialmente enviándolas al espacio, lidera el mundo incluso por delante de EEUU». La misión Chang’e-8 dará el auténtico pistoletazo de salida a este ambiciosísimo programa.
La Estación Internacional de Investigación Lunar estará habitada de forma permanente a partir de 2030
Y es que China planea lanzarla en 2028 con un doble propósito: iniciar la preparación de la base lunar que estará habitada de forma permanente a partir de 2030 y explorar la construcción del reactor nuclear que se responsabilizará de la entrega principal de energía a la estación. Como hemos visto unas líneas más arriba, ambas instalaciones deberían estar terminadas en el año 2035. Curiosamente, el Gobierno chino todavía no ha oficializado su aprobación de este plan, pero las declaraciones de Pei Zhaoyu corroboran que la colaboración de Rusia y China ya está en marcha.
En cualquier caso, los científicos nucleares del país liderado por Xi Jinping ya tienen listo un diseño preliminar de su reactor nuclear. Y tiene algunas características novedosas. Para elaborarlo se han inspirado tanto en el diseño de la NASA como en el antiguo reactor nuclear soviético TOPAZ-II. Su propuesta empleará barras de combustible de dióxido de uranio en forma de anillo; un sistema de refrigeración doble que usará metal líquido (NaK-78), y que, sobre el papel, será capaz de mantener el núcleo del reactor por debajo de los 600 ºC; y, por último, un moderador de neutrones de hidruro de itrio que según los técnicos chinos es más eficiente que los moderadores de hidruro de circonio convencionales.
Mientras tanto EEUU está preparando su regreso a la Luna a través del programa Artemis de la NASA. Su propósito es colocar nuevamente dos astronautas en la superficie lunar en 2027 e iniciar a partir de este hito la construcción de una base lunar sostenible. Esta instalación contará con grandes paneles solares, pero la energía fotovoltaica no basta para asegurar el suministro debido a que en la Luna la noche perdura durante entre catorce y quince días terrestres. Por este motivo EEUU también está desarrollando un reactor nuclear conocido como Fission Surface Power (FSP) que será capaz de entregar 40 kW de potencia.
CHINA AND RUSSIA HAVE AN EXTREMELY AMBITIOUS PLAN: THEY WILL BUILD A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ON THE MOON IN 2028
- Their strategy is to have the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) ready by 2035
- China plans to launch the Chang’e-8 mission in 2028 to begin preparing for the lunar base
Yuri Ivanovich Borisov, former Russian Deputy Minister of Defense and currently head of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, confirmed that China and the country led by Vladimir Putin were planning to install a nuclear reactor on the surface of the Moon. Russia’s extensive experience in developing nuclear infrastructure is beyond question. And China, although a latecomer to this industry, has the scientific capacity and resources necessary to succeed.
Its plan is to have the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) ready by 2035. Russia and China will operate it jointly, but for this facility to be successful, it is essential to develop an energy source that guarantees a stable and sustained supply over time. This is precisely the need these two nations aim to address by building a small nuclear power plant on the lunar surface.
CHINA ACELERA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE INNOVADOR SISTEMA DE ALMACENAMIENTO DE ENERGÍA EN BLOQUES DE HORMIGÓN
Mientras en Chile se evalúan las diferentes alternativas para evitar nuevos cortes de luz masivos como el de febrero, en China ya se avanza en la construcción de los primeros tres —de un total de seis— sistemas de Almacenamiento Gravitacional de Energía (GESS) basado en bloques de hormigón, que se suman al desarrollado en las afueras de Shanghai.
- El buen resultado de su conexión a la red estatal de ese país impulsó la aprobación del resto de las plantas de almacenamiento. Estados Unidos ya está probando el primer piloto de este tipo en Texas.
- La infraestructura es un edificio de 175 metros de alto, construido cerca de un parque eólico, equipado con una grúa de seis brazos para levantar y dejar caer bloques de hormigón de 30 toneladas.
- Puede entregar 25 MW de electricidad a la red china durante 4 horas.
¿Cómo funciona? Desarrollado por la empresa suiza Energy Vault, es el primer sistema comercial en el mundo de almacenamiento por gravedad.
- El almacenamiento gravitacional consiste en elevar un objeto a cierta altura, en este caso bloques de hormigón, y luego dejarlo caer.
- La energía eléctrica usada para elevarlos se almacena en forma de energía potencial en el mismo bloque y, al caer, se transforma en energía cinética (la que tiene un cuerpo en movimiento).
- Esta energía cinética activa un generador instalado en la torre, que genera electricidad y la suma a la red, de acuerdo con la demanda.
35 años subiendo y bajando bloques. El proyecto de Energy Voult tiene una serie de ventajas que no impactan al medioambiente. De hecho, para subir los bloques aprovecha el exceso de energía renovable.
- Usa las materias primas disponibles en cada lugar para armar los bloques, reduciendo la cadena de suministros y su huella de carbono.
- Según la propia empresa, cada torre de almacenamiento tiene una vida útil de 35 años.
La transición energética. Además de China y Estados Unidos, recientemente Energy Vault acordó -con el consorcio sudafricano Gessol- desarrollar proyectos en ese país y en los 16 estados miembros de la Comunidad para el Desarrollo de África Meridional, publicó H2 Bussines News. Todos ellos, incluyendo China, están abordando uno de los aspectos más importantes de la transición energética: el almacenamiento.
China Accelerates Construction of Innovative Concrete Block Energy Storage System
While Chile is evaluating different alternatives to avoid further massive power outages like the one in February, progress is being made in China with the construction of the first three—of a total of six—Gravitational Energy Storage (GESS) systems based on concrete blocks, in addition to the one developed on the outskirts of Shanghai.
- The successful connection to the country’s state grid prompted the approval of the remaining storage plants. The United States is already testing the first pilot of this type in Texas.
- The infrastructure is a 175-meter-high building, built near a wind farm, equipped with a six-arm crane to lift and drop 30-ton concrete blocks.
- It can deliver 25 MW of electricity to the Chinese grid for four hours.
How does it work? Developed by the Swiss company Energy Vault, it is the world’s first commercial gravity energy storage system.
- Gravitational storage involves raising an object to a certain height, in this case concrete blocks, and then dropping it.
- The electrical energy used to raise them is stored as potential energy in the block itself, and when it falls, it is transformed into kinetic energy (the energy of a moving body).
COREA GLOBAL: LA CIRUGÍA PLÁSTICA SE CONVIERTE EN EL PRÓXIMO GRAN ATRACTIVO DE COREA.
Surge nicho silencioso en el mercado mundial de tratamientos estéticos.
Automóviles, barcos y semiconductores han dominado durante mucho tiempo la lista de las principales exportaciones de Corea. Posteriormente, contenido cultural como el K-pop, las series y la gastronomía se han convertido en importantes atractivos para los extranjeros. Pero con el auge del turismo médico, un nuevo contendiente ha ganado terreno rápidamente: la cirugía plástica.
En 2023, 114.074 extranjeros visitaron Seúl para someterse a mejoras estéticas. Entre la diversa clientela internacional que se sintió atraída por la ciudad para la cirugía plástica este año se encontraba Nguyen Thi Huyen, una vietnamita de 26 años y especialista en marketing.
«Me sometí a una cirugía de contorno facial para afinar la línea de la mandíbula. Esto incluyó la reducción de pómulos, la reducción del ángulo mandibular y la remodelación del mentón», declaró a The Korea Times, añadiendo que varias de sus amigas vietnamitas también habían ido a Seúl para someterse a procedimientos estéticos. “Corea es conocida desde hace mucho tiempo como un centro neurálgico de la cirugía plástica. Hoy en día, es común ver a jóvenes vietnamitas de veintitantos años publicar en redes sociales su deseo de parecerse a estrellas del K-pop como Jang Won-young o Karina”, afirmó.
Nguyen se encuentra entre los millones de personas que viajan a Corea por motivos similares.
El año pasado, Corea registró el mayor número de turistas médicos extranjeros, con aproximadamente 1,17 millones de visitantes, según el Ministerio de Salud y Bienestar.
Los tratamientos dermatológicos ocuparon el primer lugar, representando el 56,6 % de todos los procedimientos, con un total de 705 000 casos.
Impulsado por la creciente demanda, el mercado del turismo médico en Corea se ha convertido en un sector importante.
KOREA GLOBAL. Plastic surgery becomes Korea’s next big draw. It quietly carves out niche in global aesthetic treatment market
Cars, ships and semiconductors have long dominated Korea’s list of major exports. Then cultural content such as K-pop, dramas and foods have become major attractions for foreigners. But with a surge in medical tourists, a new contender has been rapidly gaining ground: plastic surgery.
In 2023, 114,074 foreigners visited Seoul for cosmetic enhancements. Among the diverse international clientele drawn to the city for plastic surgery this year was Nguyen Thi Huyen, a 26-year-old marketer from Vietnam.
“I had facial contouring surgery to make my jawline slimmer. That included cheekbone reduction, jaw angle reduction and chin reshaping,” she told The Korea Times, April 16, adding that several of her Vietnamese friends also came to Seoul for cosmetic procedures.
“Korea has long been known as a plastic surgery powerhouse to us. These days, it’s common to see young Vietnamese women in their 20s posting on social media about wanting to look like K-pop stars such as Jang Won-young or Karina,» she said.
Nguyen is among the millions who are now traveling to Korea for similar reasons.
Last year, Korea recorded its highest number of foreign medical tourists, with approximately 1.17 million visitors, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Dermatology treatments ranked first, accounting for 56.6 percent of all procedures, totaling 705,000 cases. Plastic surgery followed at 11.4 percent, with the number of procedures rising 24.3 percent from 2023.
Driven by increasing demand, Korea’s medical tourism market has become a major sector. According to market research firm IMARC Group, its value reached $1.9 billion last year. Looking ahead, the firm projects the market will grow to $3 billion by 2033, with an annual growth rate of 5.13 percent starting next year.
“The number of foreign nationals visiting our clinic has increased by 20 to 30 percent annually since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022,” Choi Soon-woo, chief surgeon at View Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul’s Gangnam District, told The Korea Times.
Each year, Choi’s clinic welcomes thousands of patients from around the world, including the United States, Japan and Russia. Recently, he observed a notable increase in visitors from Indonesia and China.
“More upper-income Indonesians appear to be seeking surgery abroad, as their country’s medical infrastructure doesn’t seem to have kept pace with rising income levels,” he said.
With the increase in sales from foreign patients, now exceeding domestic revenues, the clinic has hired some 60 coordinators who provide personalized support in 10 languages including Spanish, English and Chinese. The coordinators assist throughout the entire process, from marketing and online consultations to in-person support and post-op care.
High-standard care, Korea-specific procedures
For foreign medical tourists, returning for follow-up visits is often difficult, making it especially important for them to receive extra attention during procedures and aftercare. To address this, his clinic offers treatments supporting faster recovery.
Natsagdorj Namuun, a 30-year-old Mongolian freelance model who underwent rhinoplasty at the clinic in 2022, said she was highly satisfied with the care provided.
“I’m willing to recommend getting surgery in Korea to family and friends because I have no regrets about spending money here,” she told The Korea Times, adding that after getting liposuction, she received frequent massages to speed up the softening process and staff gave her thorough explanations about her recovery.
She explained that, while surgery in Mongolia would be cheaper due to the current exchange rate, most Mongolians prefer Korea for plastic surgery because the higher success rate lowers the chances of needing revision surgery.
Choi agreed that Korea isn’t the cheapest destination for plastic surgery, but many foreign clients still choose to receive treatment here due to the country’s high standard of medical care.
“We see quite a lot of patients who come to us after experiencing complications from surgeries done in other countries,” he said, adding that stories of those who undergo successful revision surgery in Korea often go viral on social media.
Lee Yun-hwa, a manager at Seoul Medical Tourism, said the city government is aware of the clear rise in the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul specifically for plastic surgery and dermatology treatments and is working hard to maintain that growing trend.
“Our center, in partnership with 180 medical institutions, helps connect medical tourists with local clinics more quickly and conveniently. We provide support with entry and exit procedures, introductions to medical facilities, specialty consultations and assistance with making appointments,” she said.
The latest trends among foreign tourists seeking cosmetic surgery in Korea are facelift and skin-tightening procedures, according to Choi.
He said that in the past, most visitors came for procedures like breast augmentation or facial contouring, which were more common among younger individuals. But recently, there’s been a noticeable increase in tightening and facelift procedures targeting wealthier, older clients.
While many countries are skilled at breast augmentation surgery, skin-tightening procedures require greater precision to minimize scarring — an area where Korean doctors excel. Thanks to these strengths, Seoul also has a clear edge in bone-related surgeries like facial contouring and double-jaw surgery, which are less common elsewhere.
Social media plays a major role in spreading that information, making foreign patients well aware of what Korean doctors excel at.
“Japanese visitors, for example, often come after seeing posts on X, where many of them share their surgery experiences. No matter how much you advertise, word of mouth is what ultimately brings people in,” Choi said.
Broader range of medical tourism needed
But even he has concerns — and they have little to do with hospitals or surgical techniques. He worries K-pop’s global pull is starting to fade.
“Many Americans visit Korea for plastic surgery because it’s cheaper than in the U.S., but K-pop plays a big role too,” Choi said. “Since most cosmetic surgery patients are women, many get more interested when a new K-pop star rises. Lately, though, things have slowed down, so I’m a bit worried.”
He still vividly recalls the BTS boom.
“It was massive before they enlisted (in the military),” he said. “There’s a clear difference in how many foreigners visit our clinic between before and after BTS.”
Natsagdorj also became interested in Korea through K-pop.
“I used to listen to BIGBANG, Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation when I was younger,” she said. “Korean dramas are also hugely popular in Mongolia.”
Experts say Korea should look beyond its current strengths and cultivate new sectors to maintain its competitive edge in medical tourism moving forward.
“There’s no denying that cosmetic surgery is Korea’s flagship product when it comes to medical tourism,” Chun Myung-sook, a professor of culture and tourism at Konyang University, told The Korea Times. “But we need to expand our approach.”
She said it’s time to rethink medical tourism as not just treatment and surgery, but also as a means of health management and stress relief in today’s fast-paced world.
“We need to develop programs beyond procedures. For example, I associate wellness tourism with places like India and Nepal — Korea needs that kind of offering,” she said.
“Rather than focusing only on physical treatments, Korea should incorporate mental well-being and create offerings that reflect our unique cultural identity.”
Indo-Pacific Monitor ®
Bilingual digital outlet on geopolitical issues around the Indo-Pacific area
Editor: LW
Contact: ilwb@email.cz
