South Korea has accomplished a new deep lunar mission thanks to the successful launch of the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO).
Korea's Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) created this rover as part of its ambitious plan to unravel the mysteries of Earth's natural satellite.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was carrying this orbiter. Nearly one hour after the take-off, it separated from the larger machine on Friday, Aug. 5.
South Korea's Moon Probe Finally Takes Off
(Photo : JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
People watch a television screen showing a live footage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching with South Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri onboard from Cape Canaveral in Florida, at a railway station in Seoul on August 5, 2022.
According to a report by Space.com, South Korea's KPLO named "Danuri," has been the latest breakthrough that the country made when it comes to space exploration.
The KARI officials acknowledged in a statement that this accomplishment would be their first step to continue diving into deep space for the next missions.
"It is a very significant milestone in the history of Korean space exploration. If we are more determined and committed to technology development for space travel, we will be able to reach Mars, asteroids, and so on in the near future," KARI president Sang-Ryool Lee said in a pre-recorded clip.
Before reaching the moon in mid-December, the lunar orbiter will be drifting into space for almost five months. More importantly, South Korea will utilize six lunar payloads as part of its upcoming mission in January 2023, as per Oh Tae-Seog, the vice science minister.
As of writing, KPLO will be involved in a probe that will last for a year. However, the officials said that a period extension might still be considered, especially if there are problems that may arise.
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What Will the Danuri Probe Do on the Moon?
In Korea, Danuri means "moon" and "enjoy," but there's a more exciting thing to hear about this probe.
As written by Bloomberg, Danuri's missions will be spectacular and bizarre. As such, it will be responsible for seeking potential landing locations for the space machines.
Moreover, the popular South Korean boy group BTS will be involved in the process. There will be a series of wireless internet tests, which the Danuri orbiter will do. It will stream a clip of "Dynamite," one of the most famous songs from the said K-pop crew.
Before Danuri's successful take-off, South Korea released Nuri two months ago. The deployment of this rocket could pave the way for the first uncrewed lunar mission in 2031.
For the KPLO mission, the country allocated $180 million to take the first step toward its dream venture into space. The machine weighs 678 kilograms or 1,495 pounds and carries six different instruments, including NASA's ShadowCam.
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In reality, it's not the Proxima Centauri star. The truth is, it's only a part of chorizo.
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Written by Joseph Henry
