According to KBS, the Ministry of Science, Information Technology, and Communication, along with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, announced that South Korea’s first lunar probe, named “Danuri,” will reach a position 108 km from the Moon in the early hours of December 17.
Image of Earth (left) and the Moon captured by a camera on South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft on November 28, 2022, provided by the Ministry of Science and Information Technology. (Source: Yonhap)
At approximately 2:45 AM on the same day, the Danuri spacecraft will perform its first activation procedure to enter lunar orbit. Notably, this initial activation is considered the most challenging phase in the entire lunar exploration process of the Danuri.
To maintain stability against the gravitational pull of the Moon, the Danuri must significantly reduce its speed and accurately fly to the target position. If the spacecraft’s speed is too fast, it may overshoot the Moon; conversely, if it is too slow, it could crash onto the lunar surface.
The Danuri is currently traveling at a speed of 8,000 km/h. It is expected to ignite its thrusters for 13 minutes to reduce its speed to 7,500 km/h, allowing it to enter lunar orbit.
If this entire process is successful, the Danuri will undergo four additional activations to stabilize itself in a circular orbit 100 km above the Moon.
If it stabilizes in lunar orbit, the Danuri will begin test operations in January 2023 and carry out its lunar exploration mission for one year.
South Korea launched its first self-developed lunar probe named “Danuri” using a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX (USA) on August 4 from the Cape Canaveral launch site in Florida (USA).
