Korean Lunar Exploration Program () is led by the

Korea Aerospace Research Institute The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI; ), established in 1989, is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. KARI's vision is to continue building upon in ...

(KARI), which develops lunar orbiters and landers. The plan includes the

Danuri The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), officially Danuri, is South Korea's first lunar mission. The orbiter, its science payload and ground control infrastructure are technology demonstrators. The orbiter will also be tasked with surveying ...

, a lunar orbiter launched in 2022, and a future lunar lander, scheduled to be launched in 2032.

Lunar orbiter

South Korea's first lunar orbiter is named Danuri and its main mission is to perform various scientific and technological missions, including

lunar observation The Moon is the largest natural satellite of and the closest major astronomical object to Earth. The Moon may be observed by using a variety of optical instruments, ranging from the naked eye to large telescopes. The Moon is the only celestial b ...

. Danuri is equipped with

payloads Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of t ...

developed by research institutes in South Korea. Major payloads include a high-resolution camera from the

(KARI), a wide-field polarimetric camera from the

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI; ) is the national research institute in astronomy and space science of South Korea funded by the South Korean Government. Its headquarters are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science T ...

(KASI), a magnetic field measuring instrument from

Kyung Hee University Kyung Hee University (KHU; ) is a Private university, private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. It was founded in 1949. Kyung Hee University is part of the Kyung Hee University System, which offers comprehensive ...

, a gamma-ray spectrometer from the

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM; ) is a research institute in South Korea focused on geological resources in the nation. KIGAM is a member institute of the National Research Council of Science and Technology and is ...

, and a space internet from the

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute () is a Korean government-funded research institution in Daedeok Science Town in Daejeon, South Korea. Overview Established in 1976, ETRI is a non-profit government-funded research instit ...

. It was launched on August 4, 2022 from the

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...

. As of August 5, 2023, its total flight distance was 38.01 million kilometers, and it sent 2,576 high-resolution photos of the Moon to Earth. Danuri is carrying out scientific and technological missions such as exploring lunar landing sites, conducting lunar scientific research, and verifying space internet technology. Danuri's mission period was originally scheduled to end in late 2023, but was extended to end in 2025 due to remaining fuel and other factors.

Lunar lander

KARI plans to launch the Korean lunar probe, a lunar lander, in 2032 using the KSLV-III. Once the preliminary design of the lunar lander is completed by 2027, the detailed design of the lunar lander is planned to be completed by 2029, after which full-scale production and testing will begin.

References

{{Moon spacecraft Space program of South Korea Proposed spacecraft

Lunar orbiter

Lunar lander

See also

References