​South Korea wants to become a space power, and today’s launch is the first step. A 680-kilogram probe called Danuri was launched using a SpaceX rocket, which will reach lunar orbit in a few months and take many measurements.

The Danuri probe was launched from Cape Canaveral and separated from the rocket as planned 40 minutes after launch. Some of the equipment was made in South Korea.

Danuri will reach lunar orbit in December and measure the moon’s magnetic field, analyze the presence of various chemical elements, photograph interesting craters and search for a landing site for a future probe that the South Korean government wants to send to the moon around 2030.

Danuri will orbit at an altitude of 100 km above the lunar surface, and the mission is expected to last at least a year.

The probe has several scientific instruments, such as a magnetometer, a gamma-ray spectrometer, and three cameras, one of which is so powerful that it will try to image the region of the craters where light never penetrates. We are talking about craters that are found especially in the region of the lunar poles, craters where it is always very cold (below -180 C) and where a lot of ice has accumulated.

This ice is important for future missions, as it will be able to be used by astronauts for drinking water as well as for the production of rocket fuel “in situ”, obviously a long time away, many steps to overcome.

South Korea has big ambitions for its space program, is working on its own rockets and wants to send a probe to the surface of the moon in 2030. The country is also part of NASA’s Artemis program.

The Korea Aerospace Exploration Agency, South Korea’s equivalent of NASA, is working on a three-stage rocket called Nuri, which successfully launched several satellites into Earth orbit in June.

Sources: Reuters, New York Times