Category Archives: Korea

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 29 July – 1 Aug 2022

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Summer Around Moon Continues with Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Launching 4 Aug

NASA Capstone performing nominally on voyage to Moon with trajectory correction maneuver 3 expected to be performed by Advanced Space in early September, reach NRHO NET 13 Nov; KPLO Danuri targeting 4 Aug launch on SpaceX F9 from KSC; NASA Artemis 1 prepping for 29 Aug launch to DRO; Autumn landers include ispace Hakuto-R carrying UAE Rashid rover on track for Nov launch to Lacus Somniorum (37.56°N, 30.8°E) with US$37M cash infusion from consortium of Japan banks; Astrobotic Peregrine and Intuitive Machines Nova-C CLPS landers racing to land on Moon before EOY

Credits: NASA, KARI, IM, Astrobotic, Lockheed Martin

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 July 2022

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International Teams Prepare for Summer Around the Moon, Autumn on Lunar Surface

KARI KPLO / Danuri launching on SpaceX F9 to Moon orbit 2 Aug from KSC, arrival at 100-km lunar orbit expected 1 Jan 2023; NASA mega rocket SLS / Orion crew capsule Artemis 1 mission targeting 29 Aug, 2 Sep or 5 Sep for launch to 100-km Moon flyby / 61,155-km Distant Retrograde Orbit; ispace Hakuto-R Mission 1 aiming for November launch, Astrobotic striving to launch Peregrine lander within Q4, Intuitive Machines Nova-C may launch Dec 2022 or Jan 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 and ISRO Chandrayaan-3 likely delayed to 2023

Credits: KARI, NASA, ispace

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 17-20 June 2022

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CAPSTONE, KPLO Danuri and Artemis 1 Teams Working Towards Summer 2022 Moon Orbit

NASA Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment now striving for 25 June launch from LC-1 on Māhia NZ via Rocket Lab Electron / Photon; KARI lunar orbiter Danuri ‘fully prepared’ for 2 August launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 from KSC – South Korea will be 8th nation with Moon probe; Artemis 1, fully stacked with SLS and Orion, to begin WDR countdown 18 June, NASA mission availability schedule indicates 148 possible launch opportunities from 23 August 2022 – 1 July 2023

Credits: NASA, KARI, Rocket Lab

Wednesday / 1 June 2022

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Newly Named ‘Danuri’ Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter on Track for 2 Aug Launch to Moon

Selected from 62,719 submissions across South Korea by a 1000-person focus group, Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, now Danuri (Moon Enjoy), set for launch on 2 Aug (19:37 EDT) to 100-km Moon orbit on SpaceX Falcon 9 via ballistic lunar transfer; 678-kg spacecraft is outfitted with 6 instruments – KARI-built Lunar Terrain Imager, Wide-Angle Polarimetric Camera, Magnetometer, Gamma-Ray Spectrometer, Disruption Tolerant Network Experiment Payload and NASA provided ShadowCam; NASA will also assist Danuri with ground station / comms / navigation support and 9-member KPLO Participating Scientist Program

Credits: KARI, NASA, SpaceX

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 20-23 May 2022

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Lunar Exploration / Science Missions Working Toward Orbit, Surface Landings In 2022

NASA CAPSTONE Moon probe launching on Rocket Lab Electron / Photon interplanetary kick stage is set to depart Earth NET 31 May, spending 6 days accelerating to 39,429 kph in LEO for 4-month fuel-sipping journey to test NRHO; Artemis 1 set for August per Administrator Nelson, however launch opportunities extend to 2023; KARI KPLO heading for lunar orbit 1 Aug, will broadcast K-pop; Roscosmos Luna-25 targeting 22 August while CLPS providers Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic and ispace of Japan strive to land on Moon within year

 

Credits: NASA, IM, Astrobotic, Draper, KARI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 April 2022

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2022 Moon Missions Preview: CAPSTONE Could Lead Way on 3 May

Launch window opening 3 May for CAPSTONE orbiter still on schedule; Artemis-1 SLS / Orion / 10 CubeSat launch now likely July-August; Intuitive Machines Nova-C cradle (built by Caldwell Group) to transport lunar lander to KSC arrives in Houston for testing / launch windows for IM-1 & IM-2 announced ‘soon’; Astrobotic Peregrine flight model to have solar panels, fuel tanks, engines installed – launch late 2022; Luna-25 ‘later this year’; Japan ispace lander end of 2022 via SpaceX, SLIM pushed to March 2023; Korea Pathfinder 1 August Launch; ISRO Somanath puts doubt on Chandrayaan-3 launch in 2022

Credits: Advanced Space / Jason Johnson, IM, Astrobotic, ispace, ISRO

Tuesday / 3 December 2019

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Korea Lunar Mission Modified Orbit Plan Raises Questions With NASA

South Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, In Planning Since 2016, Adds Mission Weight And Changes Orbit; Ministry Of Science Plan For US$150M KPLO Changes Dec 2020 Launch To July 2022, From 100-Km Circular Orbit To 100 x 300-Km Ellipse; NASA, Which Plans To Contribute ShadowCam Instrument To Survey South Pole, Prefers Circular Orbit To Maximize Science Returns; Korea Aerospace Research Institute Will Hold Further Discussions At NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, To Continue Lunar Orbit Mission

Credits: KARI, NASA

Friday / 13 Sep 2019

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Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Resized And Rescheduled For 2022

Republic Of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) Rescheduled To Launch July 2022; Size Of Spacecraft Increased From 500 Kg To 678 Kg To Allow More Science; US$166M Spacecraft Will Carry 4 Korea Payloads And Fly 9 Months Of 1-Year Mission In Elliptical Orbit To Maximize Science Return; Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) Will Use SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster; KPLO Will Carry NASA-Built ShadowCam Instrument To Search For Water In Permanently-Shadowed Lunar Craters

Credits: CNSA, NASA, KARI

Thursday / 9 May 2019

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Korea Space Agency And NASA To Cooperate On Lunar Payloads And Science

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) And NASA Agree To Jointly Develop Lunar Payloads And Launch Exploration Science Working Group; Stephen Clarke Of NASA Signs Agreement In Gwacheon With Choi Won-Ho And Choi Young-Jun Of KASI; Korea Scientists Will Develop Three Types Of Payload For Nine Privately Developed NASA Lunar Landers Starting In 2020; Soyeon Yi (L) Is Only Korea National Astronaut So Far; Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Planned For Dec 2020 Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9

Credits: NASA, Ministry of Science, Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Apr 2019

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Major Spacefaring Powers Joined By Other Nations Reaching For Moon

Canada Launches US$150M Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP) As USA Seeks Partners For Lunar Gateway; JAXA Investigates Using Robotics To Build Lunar Base; Germany PTScientists Rover May Launch In 2020; Russia Hopes To Develop Heavy Launcher For Moon Landings; Drop Test Delays India Chandrayaan-2 Until May; Zhongguo Chang’e-4 Operates During Its Fourth Lunar Day; Korea KSLV-II Booster Planned For 2021 Launch Of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter; SpaceIL Beresheet In Orbit Photographs Hidden Side Of Moon

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, PTScientists, CNSA