The ShadowCam instrument will acquire images of shadowed regions of the moon using a high-resolution camera, telescope and highly sensitive sensors. Credits: Arizona State University / Malin Space Science Systems
NASA’s ShadowCam is headed to the Moon aboard the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s (KARI) Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) mission. KPLO, also known as Danuri, launched at 7:08 pm EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on August 4.
Developed by Arizona State University and Malin Space Science Systems, ShadowCam is one of five instruments aboard KARI’s KPLO spacecraft.
A hypersensitive optical camera, ShadowCam, will collect images of permanently shadowed regions near the Moon’s poles. This will allow ShadowCam to map the reflectance of these regions to look for evidence of ice deposits, observe seasonal changes and measure the terrain inside the craters. The ShadowCam instrument was designed from earlier images like those found on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but is a hundred times more sensitive to light to allow it to capture detail within permanently shadowed regions.
Data collected from ShadowCam and the other KPLO instruments will support future lunar exploration efforts, including Artemis. High-resolution images captured in extremely low-light conditions could help inform landing site selection and exploration planning for future Artemis missions by providing information on terrain and lighting conditions , and the distribution and accessibility of resources such as water ice that are useful for long periods of time. duration stays ShadowCam data and unprecedented views of permanently shadowed regions could also help scientists learn more about how the Moon formed and evolved and about our Solar System.
In addition to ShadowCam, NASA is also providing communications and navigation support to KPLO and science support to the KPLO team through nine NASA-funded scientists. The Republic of Korea (ROK) signed the Artemis agreements last year and continues to collaborate with NASA on lunar exploration efforts.
In the Republic of Korea, the orbit is known as “Danuri” after a public naming contest that resulted in a name combining the Korean words for “Moon” (dal) and “enjoy” (nuri).
For the next 4.5 months, KPLO will use a fuel-saving 62-mile (100 km) Korean ballistic trajectory polar lunar orbit, where upon arrival, it will begin operations on a planned 11-month mission.
NASA selects ASU’s ‘ShadowCam’ to fly on Korea’s Pathfinder lunar orbiter. More information: Project details: www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-sele … inder-lunar-orbiter/ Provided by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Citation: NASA’s ShadowCam launches aboard the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (2022, August 5) Retrieved August 5, 2022 from
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