Route route links
- PMN Business
Author of the article:
Content of the article
SEOUL – South Korea launched its first lunar orbiter on Friday as it doubles down on its space programs, aiming to land a probe on the moon by 2030.
The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, nicknamed Danuri, which means “enjoying the moon,” launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the US Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral in Florida at 8:08 a.m. morning (23:08 GMT Thursday), South Korea’s science ministry said. .
The 678 kg (1,495 lb) Danuri separated from the projectile about 40 minutes after launch and began communicating with a ground station around 9:40 am.
Advertisement 2
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
“Analysis of the information received was confirmed… Danuri was operating normally,” Vice Science Minister Oh Tae-seog said at a briefing, announcing that the orbiter had established a trajectory toward the moon .
It will enter lunar orbit in December before beginning a year-long observation mission, which includes searching for a landing site and testing space Internet technology, the ministry said.
If successful, South Korea will become the seventh lunar explorer in the world and the fourth in Asia, behind China, Japan and India.
The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was delayed due to a maintenance issue with the SpaceX rocket.
South Korea has been accelerating its space program, aiming to send a probe to the Moon by 2030. It has also joined the Artemis project, which aims to return to the Moon by 2024.
Advertisement 3
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
In July, South Korea conducted a second test launch of its domestically produced Nuri rocket and reported its first successful launch of a solid-fuel space launch rocket in March as part of efforts to launch satellite spy beds
Space launches have long been a sensitive issue on the Korean Peninsula, where North Korea faces international sanctions over its nuclear-armed ballistic missile program.
In March, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un asked to expand his space rocket launch site to advance his space ambitions, after South Korea and the United States accused him of testing a new missile intercontinental ballistic missile under the pretext of launching a space vehicle.
South Korea says its space program is for peaceful and scientific purposes and that any military use of the technology, such as in spy satellites, is for its defense. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Robert Birsel and Edmund Klamann)
Share this article on your social network
announcement
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Top stories from the Financial Post
Sign up for daily top news from the Financial Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking the sign up button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder.
The next issue of Financial Post Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered a problem registering you. Please try again
comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil discussion forum and encouraging all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour to be moderated before appearing on the site. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve enabled email notifications: You’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update to a comment thread you follow, or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.