20.12.2022
Danuri succeeds in 1st lunar flyby maneuver
"The KARI carried out the Danuri's first lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver as planned at 2:45 a.m., Dec. 17," the space agency said.
"The first maneuver was the most important one to ensure that the Danuri is stably captured by the moon's gravity and does not overshoot the moon," it added.
The space agency previously said the LOI process was carried out by automatically executing commands sent to the Danuri in advance at a set time. But the progress before and after the LOI was monitored in real time on the ground.
After the first LOI, the KARI analyzed orbit information for about two days and confirmed Monday that the Danuri reduced its speed from about 8,000 kilometers per hour to 7,500 kilometers per hour.
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| Researchers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) review data after carrying out the Danuri's first lunar orbit insertion maneuver at the institute's operation control room in Daejeon, Dec. 17. Courtesy of KARI |
The Danuri is scheduled to perform five LOI maneuvers until Dec. 28 to settle into orbit 100 kilometers above the moon. Whether the space vehicle has entered lunar orbit properly will be confirmed on Dec. 29.
"The Danuri was captured by lunar gravity and now we can say it truly became a lunar orbiter that orbits the moon," the KARI said. The lunar orbiter's next four LOIs will be carried out on Dec. 21, 24, 26 and 28.
Carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the unmanned Danuri was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 5.
After being launched into space, it headed to the moon using a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory method that uses the gravities of the Earth, the moon and the sun to enter lunar orbit.
Once the lunar orbiter is confirmed to successfully settle into the moon's orbit, it will conduct the initial operation of the payload and the function test in January. From February, it will carry out scientific observation, the KARI said.
The Danuri is equipped with five pieces of observation equipment developed in Korea and a ShadowCam device from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that can observe the darkest parts of the moon's surface.
South Korean spacecraft enters lunar orbit with deceleration maneuver
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s first robotic lunar orbiter, Danuri, entered the lunar orbit after conducting its first lunar orbit insertion maneuver Dec. 16.
The orbiter is circling the moon in an elliptic orbit every 12.3 hours, with a perigee of 109 kilometers and an apogee of 8,920 kilometers, said the science ministry in a Dec. 19 statement.
The first maneuver, done with the firing of thrusters for thirteen minutes from 12:45 p.m. Eastern, “reduced the speed of Danuri from about 8,000 kilometers per hour to 7,500 kilometers per hour,” the ministry said in the statement. “It was confirmed that Danuri had been trapped in lunar gravity in a stable manner, which means it has become a genuine lunar orbiter.”
The ministry said the spacecraft would conduct four more propulsive maneuvers with its thrusters by Dec. 28 to steer it into a circular, low-altitude orbit about 100 kilometers from the lunar surface by Dec. 29. If successful, the 678-kilogram orbiter will go through a brief period of commissioning and tests to begin its yearlong mission from January, with six scientific instruments aboard, including NASA-funded hypersensitive optical camera ShadowCam. The camera is set to collect images of permanently shadowed regions near the moon’s poles to search for evidence of ice deposits, observe seasonal changes, and measure the terrain inside the craters. Collected data will be shared with NASA, which aims to send humans to the moon in the coming years under its Artemis program.
The Korean orbiter, also known as Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), launched into space Aug. 4 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. It flew to the moon on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory, which initially took the spacecraft toward the sun and looped it back to the moon. The route, while much longer than traveling directly toward the moon, allows more fuel efficiency as it leverages the sun’s gravity for travel.
While going to the moon, the orbiter demonstrated “space internet” by sending video and photo files, including a popular Korean band’s music video, at a distance of more than 1.2 million kilometers to Earth. The demonstration was conducted twice — Aug. 25 and Oct. 28 — using a space internet demonstrator developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) here, validating an interplanetary internet connection using delay-disruption tolerant networking.
The spacecraft also sent photos of the Earth and the moon’s orbit it took between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 using a built-in high-resolution camera at a distance of between 1.46 million kilometers and 1.548 million kilometers to Earth.
The Danuri mission marks the beginning of South Korea’s deep space exploration initiative. The country’s leader recently pledged to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon in 2032 and on Mars in 2045. To that end, the government is planning to invest 2.13 billion won ($1.63 billion) in developing a next-generation rocket, KSLV-3, a two-stage vehicle capable of putting up to seven tons of payload into sun-synchronous orbit, 3.7 tons into geostationary transfer orbit, and 1,8 tons into Earth-Moon transfer orbit. As part of this, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is working to develop kerosene-fueled 100-ton thrust engines in five years.
The leader also promised to double the government’s space development budget in the next five years and funnel at least 100 trillion won ($76.7 billion) into the space sector by 2045. South Korea’s space budget for 2022 is 734 billion won ($563 million).
Quelle: SN
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Update: 6.01.2023
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South Korea's moon mission snaps stunning Earth pics after successful lunar arrival
An image of Earth and the moon captured by South Korea's Danuri mission on Dec. 28, 2022. (Image credit: KARI)
South Korea's first moon mission is beaming back images of home from its position in low lunar orbit.
Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early August last year and arrived in lunar orbit four months later, in mid-December. The milestone adds South Korea to the exclusive club of nations with successful moon missions, which also includes Japan, China and India, among others.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has now released images from the $180 million Danuri showing the crater and textured lunar surface in the foreground with the distant Earth behind.
The images were taken on Dec. 24 and Dec. 28 respectively by the Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI), which was developed by KARI. Engineers will use images from the camera to help identify sites for a robotic South Korean lunar landing mission targeting launch around 2032.
The 1,495-pound (678 kilograms) KPLO completed a series of burns during mid- and late December, with the spacecraft entering its planned orbit with an average altitude of 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface on Dec. 26, according to a KARI statement.
The orbiter is currently undergoing commissioning before starting its official science mission, which is scheduled to last about a year.
Five of Danuri's six payloads were developed by KARI, but NASA also has an instrument on board. ShadowCam was designed to scope out permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles for hints of water-ice deposits, potentially providing valuable data for future missions in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2025 or 2026.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 13.01.2023
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NASA moon camera on South Korean probe takes a peek where the sun doesn't shine
ShadowCam is flying aboard South Korea's first moon mission.
The first ShadowCam image from orbit reveals the permanently shadowed wall and floor of Shackleton crater in never before seen detail. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/Arizona State University)
South Korea's first moon mission has delivered a stunning first image from a camera designed to peer into permanently shadowed areas near the lunar poles.
The NASA-funded ShadowCam is designed to reveal regions where the sun never shines on the moon to assist future exploration efforts and has now demonstrated an unprecedented insight into Shackleton crater at the moon's south pole.
ShadowCam is operating aboard Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO). It is one of six science payloads aboard Danuri, which launched back in August 2022 and arrived in lunar orbit in mid-December. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has already released Danuri's first images from lunar orbit, and now ShadowCam is showing off its capabilities with an incredible test image of a permanently shadowed region in Shackleton crater.
The top fifth of the image shows the base of the steep wall of Shackleton crater, with the lower portions displaying the crater floor. At the top, the track of a roughly 16 feet (5 meters) diameter boulder that rolled down the wall of the crater can be seen.
"ShadowCam reveals the interior but none of the rim because the detector is so sensitive that it saturates whenever viewing terrain directly illuminated by sunlight," Mark Robinson of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration said in the statement.
In this annotated version of the image the arrow indicates the path of a 16-foot (5-meter) diameter boulder that rolled down the steeply sloping crater wall and came to rest on the floor. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/Arizona State University)
ShadowCam builds on the cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which has been operating since 2009, but provides unprecedented views into permanently shadowed regions, or PSRs.
The moon, unlike the Earth, only has a slight axial tilt, meaning some areas never receive direct sunlight. ShadowCam's high sensitivity means it can detect light dimly reflected from nearby features and provide never before seen views into perpetually dark areas.
The camera will be used to image the moon's permanently shadowed regions with a resolution of better than 6.6 feet (2 meters) per pixel and will provide mapping for use by future surface missions such as NASA's VIPER to search for volatiles, elements or substances with low boiling points such as water, hydrogen or helium.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 16.02.2023
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South Korea's Danuri probe captures phases of Earth from lunar orbit (photo)
NASA's ShadowCam is also aboard Danuri, bringing new insight into dark lunar craters.
South Korea's first moon mission is now fully operational and unveiling new views of the Earth and moon from lunar orbit.
The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), also known as Danuri, arrived in low lunar orbit in mid-December and delivered a first batch of stunning images in January.
The spacecraft has been quietly continuing its science work since then. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) released a new set of Danuri images via Twitter on Sunday(opens in new tab) (Feb. 12), showing detailed views of Vallis Rheita, taken on Jan. 5, Mare Imbrium (Jan. 10), Oceanus Procellarum (Jan. 13) and a series of images showing the phases of Earth, as seen from lunar orbit.
Zoomed-in view of the Oceanus Procellarum region of the moon, captured on Jan. 13, 2023 by South Korea's Danuri probe. (Image credit: KARI)
Danuri launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early August last year, eventually achieving its intended orbit on Dec. 27. The probe began its full operational phase on Feb. 4, according to an update that KARI posted on Facebook.
The spacecraft is also carrying the NASA-funded ShadowCam instrument, which is designed to peer into craters on the moon whose floors do not receive direct sunlight.
ShadowCam is derived from cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter but is 200 times more light-sensitive, allowing it to pick up light reflected off crater walls and peaks to provide unprecedented views into permanently shadowed regions, or PSRs.
Images of the permanently shadowed wall and floor of the moon’s Shackleton Crater captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) (left) and ShadowCam (right), which is flying on South Korea’s Danuri moon orbiter. Each panel shows an area that is 5,906 feet (1,800 meters) wide and 7,218 feet (2,200 m) tall. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/ASU
ShadowCam has snapped a series of images of Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole, revealing a detailed view of the permanently shadowed wall and floor of the crater. The tests are designed to calibrate and test the camera's functionality as part of an operational checkout period that will conclude before the end of February, according to NASA.
High-resolution images collected by ShadowCam could provide clues about lunar evolution, water trapped as ice in shadowed regions, and even assist site selection for crewed Artemis missions, according to NASA.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 23.03.2023
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South Korean probe's NASA moon camera illuminates dark lunar crater (photo)
ShadowCam is living up to its name.
A portion of the permanently shadowed Marvin crater lit by reflected light and imaged by NASA's ShadowCam on Feb. 28, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/Arizona State University)
An image of a crater rim near the lunar south pole shows how NASA's latest lunar camera is shining new light on the darker regions of our celestial neighbor.
The new photo, snapped on Feb. 28 by the NASA-funded ShadowCam, shows a portion of the 2.85-mile-diameter (4.6 kilometers) Marvin crater, just 16 miles (26 km) from the moon's south pole.
The super-sensitive Shadowcam is designed to detect reflected light. While areas lit by direct sunlight would appear saturated to the instrument, Shadowcam's sensitivity means it can reveal very dimly lit permanently shadowed regions, or PSRs.
The new image shows differences in the lighting of craters inside and outside the rim of Marvin crater, because they are being illuminated by faint light being scattered off nearby mountains, according to an update(opens in new tab) from the ShadowCam team posted on March 13. This means big differences in the direction of lighting experienced by even nearby craters.
Marvin crater was named(opens in new tab) for pioneering planetary geologist Ursula Marvin. The crater interior is in permanent shadow.
ShadowCam is operating aboard the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft, which entered lunar orbit in December 2022. It builds on the cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been operating since 2009, but is 200 times more sensitive.
ShadowCam has previously revealed unprecedented details of Shackleton crater as part of its commissioning phase.
High-resolution images collected by ShadowCam could provide clues about lunar evolution, water trapped as ice in shadowed regions, and even assist site selection for crewed Artemis missions, according to NASA.
Danuri, meanwhile, has been putting its five other payloads into action, including returning images from its main camera.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 9.05.2023
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Mondsonde sendet atemberaubende Bilder zur Erde
Tsiolkovskiy-Krater auf dem Mond: So hochaufgelöste Aufnahmen der Region gab es bisher nicht.(Quelle: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (Kari)
Sein Hauptziel ist die Erkundung von Landeplätzen. Jetzt schickt der südkoreanische Orbiter Danuri beeindruckende Bilder der Mondoberfläche nach Hause.
Südkoreas Sonde Danuri überrascht immer wieder. Erst Anfang des Jahres hatte das Raumgefährt spektakuläre Bilder vom Mond zusammen mit der Erde geliefert. Jetzt hat die Sonde neue Aufnahmen von der Oberfläche des Mondes gemacht. Und die Bilder sind atemberaubend detailliert.
Auf einem der Bilder ist zum Beispiel der Zentralberg des Tsiolkovskiy-Kraters zu sehen, der sich auf der erdabgewandten Seite des Mondes befindet. Ein Zentralberg ist ein Gebilde, dass sich in der Mitte größerer Einschlagkrater bildet.
Der Tsiolkovskiy-Krater und sein Zentralberg waren zwar schon bei anderen Mondmissionen fotografiert wurde. Aber nie waren die Aufnahmen so detailliert und knackscharf wie die Bilder der hochauflösenden Kamera an Bord von Danuri.
Danuri gewährt einen Blick auf den Wichmann-Krater
Auf einer anderen Aufnahme ist laut der südkoreanischen Weltraumagentur Korea Aerospace Research Institute (Kari) das Tal Vallis Schrödinger zu sehen. Dieses befindet sich auf der Mondrückseite in der Nähe des Südpols. Benannt wurde das Tal nach dem nahegelegenen Krater Schrödinger.
Und ein weiteres Bild zeigt einen Blick auf den sogenannten Wichmann-Krater. Das ist ein kleiner Krater auf der uns zugewandten Seite des Mondes, der nach dem deutschen Astronomen Moritz Ludwig Georg Wichmann (1821 - 1859) benannt wurde.
Die Bilder wurden von Danuris Lunar Terrain Imager (Luti) aufgenommen. Das ist eine von mehreren technischen Geräten an Bord der Raumsonde.
ShadowCam der Nasa sucht nach Wassereisablagerungen
Einer weitere Nutzlast ist die ShadowCam der US-Weltraumagentur Nasa, die durch ein Reflexionsverfahren auch Regionen kartieren kann, die sich im Schatten befinden, um nach Wassereisablagerungen zu suchen.
Die Arbeiten von Danuri sind noch nicht abgeschlossen. Die Mondsonde soll noch weitere Aufnahmen der Mondoberfläche machen, analysieren und die magnetische Strahlung und die Gammastrahlung messen.
Südkorea hatte im vergangen Jahr seine erste selbst entwickelte Weltraumrakete ins All geschickt. Um Danuri ins All zu bringen, wurde im August dann aber eine Falcon-9-Rakete des privaten US-Raumfahrtunternehmens SpaceX genutzt.
Quelle: t-online
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Update: 15.05.2023
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South Korean moon probe snaps picture of NASA's powerful lunar orbiter (photo)
NASA's ShadowCam imager on the Danuri spacecraft captured a view of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter flew 11 miles (18 kilometers) above the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 7, 2023, enabling ShadowCam to capture this dramatic image of LRO. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/Arizona State University)
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been caught out at its own game.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been studying the moon up close since 2009. It has also imaged other active spacecraft on the lunar surface, such as China's Yutu 2 rover, and even other moon orbiters(opens in new tab).
And now, a newcomer to lunar orbit recently spotted LRO from a distance of just 11.2 miles (18 kilometers) as the probes zipped by each other in their respective orbits.
A computer-generated image of LRO recreating the precise view seen by NASA's ShadowCam aboard South Korea's Danuri moon orbiter. (Image credit: NASA, KARI, Arizona State University)
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's (KARI) Danuri spacecraft arrived in lunar orbit in mid-December 2022. Aboard is ShadowCam, a NASA-funded hypersensitive optical imager, which is able to provide views into shadowed areas by collecting light reflected off nearby landforms and light reflected from our planet onto the moon, or "Earthshine."
This time, instead of illuminating shadowed craters, ShadowCam captured a sunlit LRO as both spacecraft passed over a patch of moon shrouded in darkness.
This enhanced image with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter depicted as an overlay image shows how the spacecraft lines up in images taken by South Korea's Danuri moon orbiter. (Image credit: NASA/KARI/ShadowCam)
The stunt required coordination and timing, as the two spacecraft passed each other with a relative velocity of 7,113 mph (11,447 kph). The NASA LRO mission operations team at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland oriented the spacecraft relative to Daunri and the sun to allow the radiator and back of the spacecraft to be brightly illuminated, according to a post(opens in new tab) on the ShadowCam webpages.
The high speed of the near encounter and the exposure time of ShadowCam results in LRO being doubly exposed four times in the final image. An animation from the ShadowCam team illustrates the features of LRO captured in the image, including the spacecraft's solar array, radiator and high-gain antenna, by transitioning from the captured image to a computer-generated high-resolution image.
ShadowCam, which is based on LRO's powerful main camera, is being used to learn about shadowed areas at the lunar south pole ahead of NASA's Artemis 3mission, mapping out permanently shadowed areas. (Artemis 3 will land astronauts near the south pole, the first crewed return to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.) Meanwhile, Danuri has other cameras aboard, which recently captured epic views of iconic lunar features.
Closer to home, a Maxar Earth-observation satellite recently captured an up-close look at NASA's Landsat 8 spacecraft in low Earth orbit, demonstrating how satellite imagery can be used for potentially checking out the health or causes of issues for satellites.
Quelle: SC