A truck carrying the Danuri lunar orbiter departs from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon for Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Courtesy of KARI

By Baek Byung-yeul

Danuri, Korea's domestically-developed lunar orbiter, left for the United States, Tuesday, for its launch in Florida on Aug. 3, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The science ministry said the Danuri has departed from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon for Incheon International Airport. It is being sent to Orlando, Florida, in a container specially designed by the KARI to maintain temperature, humidity and positive pressure, as well as absorb shocks.

After arriving at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, the Danuri will go through a month-long inspection at the launch site, including fuel injection and connection to a projectile.

Researchers of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon wave at the Danuri lunar orbiter, Tuesday, which will be transported to the Incheon International Airport for launch from the U.S., next month. Courtesy of KARI

The lunar orbiter was named the Danuri after going through a public naming contest from January to February. The name is a combination of the Korean words, "dal" (moon) and "nuri" (enjoy).

It weighs 678 kilograms and is equipped with five pieces of observation equipment developed using Korean technology 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.

If the launch process goes well, the Danuri will sail through space for about four and a half months from August to December and settle in lunar orbit in December. Circling 100 kilometers above the moon, the orbiter will conduct scientific missions for almost a year from February to December 2023.

The science ministry said the missions it will carry out include finding a spacecraft moon landing site, measuring the magnetic field and gamma rays and testing space-based internet communication.

"The Danuri lunar orbiter will orbit 100 kilometers above the moon 12 times a day, performing lunar observations, science and technology missions, and receiving observational data through antennas," the science ministry said.

Researchers of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) check the status of the lunar orbiter, the Danuri, in Daejeon, June 8. Courtesy of KARI

Following the successful launch of the Nuri space rocket on June 21, Korea hopes the successful launch of the Danuri could enable the country to explore space. It plans to be able to explore the Moon's surface by 2030.

Using NASA's observation equipment, the country will be able to observe the darkest parts of the moon's surface, such as polar regions that are hard see due to the lack of light. The country also expects that the Danuri could take part in NASA's human-led moon exploration project, Artemis.

"We have completed the production and inspection of the Danuri lunar orbiter. We will do our best to make it a successful first step toward the moon," Kwon Hyun-joon, a senior officer at the science ministry's Space, Nuclear and Big Science Policy Bureau, said.