When the Artemis-1 mission transmitted those images, we were all astonished to see Earth rising behind the crescent Moon. Wait, there's more. Danuri from South Korea has captured stunning images from above the lunar surface that show the entire Earth in full view as the rush around the moon begins.
The high-resolution camera (LUTI) mounted on the spacecraft took the images as part of the authentication shots of the lunar sky. As the probe moves down, the images show large craters on the Moon's surface. From a height of 344 kilometers and a distance of 124 kilometers above the Moon, the two images were taken on Christmas Eve and December 28 of that year.
The probe, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), is dubbed Danuri, which translates to "enjoy the moon" in Korean. It will fly at an altitude of 100 kilometers above the lunar surface to make observations. This is South Korea's first lunar mission, and the country recently developed the capability to launch space rockets.
The mission includes a small, solar-powered satellite that is designed to hover just 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. From this low polar orbit, the satellite will collect geologic and other data for at least a year. The spacecraft, which cost nearly $180 million to build, is carrying six scientific instruments, one of which is a camera for Nasa. It was made to look into the ice-filled, perpetually shadowed craters at the lunar poles.
At the beginning of August 2022, the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket carried the probe to the Moon, where it used the Sun's and Earth's gravity to get there. The 678-pound probe will travel around the Moon in a circle at an altitude of 100 kilometers and an inclination angle of 90 degrees for an anticipated one year.
With plans to launch new lunar missions later this year or next year by India, Russia, and Japan, the Moon is expected to become the next major target for nations all over the world.
0 Comments