The country's first lunar probe, Danuri, will change its operational altitude and also extend its mission duration.
The Korea Aerospace Administration (KAA) held a 'Lunar Exploration Business Promotion Committee' meeting at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute in Daejeon on the 10th, where it decided to extend Danuri's mission period by two years until 2027. The KAA noted, "We have decided to extend the mission duration further after analyzing the views of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the operators of the Danuri payload, participating scientists, and assessing the remaining fuel and condition of the probe."
Additionally, the KAA plans to reduce Danuri's operational altitude to 60 kilometers during the extended mission period, operating it for seven months before entering a frozen orbit. It aims to test the technologies necessary for a lunar landing and plan for a collision with the lunar surface in March 2028.
Danuri has maintained an operational altitude of 100 kilometers since entering this altitude in December 2022. The 60-kilometer altitude will allow for closer observations of the lunar surface, which is expected to yield more detailed scientific results.
KAA Administrator Yoon Young-bin said, "We plan to operate Danuri in a way that maximizes the achievements of each mission payload through the additional mission extension and operational orbit change, assisting in the United States' Artemis program and our country's lunar lander project aiming for launch in 2032."