Only three years after the launch of South Korea’s first lunar orbiter, Danuri, the nation has joined the select ranks of just four countries to have successfully completed a comprehensive global map of the Moon. On August 5, the Korea Aerospace Administration officially announced Danuri’s achievements, highlighting its pivotal contributions to lunar research and international space collaboration.

The announcement was made in the presence of researchers from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, and Kyung Hee University, all of whom contributed to Danuri’s science payload development and ongoing mission operations.

Since its departure from Earth on August 5, 2022, Danuri has successfully completed its initial mission phase. Following two mission extensions, it is now slated to continue operations until 2027. On February 19, 2025, Danuri lowered its orbit to within 60 kilometers of the lunar surface, allowing it to begin high-precision observations. Further, on September 24, the orbiter is expected to enter a “frozen orbit” — enhancing long-term mission stability without extra fuel consumption.

Thanks to Danuri, South Korea has now secured high-resolution imaging data of key lunar landing candidate sites, notably the Reiner Gamma region and the area surrounding Shackleton Crater. These images are expected to play a vital role in determining the landing site for South Korea’s planned lunar lander mission, scheduled for launch in 2032.

Completing the world’s fourth fully polarized wide-angle map of the entire lunar surface, Danuri strengthened the foundation for future exploration by laying the basic groundwork for resource and environmental studies.

A highlight of Danuri’s scientific instrumentation is its gamma-ray spectrometer, which has produced maps identifying the distribution of naturally radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium, and potassium. It also generated neutron maps to estimate water ice deposits in the lunar polar regions and contributed to mapping key elements that make up the Moon’s crust, including oxygen, iron, aluminum, and calcium.

Danuri’s magnetometer has enabled the production of highly detailed magnetic field maps, especially in unique areas such as Reiner Gamma. These maps are now supporting active research on the Moon’s internal structure, magnetic formation, and evolution, as well as the study of the broader space environment.

Collaborative research with NASA also garnered attention, with Danuri’s ShadowCam making history as the first device to capture images of the Moon’s permanently shadowed polar regions—areas that had previously captured the imaginations of scientists worldwide.

All accumulated observational data are being made publicly available to researchers via the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s data management system, KPDS, and are already contributing to a broad array of research projects in South Korea and internationally.

With its planned mission extension, Danuri’s three years of data are now forming the bedrock of research into lunar environments, resources, and topography. These efforts have already been cited in more than 30 domestic and international academic publications, underlining the leadership of South Korean scientists in the field.

Kang Kyung-in, Head of Space Exploration at the Korea Aerospace Administration, remarked, “With the data obtained by Danuri, South Korea will play an increasingly important role in the selection of lunar landing sites, the study of lunar environments, and in building the foundation for joint international research. We intend to further expand the scope of space exploration through the scientific results achieved during Danuri’s extended mission.”

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Republic of Korea Policy Briefing