South Korea to launch first lunar orbiter as space bid gathers pace
The Hindu
If it succeeds, South Korea will become the world's seventh lunar explorer, and the fourth in Asia, behind China, Japan and India
South Korea is set to launch its first lunar orbiter on Friday as it doubles down on its space programmes, aiming to land a probe on the moon by 2030.
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The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, nicknamed Danuri, meaning "enjoy the Moon", will be launched on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral U.S. Space Force Station at 8:08 a.m. on Friday, South Korean time (2308 GMT on Thursday), South Korea's science ministry said.
The launch was initially scheduled for last Wednesday but delayed because of an unspecified maintenance issue with the SpaceX rocket.
"The Danuri has successfully completed all preparations for about a month, and is currently mounted on the launch vehicle," the ministry said in a statement.
If it succeeds, South Korea will become the world's seventh lunar explorer, and the fourth in Asia, behind China, Japan and India.
The launch comes as South Korea accelerates its space programme, seeking to send a probe to the moon by 2030 and join nine countries working on the Artemis project aimed at returning to the moon by 2024.
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