[Danuri Launch] Successful Separation from Launch Vehicle... Currently Cruising (Update 2)

Korea's first lunar probe, Danuri, separated from the launch vehicle around 8:48 a.m. on the 5th. Photo by SpaceX YouTube channel

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea's first lunar probe, 'Danuri,' was successfully launched and separated normally on the morning of the 5th, and is currently cruising smoothly.

Danuri was launched at 8:08 a.m. (Korean time) from Launch Pad 40 at the U.S. Space Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Normal flight proceeded with the first stage engine shutdown at 2 minutes 31 seconds and first stage separation at 2 minutes 34 seconds. Notably, about 40 minutes after launch, Danuri successfully separated from the Falcon 9 rocket, which had completed all its flight phases.

Thereafter, Danuri is scheduled to embark on a 140-day journey following the ballistic lunar transfer trajectory (BLT), which involves traveling straight toward the Sun and then turning at the Lagrange Point 1 (approximately 1.56 million km) to return to Earth and enter lunar orbit. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is currently attempting the first communication with Danuri. Through this, they plan to check the spacecraft's status and verify whether it is on the correct trajectory.

KARI, together with the Ministry of Science and ICT, will hold a briefing at 2 p.m. today to announce whether Danuri is navigating normally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.