Lawmaker holds exhibition on Danuri lunar orbiter

Rep. Jo Seoung-lae of the Democratic Party of Korea hosted an exhibition shedding light on the Danuri lunar orbiter to commemorate the space vehicle’s successful entry into lunar orbit, the lawmaker said Tuesday.

The exhibition, titled “Special Exhibition of Lunar Exploration,” will take place at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, until Saturday. The exhibition features various moon-related content, a miniature of the Danuri and photos taken by the lunar orbiter.

The Danuri is a domestically developed space vehicle. Carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the unmanned space vehicle was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 5.

After being launched into space, the Danuri headed for the moon using a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory method that uses gravity from the Earth, the moon and the sun to enter lunar orbit.

The Danuri, also known as the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), has been conducting scientific research activities since Dec. 28, 2022, with plans to orbit the moon for about a year.

“When I watched the moment that the Danuri was launched in the U.S. last August, I thought it would be good for more people to share the great journey of Korea’s space exploration,” Rep. Jo said.

“As the special exhibition is held at the National Assembly, the hall of the people’s will, I hope the people will have a meaningful time sharing the achievements of the Danuri and the meaning of the country’s lunar exploration attempt.”

The Korean-built space vehicle has sent a series of photos of the moon’s surface and Earth. It also took a rare photo of the moon’s largest dark spot, also known as the Ocean of Storms, on Jan. 13.

The exhibition is free of charge. Visitors will need to carry their ID.