Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) Mission

The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO, also known as Danuri) is South Korea's first lunar mission, developed and managed by the Korea Aerospace Reasearch Institute (KARI). Launched in 2022, it orbits the Moon to study its surface, map its terrain, and search for resources like water ice. KPLO carries five Korea instruments along with one U.S. instrument, ShadowCam, which captures detailed images of the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions. This mission represents a major milestone for South Korea in space exploration.

NASA and South Korea collaboration (https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/kplo)

ShadowCam isn’t the only NASA contribution to Danuri. In March 2021, NASA selected nine scientists to join KPLO’s science team to help enhance the mission’s scientific output. The two agencies also tested a kind of interplanetary internet on Danuri. In addition, NASA provided technical assistance on mission design, deep space communications, and navigation technologies.

On May 24, 2022, South Korea signed the Artemis Accords, which NASA calls “a practical set of principles to guide cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration plans.” This agreement enables easier scientific data sharing and creates opportunities for continued U.S.–South Korea cooperation on future lunar missions.

 

Search KPLO data in Lunar ODE: Product Search • Map Search

 

More information about the mission and instrument can be found in the following documents: