– Pre-impact Imaging of the Expected Impact Site Completed
– High-resolution Before & After Images Obtained on the day of Impact
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, administrator Taeseog Oh) announced that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage is expected to impact the lunar surface near the Einstein Crater at 3:34 p.m. on August 5 KST, and that Korea’s lunar orbiter Danuri (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, KPLO) will observe the impact before and after the event.
The impact is expected to occur as the rocket’s upper stage, weighing approximately 4.9 tons, strikes the Moon’s surface at a speed of 2.43 km per second, creating a small impact crater estimated to be 20 to 30 meters in diameter. The upper stage was part of a launch vehicle that carried the U.S. space company Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander “Blue Ghost” and other payloads to the Moon in January last year. After completing its mission, the upper stage is believed to have been drifting between the gravitational fields of Earth and the Moon before eventually colliding with the lunar surface.
Danuri will use its onboard high-resolution camera, the Lunar Terrain Imager (LUTI), to capture high-resolution images of the lunar surface before and after the impact, and monitor changes on the lunar surface in cooperation with international lunar observation spacecraft. The observations are expected to provide valuable data for research on lunar surface changes and impact mechanisms.
On the day of the impact, Danuri will conduct orbital maneuvers and pass over the impact site three times to secure high-resolution images. In addition to LUTI, the Wide-angle Polarimetric Camera (PolCam*) will also capture images of the impact area. Data obtained by LUTI will be analyzed by relevant research institutions and released to the public once the analysis is complete. The data will also be used to support planning for observations of the impact site by NASA’s lunar orbiter and international collaborative research.
KASA Administrator Taeseog Oh said, “This observation represents an important opportunity to study changes on the lunar surface and impact mechanisms,” adding, “Through Danuri and international collaborative observations, we will strengthen our capabilities in lunar exploration and space environment research, while continuing to expand opportunities for international cooperation.”