Danuri orbiter is two days away from the moon

A photo of the Earth and moon taken by Danuri, Korea’s first lunar orbiter, on Nov. 28. [MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND ICT]

Korea’s first lunar orbiter is two days away from reaching the moon.

Danuri, formally named the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, will begin to perform the lunar orbit insertion maneuver to arrive at the target orbit on Saturday.

The lunar orbit insertion is the adjustment process for a space vehicle to lower its speed and commit itself to the gravity of the moon in order to achieve the lunar orbit of 100-kilometer (62.1 miles) altitude.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Danuri is scheduled to carry out its first lunar orbit insertion maneuver on Saturday and four other rounds of maneuvers in the coming days before being captured in the lunar orbit on Dec. 29.

The initial maneuver will be the most crucial in enabling the gravity of the moon to capture Danuri into its orbit. The results of the first maneuver will come out two days later, the ministry added.

Danuri was launched in August aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for Korea's first lunar mission. It has traveled a cumulative 5.94 million kilometers so far.

It successfully completed long-distance data transmission tests last month, sending texts and images from space to Earth.

After entering lunar orbit later this month as planned, Danuri will measure terrain, magnetic strengths, gamma rays and other traits of the lunar surface using six onboard instruments during its yearlong mission starting in January. The orbiter will also identify potential landing sites for future lunar missions.

BY SHIN HA-NEE, YONHAP [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]