The Korea Aerospace Research Institute announced that the country's lunar orbiter, Danuri (KPLO), captured images of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage before and after its impact on the lunar surface on August 5 at 3:34 p.m.
According to the institute, Danuri began its observations at 3:01 p.m., 30 minutes before the impact, and continued to take a total of eight images, including seven after the collision. All imaging was completed by 7 a.m. the following day.
After the rocket's upper stage collided with the moon, Danuri passed over the impact site, using its high-resolution camera (LUTI) to capture images of the surface just before and after the impact. The distance from Danuri to the impact site was approximately 340 to 350 kilometers, flying at a speed of 1.5 kilometers per second at an altitude of 150 kilometers above Seoul, similar to the conditions during the impact in Busan, according to the institute. A wide-field polarimetric camera (PolCam) also captured images of the same area to observe changes in the surface's polarization characteristics.
The observational data revealed changes in the terrain near the impact site and traces of ejected material. Earlier, on July 9, Danuri had conducted two preliminary imaging sessions around the expected impact site to gather baseline data.
The institute described this observation as a significant case of monitoring a predicted artificial lunar impact from orbit. Previously, observations of artificial impacts on the moon typically involved assessing surface changes long after the event. However, Danuri has secured both pre-impact baseline images and post-impact images, allowing for a focused analysis of the changes caused by the collision.
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to observe the impact area in the future, and the data collected by Danuri will be used in international collaboration to inform NASA's imaging plans.
The observational data will undergo scientific analysis by relevant research institutions, leading to detailed results on the size and shape of the impact crater, the distribution of ejected material, and changes in surface reflectance and polarization characteristics. The analysis results will be utilized as international collaborative research materials in cooperation with NASA and others, contributing to studies on lunar surface properties using artificial impacts and the interpretation of natural meteorite impacts.
Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, stated, "Danuri's capture of the scenes before and after the artificial impact on the moon demonstrates South Korea's lunar exploration capabilities, including orbital control and mission operation. The data secured from this observation will serve as a crucial foundation for future lunar research and space exploration strategies."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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