SpaceX F9 : KPLO : CCSFS SLC-40 : 4 August 2022 (23:08 UTC)

[gongora]

Discussion Thread for KPLO (Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) mission.

NSF Threads for KPLO : Discussion / South Korean lunar orbiter and lander / South Korean space developments

August 4, 2022 at 23:08 UTC (7:08 pm EDT) on Falcon 9 1052-6 from Cape Canaveral SFS SLC-40.  First stage landing planned aboard Just Read the Instructions.
Mass: 678 kg

[Yonhapnews] Korea's test moon orbit line shoots in America 'Space X'

Korea Aerospace Research Institute has selected SpaceX (USA) as a launching service for the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), which will be launched in 2020
...
The launch will be the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida, USA.

Antexis of India participated in the open bidding for the trial lunar launch service.

The company chose Space X as the preferred bidder through the evaluation and negotiated the final contract on the 15th.
...
The Korean lunar orbit line is 550kg.

If anyone sees more information about this please post a link

edit: saw a couple more Korean sources saying the same thing.
Emily Lakdawalla had a recent story on the project with more information, she says the target date is Dec. 2020:
[The Planetary Society] South Korea's first lunar mission planned for 2020

I have a PDF of a KPLO PI's presentation in October. A NASA official also told a Planetary Society reporter that the launch was more specifically scheduled for December 2020 as of a few weeks ago, but it may still be in flux, so I wouldn't put too much weight on that date.
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2017/1207-koreas-first-lunar-mission.html

I just reached out to KARI's press contact and will report back if I get any additional info

https://twitter.com/kor_spaceflight/status/1141225081588158464

There might be a delay of the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter launch by @SpaceX falcon 9 in December 2020.

Likely now to be 2022. The interview quote in the tweet attachment is quite something ...

"Although we kept pointing out that the design was impossible for the mission since last year, the satellite chief or the project manager failed to properly deal with the problem. Administrations related to the KPLO mission have also failed to come up with effective measures due to lack of expertise and experience."

They added a link to a news story (although it's not the one in his first tweet).  I'll make it NET 2021 for now.

https://twitter.com/Kor_Spaceflight/status/1141843604270280704

F9 carrying KPLO delayed from late 2020 to july 2022 due to weight increase and orbit change https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20190910085100017?section=it/all

KPLO by the Falcon 9 rocket was set for Aug. 01, 2022
https://twitter.com/Kor_Spaceflight/status/1310068736619982848

[yg1968]

NASA Selects Nine Scientists to Join Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-selects-nine-scientists-to-join-korea-pathfinder-lunar-orbiter-mission

[Jansen]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/09/20/launch-of-south-korean-lunar-orbiter-delayed-to-2022/

Really great article with lots of specific mission info.

Particularly interesting:

About half of the additional $14 million cost for the KPLO mission will go toward a rebooking fee to meet “contractual conditions” under the terms of KARI’s agreement with SpaceX, KARI said.

Don’t see a lot of public comments on rebooking fees for SpaceX.

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/Kor_Spaceflight/status/1345234269174603777

[su27k]

They're worried about mass increase from 550kg to 678kg, but I think a reusable Falcon 9 can send much more than this to TLI? Not sure what's the concern.

[soltasto]

They're worried about mass increase from 550kg to 678kg, but I think a reusable Falcon 9 can send much more than this to TLI? Not sure what's the concern.

The worry can be on their part as if the mass increase is an increase in dry mass, the spacecraft will have quite less delta v, which means lower lifetime.

[gongora]

BTS 'Dynamite' to be tested for space internet during S. Korea's first lunar exploration

[zubenelgenubi]

https://www.ajunews.com/view/20220516132334884
Google translate:

Korea's first lunar orbiter will be launched on August 1 According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KAI) on the 16th, the Korean lunar orbiter will be launched at 8:35 am on August 1 (local time on July 31st 11:35 p.m.) It is launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida, USA on a SpaceX Falcon 9 projectile.

The time difference between Korean Standard Time and Eastern Daylight Time is 13 hours.  One of the times in the article is incorrect.

Also seeking confirmation; this is a dedicated launch?

[ccdengr]

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220523000691 says "[KPLO] will blast off at 7:37 p.m. on Aug. 2 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket into Earth’s 300-kilometer orbit."

AFAIK KPLO is the only payload on this launch, though some sources call it a piggyback for some reason.

[zubenelgenubi]

Danuri

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220523000691 says "[KPLO] will blast off at 7:37 p.m. on Aug. 2 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket into Earth’s 300-kilometer orbit."
[May 23]

Same source:

South Korea's first lunar probe mission, formally known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, has been named "Danuri," the Ministry of Science and ICT said Monday.

Danuri is a combination the two Korean words "dal" and "nuri," meaning moon and enjoy, respectively. According to the ministry, the name expresses a desire for the country's first moon mission to be successful, and for the probe to enjoy everything that the moon has to offer.

[gongora]

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1046050.html

[scr00chy]

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1046050.html

From the article:

The Falcon 9s are famous for being reusable. The rocket has already returned from five satellite launches, and the Danuri launch would be its sixth mission.
 

So I'm guessing B1052.6?

[Josh_from_Canada]

So I'm guessing B1052.6?

Either that or B1067.6, that really depends on when CRS-25 launches

[zubenelgenubi]

KPLO a.k.a Danuri?:

1066-EX-ST-2022
SpaceX Mission 1481 from LC-40 at CCAFS or LC-39A at KSC
NET Late July  [July 26]

ASDS    North  29  13  49   West  74  2  58  [nearly due east of Cape Canaveral]

[Rondaz]

The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter is on its way to Cape Canaveral. The launch is targeted on August 2nd UTC by SpaceX's Falcon 9.

Korea's first challenge towards a farther space The Danuri, Korea's first lunar probe, finished production and inspection, and started transporting it to the launch site today (5th). Danuri is scheduled to be launched on August 3, 2022 after being transported and preparing for launch for about a month at the launch site.

https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1544194702735331328

[zubenelgenubi]

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1046050.html

From the article:

The Falcon 9s are famous for being reusable. The rocket has already returned from five satellite launches, and the Danuri launch would be its sixth mission.

So I'm guessing B1052.6?

Either that or B1067.6, that really depends on when CRS-25 launches

Cross-post; my bold:

KPLO/Danuri, launching on August 2 UTC, is said will use a booster already recovered 5 times. 1067.6, if recovered successfully on July 15, likely will not be ready.  That would make 1052.6 the first stage for Danuri.

Will KARI pay for a Static Fire?  Otherwise, I presume that there will be none.

Edit August 4: No Static Fire.

Edited

[zubenelgenubi]

Confirmation of launch from Canaveral SLC-40:
Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, July 14 update:

A Falcon 9 will launch the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter from pad 40 on August 2 at 7:37pm EDT.

[wannamoonbase]

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220523000691 says "[KPLO] will blast off at 7:37 p.m. on Aug. 2 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket into Earth’s 300-kilometer orbit."

AFAIK KPLO is the only payload on this launch, though some sources call it a piggyback for some reason.

680 Kg to 300 km LEO should allow for a RTLS landing. 

Those are great to watch and really help the SpaceX turn around.

[crandles57]

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220523000691 says "[KPLO] will blast off at 7:37 p.m. on Aug. 2 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket into Earth’s 300-kilometer orbit."

AFAIK KPLO is the only payload on this launch, though some sources call it a piggyback for some reason.

680 Kg to 300 km LEO should allow for a RTLS landing. 

Those are great to watch and really help the SpaceX turn around.

Why only 300km?

After the launch, the Danuri team will cooperate with the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration to follow a ballistic lunar transfer to enter the moon's 100-kilometer orbit by December.

Is 300km
a) perigee?
b) a parking ~circular orbit prior to Falcon changing to an elliptical orbit ?
c) a ~circular orbit for separation then Danuri does all the work of going to TLI?
Edit: d) something else (like altitude at separation though that probably shouldn't be described as a 300km orbit)


If c) why not get Falcon to do more of the work?

[ccdengr]

Wouldn't read much into the 300 km, there is a still a TLI required from the Falcon upper stage.  https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/k/kplo

A launch of KPLO is scheduled for 1 August 2022 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Florida into a 300 km Earth orbit, followed by a translunar injection burn and a one month lunar transfer phase.

KPLO uses a WSB/BLT transfer but still needs a TLI.  See Belbruno and Carrico, "Calculation of Weak Stability Boundary Ballistic Lunar Transfer Trajectories", https://astrogatorsguild.com/wp-content/papers/0800_wsb.pdf