Look at What Nasas Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Just Caught Speeding in Orbit Around the Moon
The identity of a strange-looking, speeding object captured in images by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter last month has now been revealed.
The Debrief 8:09 pm on April 10, 2024
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of South Korea's first lunar orbiter, Danuri, as they passed each other in opposite directions in March 2024. Due to their high speeds and parallel orbits, Danuri appeared elongated and larger than its actual size in the LRO images. The LRO operations team at Goddard Space Flight Center successfully obtained these images through precise timing. Danuri is designed to operate for one year and may enter an extended phase, lowering its orbit to just 70 km above the lunar surface.
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter in March 2024
- The two orbiters passed each other while traveling in opposite directions and in almost parallel orbits
- Danuri appeared elongated due to the high relative speeds between the two spacecraft
- Perfect timing was required for LRO to capture these images
- Danuri is designed for a one-year mission but may enter an extended phase and descend closer to the lunar surface
https://thedebrief.org/look-at-what-nasas-lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-just-caught-speeding-in-orbit-around-the-moon/