KPLO and ShadowCam Arrive at Cape Canaveral

Image of the KPLO shipping container being transported from the B-747 airliner to the Orlando International Airport building.
The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter arrives in Orlando, Florida on July 6, ready for integration with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket! Image courtesy of KARI.

The Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) spacecraft arrived at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Orlando, Florida on 6 July. The spacecraft was transported from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in an environmentally controlled shipping container onboard a B-747 airliner. The Korean satellite was then delivered to the SpaceX facilities at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) where it is currently preparing for integration with the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

An image of the KPLO shipping container being carefully unloaded from the B-747 airliner at the Orlando International Airport on July 6.
KPLO patiently awaits its turn to be removed from the B-747 airliner at the Orlando International Airport on July 6. Image courtesy of KARI.
An image of the KPLO shipping container being transported between the B-747 aircraft and the Orlando International Airport.
KPLO transferring from ramp cargo loader to truck - next stop Cape Canaveral! Image courtesy of KARI.

After KPLO is properly integrated with the rocket and all pre-launch tests are successful, the spacecraft will be ready for launch! The launch is currently scheduled for August 4th from Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket will place the spacecraft into a low-Earth parking orbit where KPLO and ShadowCam will begin their four-month journey to the Moon. After KPLO reaches the Moon and maneuvers into a nominal 100 km orbit, the project's year-long primary mission to investigate the lunar environment will commence.

Image of KARI team members, ShadowCam members, Johnson Space Center and NASA Headquarters members at Kennedy Space Center as KPLO prepares for integration.
Members of KARI, ShadowCam, Johnson Space Center, and NASA Headquarters at Kennedy Space Center as KPLO prepares for integration. Image courtesy of KARI.

KARI recently gave KPLO the nickname Danuri (다누리), a combination of two Korean words, dal (달) which means Moon and nurida (누리다), which means enjoy. The ShadowCam team couldn't agree more as we prepare for our exciting journey to the Moon with NASA and KARI. We encourage you to join ShadowCam at Arizona State University for a launch viewing event, view the launch live on the SpaceX live stream, or in person with public spectators across Cape Canaveral. 

Launch Details
Day & Time: Thursday, August 4 at 7:08 p.m. EST (23:08 UTC)
Location: Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Launch Viewing @ ASU
Start Time: Thursday, August 4 at 3 p.m. MST
Location: Marston Exploration Theater, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU

Visit the SpaceX YouTube channel for live launch streams prior to the launch.

Posted by Rick Hoppe on 15 July 2022