"South Korea Asked to Solve the Moon's '3 Great Mysteries' [Reading Science]"

7 Days Left Until Launch of Korea's First Lunar Orbiter 'Danuri'
International Journals and Global Scientists Highlight Expectations
"May Unveil the Identity of the Moon's Unique Terrain 'Yojung-ui Tap'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "Everyone is excited."

As South Korea's first celestial exploration project, the lunar orbiter 'Danuri,' prepares for launch, the international scientific community is expressing high expectations. It is anticipated that through various scientific explorations conducted for the first time in history, the still unfamiliar secrets of the Moon will be thoroughly examined. In particular, Danuri is expected to achieve three major objectives: uncovering the nature of the Moon's unique terrain known as the 'Fairy castles,' solving the mystery of the formation of its magnetic field, and confirming the presence of water in permanently shadowed regions for humanity's second lunar landing.

The international academic journal Nature published a lengthy analytical article on the 28th (local time) detailing the six scientific exploration instruments onboard Danuri and conveyed the expectations of scientists worldwide.

Nature especially reported that global scientists have high hopes for the wide-field polarization camera (PolCam) developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. By precisely observing the lunar surface, it is expected to solve long-standing questions about mysterious structures observed during the U.S. Apollo project, specifically the so-called 'Fairy castles.' Rachel Klima, a research geologist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said, "While polarization cameras have been widely used for Earth observation, this is the first time they will be used to photograph the lunar surface, enabling measurements of the size and density of rocks and lunar dust particles." She added, "The results from PolCam could help study the strange structures on the lunar surface known as 'Fairy castles.'"

The 'Fairy castles' were discovered in photographs of the lunar surface taken from 160 km above during the Apollo missions. They are small, tall, twisted tower-like structures resembling braided shapes. The name comes from their resemblance to castles where fairies in cartoons might live. Because such structures cannot be reproduced in places with strong gravity like Earth, scientists have had difficulty studying their nature.

The observations from the polarization camera are also expected to provide detailed insights into the Moon's formation process and geological structure. William Farrand, a researcher at the U.S. Space Science Institute, explained, "(Danuri's polarization camera) is a groundbreaking tool," adding, "It will study volcanic ash deposits on the Moon and provide data to enhance understanding of the processes behind lunar lava eruptions."

Expectations are also high for the permanently shadowed region camera (ShadowCam) developed by NASA. Researcher Klima stated, "Volatile substances such as water delivered by comets since the Moon's formation are likely cooled and preserved in permanently shadowed regions," adding, "It is expected to identify places where ice is buried, which will be important information for future lunar landing explorations."

The magnetic field camera produced by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources is also anticipated to solve another lunar mystery. The Moon's core is a small, cold metal mass, making it impossible to generate a magnetic field through core rotation like Earth. However, strong magnetic fields have been observed in various locations on the lunar surface. Scientists believe that by analyzing Danuri's magnetic field measurement data to understand the overall distribution of the Moon's magnetic field, they may be able to solve this mystery.

Accordingly, some scientists hope that after Danuri's expected lifespan of two to three years, it will be deliberately crashed onto the lunar surface. Ian Garrick-Bethell, a professor at the University of California, said, "The Moon's core may have been active for hundreds of millions of years in the past, generating a strong magnetic field," adding, "If we can approach within 20 km of the lunar surface, the most exciting research results that could unlock these secrets might emerge."

Meanwhile, the Danuri launch, originally scheduled for the morning of the 3rd of next month (Korean time), is expected to be delayed by two days to around 8:08 a.m. on the 5th due to additional inspections of the launch vehicle, SpaceX's Falcon 9.