S. KOREA'S FIRST LUNAR EXPLORER

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's first homegrown space rocket Nuri is set to be launched next month with a real man-made satellite on board. In early August Korea will also launch its first lunar explorer dubbed Danuri. Its name represents the country's wish to explorer the Moon to the fullest.

[Pkg]

Korea's first lunar orbiter has been named the Danuri. Its name was selected through a public contest. Final touches are currently being made to prepare for the orbiter's launch.

[Soundbite] Kim Dae-kwan(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) : "The completion of the first-stage assembly test means the most dangerous part has been overcome."

Once the assembly is over, the Danuri will be transported to the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida, USA. It will be launched into space on August 3rd Korea time aboard the Space X Falcon 9 rocket. The orbiter will travel close to the Sun before entering the lunar orbit some time in December. That's when its mission is to begin in earnest. It will find a landing spot for the Korean lunar lander to be launched in 2030, and work with NASA to find out if there is ice on the Moon.

[Soundbite] Kim Dae-kwan(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) : "The first challenge is whether it will be able to enter the designated orbit. Once its six devices operate normally, our ultimate goal will be accomplished."

A deep space network has been set up in Korea to act as a guide for lunar orbiters. Deep space networks can trace lunar orbiters up to 1.5 million km away from the Earth in real time via large antennas measuring 35 m in diameter.

[Soundbite] Park Deok-jong(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) : "The network will monitor the lunar orbiter and issue orders. They will be transmitted to check the orbiter's condition."

The upcoming launches of the first Korean homegrown space rocket Nuri and the first lunar explorer Danuri are expected to write a new chapter in the nation's space development history.