KBS Documentary Insight (Thursday at 10 PM KBS 1TV) “The Sea of ​​Silence, Opening the MOON” Fierce competition in lunar exploration around the world! South Korea jumps into the middle of the Sea of ​​Silence A new challenge toward a new space continent The countdown to the launch of South Korea’s first lunar probe ‘Danuri’ has begun! ▶ Child actress Park So-yi shows the expansion of South Korea’s space territorial rights! South Korea’s lunar probe ‘Danuri’ to be launched on August 3, 2022. A probe made with our own technology will be the first to escape Earth’s gravity and take its first step into deep space. South Korea’s space age to begin with Danuri! We get a glimpse into South Korea’s future in space through Park So-yi, the future generation who visited the moon in 2070. What will human life in space look like? A world where humans can stay in a permanent lunar base, collect resources from the moon, utilize them, and make video calls with Earth via space internet. In the age of space exploration, what kind of life will our technology give the next generation and what kind of dreams will they have? ▶ South Korea's first experimental lunar orbiter, Danuri (KPLO) Danuri is an unmanned probe that flies at an altitude of 100km and performs a lunar observation mission. It consists of a main body measuring 1.82m in width, 2.14m in length, and 2.29m in height and six payloads. Along with the Shadow Cam, which will search for landing sites for astronauts participating in the 'Artemis Project', the US's manned lunar exploration project that is resuming after 50 years, five types of payloads made with our technology were loaded onto Danuri. The payloads are the High-Resolution Camera (LUTI) developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Wide-field Polarimetric Camera (PolCam) developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Magnetic Field Gauge (KMAG) developed by Kyung Hee University, Gamma-ray Spectrometer (KGRS) developed by Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Space Internet Payload (DTNPL) developed by Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and Permanently Shadowed Area Camera (SHC) developed by NASA and Arizona State University. Five out of the six payloads were made with South Korean technology. Danuri is currently a culmination of South Korea's cutting-edge science and technology. ▶ Status of South Korea, an emerging space power that launched the seventh lunar probe in the world The United States has been promoting the Artemis program, a manned lunar landing program, again since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. South Korea is also participating in the project as the tenth Artemis Accord country. Beyond the national level, private startups have also been actively participating in space exploration recently. The New Space era is opening up the 'space economy' with innovation, challenge, and new growth opportunities. In the midst of this, the world's attention is focused on Korea, which is about to make its first challenge to the moon. So far, the only countries that have succeeded in unmanned lunar landings are the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, and the six countries that have succeeded in lunar orbital exploration are the United States, the former Soviet Union, Japan, Europe, China, and India, followed by Korea. ▶ The center of future resource competition: the moon, and beyond to Mars Why is the world paying attention to the moon? It is because it is a new battlefield for future economic hegemony and a treasure trove of resources that must be developed and preempted. Helium-3, a rare resource evenly distributed on the lunar surface, can provide the same energy efficiency as 40 tons of coal with just 1g. This is why China has recently become enthusiastic about lunar exploration. China's unmanned lunar probe Chang'e 5 brought back lunar soil in 2020. The moon, which no one owns, can be owned by anyone. The rich resources within it draw the attention of the world to the moon. South Korea plans to create a map of the moon's resources through Danuri. Dr. Kim Kyung-ja of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources says that there may be water that humans can use underground on the moon. She added that South Korea will create the most reliable water map by analyzing the elements of volcanic eruptions on the moon using the gamma-ray spectrometer mounted on Danuri. Another reason the moon is receiving attention is because it has great value as a forward base for advancing to Mars. Amid concerns that the lifespan of Earth is not long, humans dream of migrating to another planet. That is, Mars. The plan to migrate to Mars, which is millions of kilometers away from Earth, has further highlighted the existence of the 'moon'. As the construction of a lunar base and resource utilization are becoming visible, the moon is rapidly gaining value as a key axis for deep space exploration. The moon