The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) will be launched in August this year and will reach the targeted lunar orbit on the 16th of December, according to an April 10 Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KAI) report.
It will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX company in Florida. It is a historic step for the South Korean’s exploration of space in 30 years since the launch of the first Korean satellite, Wooribyul-1, in 1992.
The lunar orbiter will perform various scientific and moon observation missions for a period of just one year, and will also transmit K-pop super group BTS' song "Dynamite" to Earth.
Additionally, the orbiter will carry a NASA camera and communication equipment developed by South Korea, which will prompt the country's international status on the space stage to be upgraded as it now stands in the line with such lunar explorers as Russia, the United States, China, Japan, the European Union, and India.