On Saturday, December 2nd, South Korea officially confirmed the successful deployment of its inaugural military spy satellite into orbit, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s space capabilities. The achievement followed a flawless launch facilitated by one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets from the Vandenberg US Space Force Base in California at 10:19 am local time on Friday.
The reconnaissance satellite, prominently adorned with the label “KOREA,” swiftly reached orbit, separating from the launch vehicle just 11 minutes after liftoff and promptly establishing communication with ground control. This successful endeavor places South Korea in the elite group of nations with indigenous spy satellite technology, aimed at monitoring the activities of its nuclear-armed neighbor, North Korea.
The South Korean defense ministry outlined its plans to further enhance its reconnaissance capabilities by launching four additional spy satellites by the conclusion of 2025. These satellites are designed to orbit at altitudes ranging from 400km to 600km above Earth, equipped with the ability to detect objects as small as 30cm, according to reports from the Yonhap news agency.
Defense ministry
A defense ministry official highlighted the technological prowess of South Korea’s satellite, asserting that, “Considering resolution and its capacity for Earth observation … our satellite technology ranks in the top five globally.” Remarkably, this accomplishment signifies a departure from South Korea’s historical reliance on US-operated spy satellites for monitoring North Korea.
The triumphant launch of South Korea’s military communications satellite occurred just shy of two weeks before North Korea deployed its own reconnaissance satellite. Despite South Korea’s proven competence in launching military communications satellites, the creation and launch of a reconnaissance satellite presented more formidable technological hurdles. Notably, Professor Choi Gi-il, an expert in military studies at Sangji University, elucidated that the historical dependence on US-operated spy satellites for monitoring North Korea is undergoing a transformation with the notable strides in satellite technology achieved by South Korea. This shift, in essence, marks a significant milestone in the nation’s pursuit of autonomous and advanced space capabilities.