South Korea successfully launched its first spy satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday (Dec 1), days after arch-enemy North Korea did the same.
The satellite was placed in orbit by the powerful rocket, a little over an hour after the launch. Notably, SpaceX stopped their livestream after stage separation at the request of today’s customers; no views of the rocket’s second stage were offered.
South Korea’s defence ministry issued an update saying it had “successfully established communication with an overseas ground station”.
“With this successful launch of the military satellite, our military has secured independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,” the ministry said.
It added that the satellite would help the country gain an overwhelming advantage in competition with North Korea. Notably, the Friday launch was the first of the five satellites that SpaceX has been contracted to launch by 2025.
The South Korean satellite is called 425 Project EO/IR and weighs 800 kg in mass. It has infrared (heat-seeking wavelengths) as well as electro-optical capabilities. The subsequent satellites are expected to feature synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which can “see” through cloud cover and at night.
South Korea’s answer to Pyongyang’s advances
Up until now, Seoul had relied on its American allies for satellite reconnaissance which left it short in certain situations. However, the move was necessitated after Pyongyang claimed in November that it had successfully placed its “Malligyong-1” spy satellite in orbit.
Since the launch of the satellite, North Korea has claimed that its leader Kim Jong Un had reviewed spy satellite photos of Seoul, the White House, the Pentagon and US aircraft carriers at the naval base of Norfolk.
There has been a significant change in attitude from Pyongyang ever since it deployed the satellite. On Friday, Kim Jong Un, called for the military to be prepared for any provocation by enemies, referring to South Korea and the US.
Wary of the enemies, Pyongyang has vowed to deploy armed forces and weapons in large numbers on its border with the South. A day earlier, Kim visited the Air Force headquarters and rolled out operational strategic guidelines to improve the military’s readiness and war capabilities.
(With inputs from agencies)
