According to Reuters on December 1, the "Falcon 9" rocket of the U.S. Space Exploration Technology Corporation (SpaceX) launched South Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on December 1. Earlier, the DPRK successfully launched its own military reconnaissance satellite last month.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said the satellite was put into orbit and "successfully established communication with an overseas ground station" more than an hour after launch.
At 10:19 a.m. Pacific Time (18:19 GMT), the rocket was launched. A few minutes later, SpaceX ended its livestream of the mission, but did not show the deployment of the South Korean payload.
In May this year, South Korea used its domestically produced "World" carrier rocket to launch a satellite capable of carrying out missions into orbit for the first time. But South Korea has signed a contract with the American company SpaceX to launch a total of five spy satellites by 2025 to accelerate the goal of 24-hour surveillance of the Korean Peninsula.
"With the successful launch of this military satellite, our military has acquired independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities," South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement. "The ROK side is also developing a microsatellite system project for rapid monitoring and early warning.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense also said: "In order to achieve an overwhelming advantage in the competition with North Korea, the ability to independently monitor and reconnoiter assets will be maximized." ”
The satellite launched on Friday is an optoelectronic and infrared device, while the next four satellites will be equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that can penetrate clouds and "see" targets at night.
South Korea has long relied on its U.S. allies for satellite intelligence, but is also planning to launch a series of reconnaissance and military communications satellites as part of its broader space operations.
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