On Friday (Saturday in Manila), a SpaceX rocket launched South Korea’s first military spy satellite, marking a significant development in the space race on the Korean peninsula. This comes just a week after Pyongyang launched its own military satellite. The reconnaissance satellite, carried by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, took off from the Vandenberg US Space Force Base in California at 10:19 a.m. local time (GMT 1819 GMT).
The rocket was prominently labeled with the word “KOREA” across it, symbolizing South Korea’s achievement in space technology. According to the Yonhap news agency, the satellite successfully reached orbit shortly after the launch, signifying that South Korea now possesses its first domestically built spy satellite to monitor nuclear-armed North Korea.
As part of its strategic plans, Seoul aims to launch four additional spy satellites by the end of 2025 to enhance its reconnaissance capabilities over North Korea. The satellite is designed to orbit between 400 and 600 kilometers (250 to 370 miles) above Earth and has the ability to detect objects as small as 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), making it one of the top five globally in terms of resolution and Earth observation capacity, according to a defense ministry official quoted by Yonhap.
Previously, South Korea heavily relied on US-operated spy satellites for monitoring activities in North Korea. The successful launch of a military communications satellite earlier demonstrated South Korea’s progress in space technology, but the development of a reconnaissance satellite posed greater technological challenges, as explained by Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University.
With North Korea’s recent successful launch of its own spy satellite, it is crucial for South Korea to showcase its capabilities in this domain. Experts have pointed out that a functional reconnaissance satellite would significantly enhance North Korea’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, especially regarding South Korea, and provide crucial data in potential military conflicts.
Since the launch, North Korea has claimed that its satellite, named “Malligyong-1,” has already captured images of major US and South Korean military sites, as well as photos of Rome, Italy. However, the North has not yet released any of the satellite imagery it claims to possess.
It is worth noting that this was Pyongyang’s third attempt to put a satellite in orbit, following two failed attempts in May and August. South Korea has alleged that North Korea received technical assistance from Moscow in exchange for providing weapons for use in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
In conclusion, South Korea’s successful launch of its first military spy satellite marks a significant milestone in the country’s space program. With plans to launch additional satellites in the coming years, South Korea aims to strengthen its reconnaissance capabilities and reduce its reliance on foreign-operated satellites. This development also highlights the intensifying space race on the Korean peninsula, as both North and South Korea strive to enhance their space technologies and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Source: The Manila Times
