Home > National > Defense

S. Korea to launch 3rd homegrown military spy satellite

Published: 21 Dec. 2024, 11:13 Updated: 21 Dec. 2024, 12:09

A rocket carrying South Korea's third military spy satellite takes off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 8. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]

South Korea will launch its third domestically developed military spy satellite from a U.S. space center on Saturday in an effort to bolster its surveillance capabilities against North Korea.

The satellite is scheduled to lift off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 3:34 a.m. on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

If the launch succeeds, it would mark the entry of South Korea's third military spy satellite into orbit under a plan to acquire five medium- to large-sized spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor the North.

South Korea launched its first spy satellite in December last year from the California space base.

That satellite is equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors to capture detailed images of the Earth's surface.

In April, the country launched a second spy satellite fitted with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into orbit from John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida.

SAR sensors, which capture data using microwaves and are capable of collecting information regardless of weather conditions, have also been fitted to the third and remaining two satellites.

South Korea's defense authorities expect the upcoming launch to further enhance the military's deterrence strategy against the North's nuclear and missile threats.

Defense Acquisition Program Administration chief Seok Jong-gun, who is overseeing the third launch, said joint operation of multiple satellites will enable the South Korean military to better identify signs of North Korea's provocations.

The latest launch comes as North Korea has also been ramping up efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance capabilities.

Pyongyang launched its first military spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November 2023. The regime has vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year.

However, North Korea has yet to launch another since a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly after takeoff in May.

Yonhap