South Korea successfully launches third military satellite to monitor threats from North

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South Korea successfully launches third military satellite to monitor threats from North

Published: 22 Dec. 2024, 17:01

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

South Korea's third spy satellite lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 21 in this footage captured from Space X's YouTube video. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

South Korea successfully launched its third homegrown military reconnaissance satellite on Saturday, advancing its ability to swiftly and accurately identify nuclear and missile provocations from North Korea.

The satellite, part of South Korea's 425 Project, was launched at 3:24 a.m. on Saturday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the Ministry of National Defense announced Saturday night in Seoul.

Like its predecessors — with the first satellite launching on Dec. 2, 2023, and the second on April 8 — the third satellite was carried aboard Tesla CEO Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Fifty-one minutes after liftoff, at 4:15 a.m., the satellite successfully separated from the rocket and entered its target orbit. Initial contact with the ground station, confirming the mission's success, occurred approximately 2 hours and 56 minutes after launch at 6:20 a.m. The satellite will undergo operational testing over the next few months before officially beginning its surveillance and reconnaissance missions focused on North Korea.

The 425 Project, initiated seven years ago, is South Korea's plan to deploy five spy satellites by 2025, including one with electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors and four with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors. These satellites aim to complement each other to maximize their effectiveness and reinforce the country’s independent satellite network for the Kill Chain concept, which involves preemptive strikes to neutralize North Korean threats. Previously, South Korea has largely relied on satellite imagery provided by the United States.

The first spy satellite, equipped with EO/IR sensors, captures high-resolution images in daylight in a sun-synchronous orbit, passing over the Korean Peninsula twice daily, and can operate at night as well. However, it is vulnerable to weather disruptions.

The second to fifth SAR satellites utilize radar technology to detect reflections from ground targets. SAR satellites can pass over the Korean Peninsula four to six times daily. Although they require additional analysis for radar imagery, they are capable of providing images in all types of weather during the day and at night.

South Korea's third spy satellite lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 21. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]

The network is expected to be completed next year with the launch of the final two satellites, enabling the surveillance of North Korea at two-hour intervals.

Beyond the 425 Project, South Korea plans to deploy 40 to 50 small and ultra-small satellites by the early 2030s. The expanded network could reduce the surveillance interval to less than 30 minutes, a significant improvement given North Korea’s solid-fuel missile preparation time of 20 to 30 minutes.

“By using South Korea’s first cluster of reconnaissance satellites, we can increase the frequency of image acquisition and customize sensor usage to detect North Korean provocations in three dimensions,” said Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) chief Seok Jong-geon, who oversaw the third satellite launch.

North Korea launched its first reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, in November 2023, and vowed to to launch three additional satellites this year. However, after a failed attempt in May, when a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly after takeoff, the North has seemingly taken a more cautious approach.

Recent satellite imagery from Planet Labs last Thursday, analyzed by Voice of America, revealed significant progress at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri, North Phyongan. According to the images, construction of satellite assembly facilities is nearing completion and dock facilities have been expanded. However, experts say that these developments do not necessarily indicate an imminent launch.

"After the failed satellite launch in May, North Korea appears to be improving its satellite and rocket technology through Russian expertise and is modernizing its launch facilities accordingly," said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies.

"While another launch seems unlikely this year, the ongoing construction suggests North Korea is preparing to launch as soon as it is ready next year."

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]