South Korea Set to Deploy Third Indigenous Military Spy Satellite
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Seoul, Dec 21 (NationPress) South Korea is preparing to launch its third indigenous military spy satellite from a US space facility on Saturday as part of its initiative to strengthen surveillance against North Korea.
The satellite is slated to take off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 3:34 a.m. (local time) aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Should the launch be successful, it will represent South Korea's third military spy satellite in orbit, under a strategy to deploy five medium- to large-sized spy satellites by 2025 to enhance monitoring of the North.
Last December, South Korea successfully launched its first spy satellite, which is equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors designed to capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, from the California space base.
In April, the nation successfully placed its second spy satellite into orbit, which is outfitted with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors capable of gathering data using microwaves, unaffected by weather conditions, from John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida.
The third satellite, along with the remaining two, will also be equipped with SAR sensors.
Officials in South Korea's defense sector anticipate that the forthcoming launch will significantly fortify the military's three-pronged deterrence strategy against the nuclear and missile threats posed by the North.
Defense Acquisition Programme Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun, overseeing the launch, stated that the coordinated operation of these satellites will empower the military to better detect indications of provocations from North Korea.
This launch occurs in the context of North Korea increasing its own efforts to develop space-based reconnaissance capabilities.
In November 2023, Pyongyang successfully launched its first military spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, and has committed to launching three additional spy satellites within this year.
However, North Korea has yet to execute a successful satellite launch since a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly after liftoff in May.
