South Korea’s Maiden Spy Satellite Launched via SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket
In a historic moment, South Korea successfully launched its inaugural homegrown spy satellite into orbit using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The liftoff occurred at 10:19 p.m. on Friday Pacific time from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Approximately 2 minutes and 18 seconds after liftoff, the satellite’s first propellant was separated, followed by the detachment of the satellite cover at 2 minutes and 44 seconds into the launch. Subsequently, the satellite’s second propellant was separated, and after a span of 12 minutes, the satellite entered its designated orbit. The first communication between the satellite and the Korean ground base is anticipated shortly.
This satellite marks the initial deployment in a series of five military reconnaissance satellites planned by the Korean government under the Program 425 mission, with a targeted completion by 2025. The initiative is a collaboration between Korea’s Agency for Defense Development, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and private sector partners, Korea Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Aerospace.
Equipped with a high-resolution imaging system, the satellite will play a crucial role in monitoring North Korean threats in near real-time, focusing on facilities like missile bases and nuclear testing sites. It is integral to South Korea’s kill chain defense system.
Launched into low orbit with an altitude ranging between 400 and 600 kilometers, the satellite boasts an electro-optical infrared telescope featuring a remarkable 30-centimeter resolution, allowing detailed imaging of objects measuring 30 by 30 centimeters. This places South Korea among the select group of nations, including the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and France, possessing satellites equipped with such telescopes.
Stabilizing the satellite is anticipated to take a minimum of four months, with full reconnaissance missions projected to commence early next year. The second satellite, scheduled for an April 2024 launch, will feature a more advanced high-performance synthetic aperture radar (SAR), immune to atmospheric interference.
This achievement signifies South Korea’s move toward self-reliance in satellite development, eliminating the reliance on images provided by the United States. It follows the July 2020 launch of the military-exclusive telecommunication satellite, Anasis-II, through a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
North Korea, in a parallel move, launched its reconnaissance satellite on November 21, claiming to have captured images of significant South Korean and U.S. military bases, including the Pentagon and aircraft carriers. However, the North Korean satellite, Malligyong-1, has yet to release the purported images.
Less than one hour until Falcon 9’s launch of the Korea 425 mission from California. All systems and weather are looking good for liftoff pic.twitter.com/2fccZWfAyM
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 1, 2023