South Korea to Launch 3rd Spy Satellite With SpaceX Amid Space Race With North

25th Oct 2024
South Korea to Launch 3rd Spy Satellite With SpaceX Amid Space Race With North

South Korea is preparing to launch its third military spy satellite. In the second half of December, it plans to launch from the United States using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Seoul Has Contracted SpaceX to Launch 5 Spy Satellites by 2025

The launch will build on a successful partnership with SpaceX, which launched two spy satellites for DAPA last December and April this year. The first satellite has electro-optical and infrared sensors to capture detailed images of the Earth’s surface. In contrast, the second is fitted with high-performance synthetic aperture radars (SAR) capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions.

Both spacecraft successfully reached the target orbit and communicated with ground stations after separation from the rocket. The satellites have now passed the space operational test programme, and the Ministry of Defence has approved their ‘combat suitability’.

Like the next two, the third satellite will be equipped with SAR sensors. The reconnaissance satellites are known to have a resolution of 0.3 to 0.5 metres, almost 100 times greater than that of North Korean satellites.

Space Race on the Korean Peninsula

South Korea launches its first military spy satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: SpaceX

Five military spy satellites are planned to be launched by 2025. South Korea’s Defence Projects Agency (DAPA) and the National Institute of Defence Sciences (ADD) are working on the project.

The primary purpose of building its satellite constellation is Seoul’s desire to expand its surveillance capabilities from space of North Korea’s missile bases, nuclear test sites and other vital facilities. Previously, South Korea relied heavily on U.S. spy and intelligence satellites when monitoring the North.

The deployment of five reconnaissance satellites in orbit will allow the South Korean military to gather intelligence information on North Korea’s main targets every two hours. This will give Seoul a strategic advantage over Pyongyang, which recently launched its satellite in violation of UN resolutions.

South Korea Aims to Develop Further Its Satellite Programme

After establishing its independent network of military spy satellites, South Korea plans to strengthen its surveillance capabilities further. In 2022, it became the 10th country in the world to successfully launch a satellite using its technology, using a domestically-built rocket to put a so-called ‘performance surveillance satellite’ into orbit.

However, experts say that using a SpaceX rocket to launch a spy satellite is cost-effective and that South Korea needs more launches to ensure the rocket’s reliability.

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