SEOUL: South Korea is set to launch its third military reconnaissance satellite in December as part of its continued efforts to enhance surveillance capabilities over North Korea, the state arms procurement agency announced. This development marks a significant step in Seoul’s strategic plan to deploy a fleet of five spy satellites by 2025, using a SpaceX rocket for the launch.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated that the satellite is scheduled to be launched in the third or fourth week of December. The agency is coordinating with SpaceX on the launch details. The initiative is part of South Korea’s strategy to transition from relying on United States-provided satellite imagery to having its own space-based monitoring system.
The initial two military satellites were launched by South Korea in December of last year and in April, both aboard SpaceX rockets. The first satellite is equipped with an electro-optical and infrared sensor for capturing detail
ed images of the Earth’s surface, while the second satellite carries synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors that can collect data irrespective of weather conditions. The remaining four satellites in the series will all be equipped with SAR sensors.
Once operational, the full constellation of five satellites is expected to enable South Korea’s military to monitor specific targets in North Korea every two hours. Additionally, South Korea plans to augment its surveillance capabilities by launching smaller reconnaissance satellites weighing less than 500 kilograms between 2026 and 2028, and even smaller satellites under 100 kilograms between 2028 and 2030. These smaller satellites will be launched aboard homegrown solid-fuel space rockets.