Somali Magazine – South Korea has announced plans to launch spy satellite at the end of November, aiming to monitor their rival North Korea, which has expanded its arsenal of ballistic missiles.
On Monday, Jeon Ha Gyu, a spokesperson for the South Korean Defense Ministry, informed the press that the country is on its final lap to launch the first military satellite at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 30. The satellite will later be carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
South Korea’s spooky plans for their rival (North Korea) come amid N. Korea’s failure to launch its own satellite in October due to ‘technical issues’. North Korea has made three attempts but has unsuccessfully managed to launch the spy satellite due to technical reasons.
On the other hand, South Korea has no military reconnaissance satellites, and it relies on U.S. spy satellites to monitor North Korea.
The successful attempt by South Korea to launch the spy satellite will help strengthen the country’s overall defense against North Korean attacks. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, says the spy satellite, together with South Korea’s so-called three-axis system—preemptive strike, missile defense, and retaliatory assets—will leave the country untouched.
Being a Russian ally, North Korea has been accused by her neighbor, South Korea, of sending missiles, ammunition, and shells to Russia in the fight against Ukraine. A South Korean spy agency said North Korea shipped more than a million artillery shells to Russia.
Last week, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korea is likely getting some technological support from Russia for its spy satellite launch program. South Korea and the U.S., among other foreign states, believe that North Korea is seeking sophisticated weapons technology from Russia in return for supplying lethal weapons for Russia’s war with Ukraine. However, both Russia and North Korea have denied the arms accusations, claiming they lack grounds.
South Korea, under a contract with SpaceX, plans to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, according to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
Last year, South Korea used a homemade rocket to place what it called a “performance observation satellite” in orbit, becoming the world’s 10th nation to successfully launch a satellite with its own technology.
According to observers, South Korea’s 2022 launch demonstrated that it can launch a satellite heavier than the spy satellite, but more tests are needed to assure the rocket’s reliability. Lee also stated that using a SpaceX rocket to launch the spy satellite from the Vandenberg station is considerably more cost effective.