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South Korea Intensifies Space Race with North Korea, Launches First Spy Satellite

Eugene Park Views  

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The first military reconnaissance satellite to be operated by the South Korean military is being launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA./Provided by SpaceX

Our military’s first military reconnaissance satellite has successfully entered orbit and communicated. With the successful launch of this reconnaissance satellite, it is evaluated that the foundation for maximizing the Kill Chain in the Korean-style 3-axis system has been established.

According to the military authorities, this reconnaissance satellite, which has a 0.3m-class resolution that can identify a 30cm object on the ground, is more than 100 times more precise than the North Korean reconnaissance satellite known as 3m-class.

The Ministry of National Defense reported that on the 3rd, the first military reconnaissance satellite was launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, in the early morning of the previous day, the 2nd. Falcon-9 is a two-stage liquid propulsion (kerosene + liquid oxygen) rocket, and the launch vehicle successfully communicated with overseas ground stations about 1 hour and 18 minutes later at around 4:37 a.m. and communicated with domestic ground stations at around 9:47 a.m. The satellite is anticipated to become operational in the first half of next year, with plans to monitor its operating status and fine-tune the focus of its images.

With the successful launch of this satellite, the military authorities have gained the Kill Chain system. The Kill Chain is a strategy designed to block attacks by preemptively striking targets within 30 minutes upon detecting signs of North Korean provocation through surveillance and reconnaissance assets focused on North Korea. The effectiveness of this strategy increases with the number of reconnaissance satellites and the higher their camera resolution, as this allows for more detailed information gathering while orbiting the Earth on a predetermined path.

The military authorities plan to continuously develop and launch satellites that will be operated in a complementary manner with the first reconnaissance satellite. Through the so-called “425 project,” by 2025, they plan to secure five reconnaissance satellites, including four high-performance image radar (SAR) satellites and one electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) satellite, to monitor and patrol specific points in North Korea every two hours.

SAR satellites produce images by synthesizing signal data reflected after they send electromagnetic waves to ground targets, allowing them to observe the North Korean region in any weather. In contrast, EO and IR satellites can capture more precise images than SAR satellites, but heavy cloud cover can hinder their surveillance capabilities since they are weather-dependent.

Meanwhile, North Korea announced last month that it had operated the Manrikyong-1, which it had launched, from the ‘Reconnaissance Satellite Operation Room’ of the National Aerospace Technology Administration’s Pyongyang Comprehensive Control Center, but even with improved camera technology, it would not reach the sub-meter level (identifying objects less than 1m in width and length), according to military officials.

On the other hand, Kim Myung Soo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ordered preemptive action and subsequent reporting in case the enemy (North Korea) provoked in the air, taking advantage of our side’s suspension of the ‘9·19 South-North Military Agreement’ no-fly zone during his inspection of the military readiness posture in the western and central front lines of our military yesterday.

By. Park Young Hoon

Eugene Park
content@www.kangnamtimes.com

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