The South Korean Ministry of National Defence and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) have announced the successful launch of the country’s fourth military reconnaissance satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Station in the US.
The satellite, which was carried by a Falcon 9 launch vehicle, separated normally approximately 15 minutes after liftoff and achieved its target orbit.
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Around 56 minutes post-launch, the satellite established successful communication with the ground station, confirming its operational status.
This latest addition to South Korea’s reconnaissance capabilities is equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), similar to the technology on satellites two and three, which allows for high-resolution imaging in all weather conditions and during both day and night.
The satellite will undergo a space orbit test to verify its performance, led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).
Following this, the military will conduct an operational test and evaluation before the satellite commences its surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
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By GlobalDataThe enhanced capabilities provided by the fourth satellite are expected to identify provocations from North Korea more accurately.
This is due to the reduced revisit cycle made possible by the swarm operation of the reconnaissance satellites, which now includes the first three launched satellites.
DAPA head and launch management unit head and Seok Jong-geon said: “Following the successful launch of the 4th satellite this time, we plan to launch all military reconnaissance satellites by the end of this year, and if we launch the ultra-small satellite currently under development in the future, our military will be able to establish its own space power and leap forward as a strong national defence space force.
“In addition, we will continue to make efforts to build a domestic ground launch site to enhance our space operation capabilities and to be able to launch satellites using launch vehicles developed with our own technology.”
The development of the fourth military reconnaissance satellite represents a collaborative effort between the ADD and domestic companies, with DAPA overseeing the project management.
This project strengthens South Korea’s military surveillance as well as contributes to the accumulation of domestic satellite development experience.
The launch follows ADD’s recent demonstration of AI-based photonic radar technology, which has the potential to detect and identify small-scale aircraft, such as drones.
