By Park Si-soo
South Korea's military plans to launch its first domestically-built reconnaissance satellite on November 30, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday. The satellite will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch is part of a project to place five such satellites into space by the end of 2025. The satellites will be used to monitor North Korea's nuclear and missile threats in advance.
The project has been underway since 2017, and has cost South Korea 1.2 trillion won ($910 million). State agencies and private companies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the Agency for Defense Development, and Hanwha Systems, have participated in the project.
Once the satellites are in operation, they are expected to significantly improve South Korea's three-axis deterrence system, which consists of three steps: a Kill Chain to preemptively strike the source of an attack, shooting down North Korean missiles in-flight (KAMD), and employing the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) campaign to eliminate the North's command-and-control.
The launch comes at a time when North Korea is preparing to launch its own spy satellite after two botched attempts to do so this year. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that it is unlikely that North Korea will launch its satellite in the next two weeks, but that it is possible at the end of this month.
Shin also said that North Korea is probably receiving support from Russia's military and scientists. He said that this may be the reason why North Korea has not tried for a third launch before the end of October, as it had originally planned.
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South Korea to Launch First Spy Satellite on November 30
By Park Si-sooSouth Korea's military plans to launch its first domestically-built reconnaissance satellite on November 30, the Defense Ministry announced on Mo
www.sankyungtoday.com
