South Korea’s military satellite program continues with fourth launch into orbit

South Korea has successfully launched its fourth military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. The launch took place from a U.S. base in Florida, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite into space.

Korean media reports that this is the fourth of the five planned reconnaissance satellites being launched as part of South Korea’s Ministry of Defence program, which spans from 2023 to 2025, per Caliber.Az.

The launch occurred on the evening of April 21 (U.S. time) from the Space Force station at Cape Canaveral, with the satellite reaching orbit just 15 minutes after liftoff.

“We plan to confirm whether the satellite is operating normally through communication with the ground station,” the company added.

This radar satellite, featuring Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, is the fourth military satellite launched under South Korea’s plan to deploy five spy satellites by the end of the year. The goal is to enhance monitoring of North Korea and reduce South Korea’s reliance on satellite images from the United States.

South Korea launched its first reconnaissance satellite in December 2023, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of producing high-resolution imagery. In 2024, two additional satellites were launched, featuring SAR sensors that gather data regardless of weather conditions.

Seoul plans to launch the fifth satellite, also equipped with SAR sensors, later this year.

“It is expected that, after all five satellites are in orbit, South Korea will be able to monitor North Korea every two hours,” Yonhap reported.

In November 2023, South Korea suspended its participation in a military agreement with North Korea following the launch of its “spy satellite.”

By Tamilla Hasanova