The rocket carrying the Korean military's fourth reconnaissance satellite on April 21 is launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
By Charles Audouin
The military has launched its fourth military reconnaissance satellite into space.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on April 22 said in a statement, "The nation's fourth military reconnaissance satellite successfully separated from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle about 15 minutes after liftoff and entered its target orbit, and some 56 minutes later, it successfully established communication with the ground station."
The rocket carrying the satellite blasted off on April 21 at 8:48 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Space orbit testing under the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) will verify the satellite's performance, followed by an operational test evaluation by the military before beginning full-scale surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The statement added, "The successful launch of the fourth military reconnaissance satellite means that our military has secured additional independent surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. This will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen kill chain (preemptive attack) capacity by bolstering core strategic assets that form the foundation of Korea's three-axis defense system."
The military's fourth reconnaissance satellite stands on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Jointly developed by ADD and a domestic company, the satellite has the same imaging radar like its second and third editions, enabling the capture of ultra-high-resolution images regardless of weather.
The three reconnaissance satellites put into orbit earlier means the government can detect signs of North Korean provocations more accurately and quickly.
The first satellite was launched in December 2023, followed last year by the second in April and the third in December.
DAPA said, "With the successful launch this time of the fourth satellite, our plan is to launch all military reconnaissance satellites by year's end, and after launching ultra-small satellites under development later, our military can self-develop its space capacity and take a huge leap toward becoming a strong space power in national defense."
caudouin@korea.kr
