At 6:17 a.m. on April 8 (Hanoi time), South Korea's second domestic military reconnaissance satellite was launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida.
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| A South Korean spy satellite awaits launch at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7. (Source: Yonhap) |
This is the second military satellite launched under South Korea's plan to have five medium and large-sized reconnaissance satellites by 2025 to more effectively monitor North Korea.
South Korea's first spy satellite - equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors to capture detailed images of the Earth's surface - was launched into orbit from a US Space Force base in California on a SpaceX rocket last December.
The satellite has been capturing high-resolution images of Pyongyang and is expected to enter its full mission phase in early June.
The newly launched satellite will be equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor to collect microwave data and is capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions. The remaining three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors.
In addition to these five satellites, South Korean defense agencies are said to be looking to acquire about 50 to 60 small and micro-sized reconnaissance satellites by 2030, which are expected to provide data on the Korean Peninsula every 30 minutes, or faster.
The latest launch comes as North Korea seeks to acquire space reconnaissance capabilities.
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