South Korea Plans to Launch First Military Spy Satellite

All Representative Images: Reuters, SpaceX

A Better Monitoring of North Korea 

South Korea said that it plans to launch its first military spy satellite to better monitor North Korea, which has been expanding the arsenal of its nuclear weapons. 

Satellite to be Launched from California on Nov 30 

Defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha Gyu told reporters that the satellite would be launched from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 30. The country currently has no military spy satellites and has been relying on American satellites to monitor North Korea.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to carry satellite 

The spy satellite will be carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The government has said that Seoul is in a contract with SpaceX, under which it plans to launch four more satellites by 2025. 

Satellite to Strengthen Overall Defence against N. Korea 

An expert told the news agency Associated Press that the spy satellite-when operated with South Korea’s three-axis system would sharply strengthen overall defence against Pyongyang.