The South Korean military has successfully launched another surveillance satellite into space at a time of intensifying tensions with North Korea.
This marks the third time Seoul has placed a domestically-built spy satellite into orbit within just a year, following launches in December 2023 and April 2024.
According to the South Korean defense ministry, the space asset was launched on Saturday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
It was deployed into orbit at exactly 9:24 p.m. and established communication with an overseas ground station at 11:30 p.m., confirming the mission’s success.
The Asian nation plans two more military spy satellite launches by the end of 2025.
Monitoring the North
South Korea’s push to deploy its own reconnaissance satellites comes as tensions with North Korea continue to rise.
For years, Seoul has relied on US space assets to monitor North Korean military activities.
With three satellites now in orbit, South Korea is expected to gain greater autonomy in monitoring Pyongyang, which is intensifying efforts to expand its weapons arsenal in preparation for potential conflict.
The satellites may also play a role in tracking the growing ties between North Korea and Russia.
In November 2023, North Korea claimed to have successfully launched its own spy satellite after multiple failed attempts. Its leader, Kim Jong Un, revealed that the satellite had already captured images of the White House and Pentagon in Washington.
