Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Military reconnaissance satellite No. 2 is successfully launched

The satellite is equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to capture high-resolution images

It further strengthens kill chain capability

Minister Shin Won Sik said it has an “overwhelming intelligence advantage over the North”

On the morning of April 8 (KST), South Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite, No. 2, is being launched at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States. The satellite was successfully placed in orbit. Provided by SpaceX

There were roars of applause at 8:17 a.m. on April 8 in the conference room of the Defense Ministry in Yongsan, Seoul when military reconnaissance satellite No. 2 was successfully launched. The scene is now set for the further strengthening of the South Korean military’s independent reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. Defense Minister Shin Won Sik, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo, and other military officers and journalists covering Defense Ministry affairs all joined together to celebrate and share the successful launch.

Thirty minutes before the launch, related staff and personnel began to gather in this conference room to watch the launch of military reconnaissance satellite No. 2.

Large screens in the front of the conference room and eight square TV monitors showed a live feed of Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the launch took place. At the launch complex, the Falcon 9, the launch vehicle of Space Ⅹ equipped with reconnaissance satellite No. 2, was already erected. Numerous signals were heard on the screen as the final conditions were checked.

The countdown finally began, and the Falcon 9 rocket was launched at 8:17 a.m. KST, blasting flames into space against the dark sky over Florida.

The Falcon 9 consists of a two-stage booster configuration. The first stage separated 2 minutes and 28 seconds after launch, and the payload fairing, which protects the satellite, separated 47 seconds later. As the atmospheric density decreased with increasing altitude, the flames on the screen appeared blurred.

The satellite separated from the second stage and entered its target orbit at 9:02 a.m., 45 minutes after launch. It then communicated with a ground station at 10:57 a.m., about two hours and 40 minutes after launch, confirming that the launch was successful.

The Minister of National Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration officially announced that at 8:17 a.m. KST (April 7, 7:17 p.m. local time), “Our military reconnaissance satellite No. 2 was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was placed in the target orbit, and confirmed to be in stable condition.”

The announcement continued, “With the successful launch of military reconnaissance satellite No. 2, South Korean military has secured independent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, thereby strengthening the kill chain capacity as an enhancement that underpins ROK 3K Defense.”

Satellite No. 2 was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and domestic companies under the project management of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. In particular, the satellite’s high-performance synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will enable it to capture high-resolution images in all weather conditions. Satellite No. 2 will undergo calibration and validation, including in-orbit testing by the ADD and operational testing by the military, before beginning its surveillance and reconnaissance mission.

Minister Shin, who observed the launch, said, “The performance of military reconnaissance satellite No. 2 is incomparable with North Korea’s satellites. I can proudly say it is the best in the world among existing SAR satellites.”

He added, “Now we can conduct precise and transparent surveillance of the entire region in North Korea, even in bad weather. By next year, the Defense Ministry will launch more military reconnaissance satellites and microsatellites that are currently being developed, and we will have an incomparably overwhelming intelligence advantage over the North.”

Regarding North Korea’s second reconnaissance satellite launch, Minister Shin said, “We expected the launch in March, but there seems to be some additional supplementations needed. If the technical measures are completed smoothly, the launch will presumably take place in mid- or late April with a delay.”

By Hyun-woo, Seo <lgiant61@dema.mi.kr>

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