South Korea to launch 5th spy satellite from US space base Sunday

Seoul, Oct 31 (IANS) South Korea will launch its fifth homegrown military spy satellite from a US space base this weekend, the defence ministry said Friday, in a move expected to bolster its independent surveillance capabilities against North Korea.

The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) spy satellite will lift off at around 1 a.m. Sunday (US time) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to the ministry.

The satellite is the fifth and final military satellite to be launched under the country's plan to deploy five spy satellites by the end of this year to better monitor North Korea and help reduce its reliance on US satellite imagery.

"Operating a total of five reconnaissance satellites in a cluster will enable a faster and more accurate detection of signs of North Korea's provocations," the ministry said in a release, anticipating the satellites will help bolster the military's three-axis deterrence structure.

Once all five satellites are placed in orbit, the country is expected to be able to monitor North Korea every two hours, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea launched its first spy satellite in December 2023, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing detailed images. It has since launched three more satellites equipped with SAR sensors that collect data regardless of weather conditions.

North Korea has also been ramping up efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance capabilities against its enemies.

The North successfully launched its first military spy satellite, the Malligyong-1, in November 2023 and had vowed to launch three more spy satellites in 2024.

But it has yet to launch another one since a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly following takeoff in May last year.

--IANS

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