South Korea to launch 3rd spy satellite from Vandenberg base by year-end

South Korea officials hold a Korean national flag as they pose for a photograph as the second military reconnaissance satellite prepares to launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, in April. (Ministry of National Defense)

The South Korean military is close to launching a third spy satellite, to be a key asset in monitoring North Korea.

The third military reconnaissance satellite will be carried into orbit atop Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket, like the first two, around the third week of December from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Ministry of National Defense on Monday.

The upcoming launch is part of the South Korean military’s project to place five reconnaissance satellites in orbit by the end of 2025 to observe the Korean Peninsula and its surroundings. Some 1.3 trillion won ($932 million) was invested in the 10-year project, which kicked off in 2015.

The first satellite uses an electro-optical infrared technology that is capable of providing high resolution images all day round. The second satellite features a synthetic aperture radar that can penetrate clouds and darkness, as will the following three due to be launched under the project.

Vandenberg Space Force Base is where the South Korean military’s first reconnaissance satellite was sent to space in December last year. The second one was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida this April.

A senior Defense Ministry official said the reconnaissance satellites will play a crucial role in the military’s so-called Kill Chain strategy for preemptively striking North Korean nuclear and missile facilities in the event of a contingency by identifying the location of enemy commands and bases.

“The addition of another satellite will enhance our military’s independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,” the official said. “We will be operating a total of five satellites by next year.”

In November last year, North Korea launched its first military reconnaissance satellite -- the Malligyong-1 -- into orbit, leading to South Korea partially suspending the 2018 inter-Korean military pact in order to resume surveillance activities around the border.

While the North Korean satellite succeeded in entering orbit, the South Korean military does not think it is capable of carrying out meaningful military reconnaissance missions.

In May, a second attempt by North Korea to send another satellite ended in failure after the rocket carrying it exploded in midair and fell into the sea. The South Korean military retrieved the debris from the explosion at the time to analyze it.

Although North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said at the end of last year that his military would launch three reconnaissance satellites over 2024, no additional attempt was made after the second one failed.