Military to Launch Medium and Large Reconnaissance Satellites This Year

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The military plans to launch the first medium-to-large high-resolution reconnaissance satellite by the end of this year. Following the final test of a solid-propellant space launch vehicle, they intend to directly place small satellites or multiple microsatellites into low Earth orbit.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 21st, the Ministry of National Defense stated in this year’s government New Year work report, “Starting this year, the military reconnaissance satellites will be operationalized by the mid-2020s to establish Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities against North Korea.”

Our military is currently promoting the ‘425 Project,’ which involves investing 1.305 trillion won to introduce five medium-to-large reconnaissance satellites by 2024. This is because the military has lacked independent reconnaissance satellites and has relied on overseas reconnaissance assets such as those of the United States for over 80% of North Korean satellite information.

However, it is difficult to monitor North Korea 24 hours a day with only medium-to-large reconnaissance satellites, as the revisit cycle?passing over and returning above the Korean Peninsula?is two hours. Therefore, microsatellites are also being developed with a target completion in November this year.

The military plans to complete the final test of the solid-fuel space launch vehicle, which succeeded in combustion testing last December, within this year and to launch microsatellites directly using this launch vehicle. Although solid-fuel propulsion launch vehicles are more difficult to develop than liquid-fuel propulsion types, their maintenance and launch costs are relatively low. For this reason, solid-fuel launch vehicles are considered suitable for placing small satellites or multiple microsatellites into low Earth orbit.

From This Year to 2024, Five Reconnaissance Satellites Secured; Small Satellites Using Solid-Fuel Launch Vehicles Also Accelerated

Additionally, microsatellites weighing less than 100 kg cost only about 1/30th of the production cost of large satellites per unit. Launching dozens of satellites simultaneously allows for minimizing the revisit cycle. The resolution is sufficient to identify 1-meter-sized objects from an altitude of 510 km. They can quickly detect urgent targets, including those on mobile launchers (TELs).

The military will also focus on securing hypersonic vehicle technology, a core force of the ‘Kill Chain’?which is part of the ‘Korean 3-Axis System’ aimed at preemptively striking North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has been developing ground-launched hypersonic vehicles exceeding Mach 5 since 2018 and is expected to complete flight tests by this year. A Mach 5 hypersonic missile launched over South Korean airspace can reach major North Korean targets within two minutes.

The ‘Korean Missile Defense System’ (KAMD), necessary to defend against North Korean attacks, will also be strengthened. In November last year, the domestically developed long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), with an interception altitude of 50 to 60 km, succeeded in its first interception test, accelerating the development of L-SAM II. The THAAD-level system, with an interception altitude of about 150 km, is planned to be operationally deployed by 2029 as scheduled.

To retaliate against command centers and key facilities after a North Korean attack, the military plans to accelerate the development of the Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile. The Hyunmoo-5 is known to carry the heaviest warhead in the world, weighing 8 to 9 tons, earning it the nickname ‘monster missile.’ Until now, Hyunmoo ballistic missiles launched from the ground have used a ‘hot launch’ method, where the engine ignites directly on the launcher. However, the Hyunmoo-5 uses a ‘cold launch’ method, where the missile is ejected about 30 meters into the air from a mobile launcher (TEL) before the engine ignites and the missile launches.