[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] First Military Reconnaissance Satellite Launch Tomorrow... 99.2% Success Rate

Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA
Stage 1 booster separates 2 minutes 22 seconds later and communicates with ground station

South Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite will be launched in the early morning of the 2nd.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 1st, the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle carrying South Korea's first reconnaissance satellite was erected on the launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.

On November 30 local time, at Vandenberg Space Force Base in LA, USA, the Falcon-9 launch vehicle carrying Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite No. 1 completed its vertical integration one day before the scheduled launch. (Photo by SpaceX)

According to the timetable released on SpaceX's website, Falcon 9 will be launched at 3:19 a.m. on the 2nd (10:19 a.m. local time on the 1st). Two minutes and 22 seconds after launch, the first stage booster will separate and fall away, followed by the separation of the fairing (satellite protective cover) about 20 seconds later. Twelve minutes after launch, at around 3:31 a.m., the reconnaissance satellite will separate from the second stage booster and enter orbit, and communication with overseas ground stations will be established around 4:37 a.m.

A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "The point at which the satellite's normal operation is checked and the success of the launch is confirmed is when communication with the overseas ground station occurs." This means the success of the launch of the first reconnaissance satellite will be determined about 80 minutes after liftoff. Falcon 9 has a launch success rate of 99.2%. The official added, "Afterwards, the satellite's operational status will be checked, and calibration work to focus the images will be conducted before determining whether the satellite is functioning properly. This operational test and evaluation will take 4 to 6 months."

South Korea's Reconnaissance Satellite Ranks 5th in the World in Performance

Therefore, the operational deployment of the first reconnaissance satellite is expected to take place in the first half of next year after the operational test and evaluation. The first reconnaissance satellite is a low Earth orbit satellite orbiting at an altitude of 400 to 600 km. It is equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) equipment and can visit specific points several times a day to perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The resolution of the captured images is reported to be about 0.3 meters. It can identify objects as small as 30 cm on the ground, which is considered to have far superior performance compared to North Korea's reconnaissance satellites, which are known to have a resolution of about 3 meters.

A Ministry of National Defense official said, "Considering the resolution and simultaneous operation of EO and IR, we assess that South Korea's reconnaissance satellite ranks within the top 5 in the world."

The Ministry of National Defense plans to sequentially launch four more reconnaissance satellites by 2025, securing a total of five satellites. All the remaining satellites will also be launched aboard Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is reusable, which reduces launch costs and has a high launch success rate. A Ministry of National Defense official explained, "The average cost required to launch a low Earth orbit satellite is $20,000 per kilometer of altitude, but Falcon 9 costs $5,000. It is also the most reliable launch vehicle among those developed so far."

With Five Reconnaissance Satellites, Specific Locations Can Be Monitored Every Two Hours

Among the five reconnaissance satellites to be secured by 2025, the first satellite is equipped with EO and IR equipment, while satellites 2 through 5 will be equipped with high-performance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The four satellites equipped with SAR create images by transmitting electromagnetic waves to ground targets and synthesizing the reflected signal data, allowing observation of North Korean territory regardless of weather conditions. EO and IR satellites can obtain clearer images than SAR satellites but are affected by weather, so surveillance may be limited when there is heavy cloud cover. Once all five reconnaissance satellites are secured, it is known that specific locations in North Korea can be monitored and reconnoitered every two hours.

A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "Reconnaissance satellites are a core asset of surveillance and reconnaissance that form the foundation of the Korean-style three-axis system. Through rapid detection of signs of North Korean nuclear and missile provocations and enhancement of independent strategic target surveillance capabilities, our military's 'Kill Chain' capability will be significantly strengthened."

The three-axis system is a concept that adds the Korean-style missile defense system (KAMD) and massive retaliation (KMPR) to the 'Kill Chain,' which preemptively responds by detecting signs of enemy missile launches in advance.