Reconnaissance Satellite No. 2 Successfully Communicates Domestically and Internationally

Ministry of National Defense: "Reached Optimal Level"

Our military's Reconnaissance Satellite No. 2 has succeeded in communication with domestic ground stations following its communication with overseas ground stations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeon Ha-gyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, stated at the regular briefing on the 9th, "Our military's Reconnaissance Satellite No. 2 has currently settled into its target orbit and is proceeding normally with various checks and related procedures for initial operation," adding, "From around 5:53 PM, necessary data transmission and reception with domestic ground stations took place, and through several subsequent communications, it reached the optimized level we initially aimed for."

Reconnaissance Satellite No. 2 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, at 8:17 AM Korean time on the previous day (7:17 PM local time on the 7th). The satellite attempted communication with overseas ground stations at around 9:11 AM, 54 minutes after launch, but it did not proceed; however, successful communication was established on the second attempt at around 10:57 AM. Later that day, in the late afternoon, data transmission and reception with domestic ground stations were also successful.

Unlike Satellite No. 1, which is equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) imaging equipment, Reconnaissance Satellite No. 2 is equipped with a high-performance Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), also known as a 'synthetic aperture radar.' SAR works by transmitting electromagnetic waves to ground targets and synthesizing the reflected signal data to create images, enabling imaging regardless of weather conditions and during both day and night. Additionally, while EO and IR satellites orbit the Earth in sun-synchronous orbits, SAR satellites orbit in inclined orbits designed to optimize visits to specific areas.