Launch plans for all 5 units by next year
Surveillance of targets inside North Korea every 2 hours
The third military reconnaissance satellite, which will carry out surveillance missions against North Korea, is scheduled to be launched within this year.
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on the 23rd, the 425 Project Satellite No. 3 (Reconnaissance Satellite No. 3) is planned to be launched in the 3rd to 4th week of December. The detailed schedule is being coordinated with SpaceX, a U.S. space company and launch service provider. The military authorities plan to secure five reconnaissance satellites by next year. Satellites No. 1 and No. 2 were launched in the U.S. in December last year and April this year, respectively, and both successfully entered orbit and established communication with ground stations. The third satellite will also be launched from the U.S.
Satellite No. 1, equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) imaging equipment, underwent operational test and evaluation and received a 'combat suitability' certification last August, and is currently performing surveillance missions against North Korea normally.
Satellite No. 2, equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), is currently undergoing operational test and evaluation, and once it receives the combat suitability certification in February next year, it will begin normal mission operations. Satellites No. 3 to No. 5 will also be equipped with SAR.
SAR works by emitting electromagnetic waves toward ground targets and synthesizing the reflected signal data to create images. It has the advantage of being able to capture images day and night regardless of weather conditions.
Once all five reconnaissance satellites are fully operational, it is reported that specific targets within North Korea can be monitored and reconnoitered every two hours. Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense is also pursuing the acquisition of 50 to 60 small and microsatellites by 2030, aside from the five medium-to-large reconnaissance satellites secured through the 425 Project.
The five medium-to-large reconnaissance satellites, weighing between 800 and 1,000 kg, will all be launched aboard SpaceX launch vehicles. However, small reconnaissance satellites weighing less than 500 kg and microsatellites weighing less than 100 kg will be launched aboard domestically developed solid-fuel space launch vehicles. The launch period for small reconnaissance satellites is expected between 2026 and 2028, and for microsatellites between 2028 and 2030. Securing small and microsatellites is expected to reduce the revisit cycle of reconnaissance satellites operated by our military over the Korean Peninsula to within 30 minutes.
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