Military Successfully Launches Final Satellite No. 5 of '425 Project'... "Communication Established with Ground Station"

Successful Communication Achieved One Hour After Launch
Uninterrupted Surveillance of the Entire Peninsula with Satellites No. 1 to 4

The South Korean military's Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5 was launched on November 2 from Florida, United States, and successfully established communication with the ground station after entering orbit.

Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on November 2, Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5 successfully communicated with the ground station at 3:09 p.m. KST on the same day, just one hour after launch.

Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5 was launched at 2:09 p.m. on the same day from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket operated by U.S. space company SpaceX. Two minutes and 18 seconds after launch, the first-stage booster was separated, followed by the separation of the payload fairing 23 seconds later. At approximately 2:23 p.m., 14 minutes after launch, Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5 separated from the Falcon 9's second-stage booster and entered its target orbit. The satellite then successfully established communication with the ground station at 3:09 p.m.

Reconnaissance Satellite No. 5 will undergo several months of operational testing and evaluation before carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance missions targeting North Korea. The satellite launched on this day is the final reconnaissance satellite under the military’s “425 Project” to secure medium- and large-sized reconnaissance satellites.

With the successful launch of Satellite No. 5, the South Korean military has established an independent capability to conduct 24-hour, all-weather, uninterrupted surveillance and reconnaissance of the entire Korean Peninsula by operating Satellites No. 1 through No. 4 in a cluster. Satellites No. 1 to No. 3 have completed deployment, and Satellite No. 4 is currently in progress.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "The military will not remain complacent, but will continue to strengthen the foundation of self-reliant national defense by timely developing microsatellite systems and securing launch sites and launch vehicles to enhance space operational capabilities and further advance national defense space power."