South Korea has launched its first spy satellite using a rocket operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The launch on Saturday came less than two weeks after rival North Korea announced it had successfully launched its own reconnaissance satellite, underscoring the accelerating space race between the neighbours.
South Korea’s satellite, carried by a “KOREA”-emblazoned SpaceX rocket, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, entered orbit several minutes after launch and succeeded in communicating with ground control at 11:37am, South Korea’s defence ministry said.
The satellite promises to enhance Seoul’s ability to monitor nuclear-armed North Korea, which has until now been heavily dependent on the surveillance capabilities of its ally, the United States.
The satellite, which will operate between 400 and 600 kilometres (370 miles) above Earth, can detect an object as small as 30 centimetres (12 inches), according to the Yonhap news agency.
South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North, intends to launch four more spy satellites by the end of 2025 to boost its ability to keep tabs on Pyongyang.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/2/south-korea-launches-first-spy-satellite-amid-space-race-with-rival-north