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South Korea launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on Monday (Seoul time), according to the country’s defence ministry.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:17 a.m. (7:17 p.m. local time) from the John F. Kennedy Space Center and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch, the ministry was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
“We will check whether the satellite normally operates through communication with overseas ground stations,” the ministry said.
It is the second military satellite launched under South Korea’s plan to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors, which use microwaves to collect data, were installed on the satellite. These sensors can collect data in any weather. SAR sensors will also be installed on the other three spacecraft.
The first satellite, which was launched in December, was equipped with infrared and electro-optical sensors that could take precise pictures of the Earth’s surface.
Analysts predict that when the five satellites are working together, they will offer consistent coverage every two hours or so.
Source:IANS
