SpaceX Sends South Korea's First Spy Satellite into Orbit

Over a week after North Korea launched its spy satellite, South Korea sent its first reconnaissance satellite into space via a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket in California.

The 425 mission was deployed from Vandenberg US Space Force Base at 10:19 a.m. PT. The liftoff was shown live on the American aeronautics company's X (formerly Twitter) account.

The military eye "successfully established communication with an overseas ground station" a little over an hour after launch, South Korea's ministry reported.

Set to orbit between 400 to 600 kilometers above the surface, the satellite is capable of observing and detecting objects as small as "30 centimeters," South Korea's Yonhap Agency reported.

The mission was launched after North Korea sent its first satellite with intelligence-gathering capabilities.

North Korea Spy Satellite Observations

Pyongyang recently released reports of its satellite photographing the White House, Pentagon, and the US naval base in Norfolk.

The military eye, "Maligyong-1," was also able to capture images of cities and other military bases in South Korea, Guam, and Italy.

North Korean state media reported that its leader Kim Jong Un reviewed the photos himself. The photos themselves, however, are yet to be released to the public.

Kim's sister and senior official Kim Yo Jong vowed North Korea will release similar satellites in the future, rejecting Washington's offer of peace talks.

In response, Seoul plans to send four more synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites with SpaceX in 2025 to better monitor Pyongyang's actions.

SpaceX Service with South Korea

This was not the first time the South Korean government worked with SpaceX.

Last year, the Falcon 9 delivered the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, to space. The lunar probe is set to reach the moon in December.

The lunar orbiter, Danuri, is South Korea's first attempt to journey the deep space. Danuri is set to play South Korean group BTS's hit song "Dynamite" once it lands on the moon.