South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated that it is conducting final coordination with partner companies and may launch another reconnaissance satellite in early April. The spokesman did not give an exact date for the launch.
Yonhap News Agency reported that Reconnaissance Satellite 2 is expected to be launched from the Air Force Base in Florida, USA, using the Falcon 9 carrier rocket of the American space exploration company SpaceX when weather conditions are good in the first week of April. But unlike reconnaissance satellite No. 1, which is equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) equipment, No. 2 will be equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
Satellites equipped with electro-optical and infrared equipment can transmit higher-resolution images, but are easily affected by weather, while satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar are not affected by weather. The two can complement each other.
The South Korean military also launched Reconnaissance Satellite 1 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in December last year using a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The satellite is currently orbiting the earth and operating normally. It will start testing in the middle of this month. From June to July, it will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance missions against major targets in North Korea.
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense plans to send a total of five reconnaissance satellites into space by 2025. At that time, they will conduct surveillance and reconnaissance of specific locations in North Korea every two hours.
