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Updated April 12th, 2022 at 22:43 IST

South Korea books SpaceX for 5 satellite launches by 2025 to enhance military capabilities

South Korea has chosen SpaceX yet again, this time to launch five military satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) from the US starting late 2023.

Reported by: Harsh Vardhan
South Korea
Image: SpaceX | Image:self
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South Korea has chosen SpaceX yet again, this time to launch five military satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) from the US. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Seoul has inked a deal with the Elon Musk-led firm to launch five satellites by 2025. Park Geun-young, spokesperson of the DAPA told SpaceNews that the first of the five satellites would be launched at the end of 2023 and the rest thereafter.  

South Korea to spy on nuclear-powered neighbours: Reports

The contracts between Seoul and SpaceX have been signed under the ‘425 Project’, a $970 million satellite reconnaissance upgradation project. This was led by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute and Agency for Defense Development, two of the primary contractors. Under this project, the collaborators are to design four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and one equipped with an electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) telescope, which would provide resolution imagery up to 30-50 centimetres above the ground. 

According to SpaceNews, a 2019 report by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning revealed that the satellites would be utilised by the South Korean military to keep an eye on the key military facilities of its nuclear-powered neighbours. All of the four SAR satellites have been developed under the assistance of European firm Thales Alenia space whereas the EO/IR satellite is built by KARI.

With the launch of its own spy satellites, Seoul would aim to become self-reliant and reduce dependency on intelligence reports from the US. While the timeline for the first launch is clear, the DAPA spokesperson did not reveal the terms and conditions of the deal as well as the date for launching the rest of the satellites. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the 2023 launch would be SpaceX's second for South Korea. The company first lofted Seoul's military communications satellite, Anasis-2, into the geostationary orbit in July 2020 using a Falcon 9 rocket. 

South Korea heads toward second rocket launch

The country is aiming for the second indigenous launch of its 'Nuri' rocket between May to mid-June 2022. The rocket became the first to be launched using Seoul's completely homegrown technology, however, it failed to deploy a dummy satellite due to a technical failure. According to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the Nuri Launch Investigation Committee established to examine Nuri's launch found that the "loose support structures anchoring the helium tank inside the third-stage oxidizer tank" caused the failure.

Image: SpaceX

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Published April 12th, 2022 at 22:43 IST

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