Once the deployment of five medium to large reconnaissance satellites is complete, up to 20 satellites will be in low earth orbit to monitor North Korea every hour starting in 2026… Planning to launch with an advanced kill chain and launch vehicle an independently developed space
It is known that the military is pursuing a project to launch around 10 small reconnaissance satellites starting in 2026. The plan is to launch additional small reconnaissance satellites immediately after the completion of ‘Project 425’, which involves the use of five satellites medium to large military reconnaissance, the ‘eyes’ and core power of the kill chain (preemptive strike) against North Korea. Once medium and large and small vehicles are installed, the South Korean military’s close surveillance cycle against North Korea using reconnaissance satellites is expected to be shortened to less than an hour. As signs of North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations can be examined more frequently and more closely, the capability of the kill chain against North Korea will also be greatly upgraded.
According to Dong-A Ilbo’s comment on the 26th, the military will complete the 425 project by the first half of 2025 and begin launching small reconnaissance satellites starting the following year (2026). By 2028, at least 10 small reconnaissance satellites (less than 500 kg) will be successively placed in low earth orbit (about 500 km high).
The key to the 425 project currently being promoted by the military is securing five medium to large reconnaissance satellites weighing between 800 kg and 1 ton. Unit 1 already launched in December last year and recently managed to take precise pictures of the center of Pyongyang, North Korea. The army plans to launch a total of five units by 2025, including the second unit launched early next month. All medium to large reconnaissance satellites of the 425 project are launched from the mainland United States aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This is because the satellite is big and heavy and we don’t have the means to launch it ourselves. On the other hand, in the case of small reconnaissance satellites, they are launched from our land on a solid fuel space launch vehicle that the military will complete its development by 2025. Previously, the military succeeded in the third test launch of a solid fuel space launch vehicle in the sea near Jeju on December 4 last year.
The small reconnaissance satellite, which is currently in the final stage of development, will be equipped with a high-performance imaging radar (SAR). An imaging radar satellite emits radar electromagnetic waves to the ground and then synthesizes the reflected signal data to create an image. It is possible to identify targets on the ground precisely through clouds and fog, not only at night but also in bad weather. The resolution of the imaging radar mounted on the small reconnaissance satellite is known to be at the 30cm level (identifying an object measuring 30cm by 30cm as a single point), which corresponds to the medium imaging radar satellite to big of the project 425. It is at a level where it can identify the types of vehicles on the ground and even personnel movements.
Through the ‘Mid-Term National Defense Plan 2024-2028’ published in December last year, the military announced that it plans to develop micro-satellites for surveillance against North Korea weighing less than 100 kg by 2028 and launch about 40 of them using solid. fuel space launch vehicles by 2030. The government source emphasized, “Small reconnaissance satellites play a role in bridging the gap between the 425 project (2023-2025) and the micro-satellite system acquisition project (2028-2030).”
If microsatellites are intensively deployed in low earth orbit by 2030, as well as medium and large reconnaissance satellites, our independent surveillance capabilities against North Korea can be dramatically strengthened.
Military correspondent Sang-ho Yoon ysh1005@donga.com
Reporter Son Hyo-joo hjson@donga.com
Reporter Shin Jin-woo niceshin@donga.com
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