S. Korea to launch 5th spy satellite from US space base Sunday

South Korea will launch its fifth homegrown military spy satellite from a U.S. space base this weekend, the defense ministry said Friday, in a move expected to bolster its independent surveillance capabilities against North Korea. The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) spy satellite will lift off at around 1 a.m. Sunday (U.S. time) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to the ministry. The satellite is the fifth and final military satellite to be launched under the country's plan to deploy five spy satellites by the end of this year to better monitor North Korea and help reduce its reliance on U.S. satellite imagery. "Operating a total of five reconnaissance satellites in a cluster will enable a faster and more accurate detection of signs of North Korea's provocations," the ministry said in a release, anticipating the satellites will help bolster the military's three-axis deterrence structure. Once all five satellites are placed in orbit, the country is expected to be able to monitor North Korea every two hours. South Korea launched its first spy satellite in DecemberWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times