SEOUL: South Korea’s analysis of the wreckage from a North Korean spy satellite that crashed into the sea has revealed that the equipment held no significant military value, according to official statements.
Pyongyang’s purported maiden military spy satellite, launched on May 31, experienced a fateful crash shortly after takeoff as it plummeted into the waters off South Korea’s western coastline. In response, the South Korean military swiftly initiated a salvage operation, employing a combination of aircraft, naval forces, and deep-sea divers to recover both rocket debris and the ill-fated satellite itself.
The retrieved components underwent meticulous examination by experts hailing from South Korea and the United States, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
South Korea declared that the scrutinized wreckage held no discernible military applicability as a reconnaissance satellite whatsoever, marking the culmination of the 36-day salvage operation. Shedding light on the satellite’s capabilities, Lee Choon-Geun, an esteemed expert at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, revealed that the initial assessment revealed subpar reconnaissance capabilities in terms of resolution and target tracking.
Spy satellites pivotal facet of North’s military modernization
It is worth noting that the launch of a military spy satellite into orbit constitutes a pivotal facet of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un‘s endeavour to modernize the country’s military forces, citing the imperative need to enhance surveillance of the United States.
In a rare acknowledgment of failure, Pyongyang has expressed its intention to conduct another satellite launch.
North Korea, a nuclear-armed nation, has been actively pursuing a satellite program since the 1990s.
In 2012 and 2016, North Korea successfully deployed objects into orbit. Although the North Korean government claims these objects to be observation satellites, their functional status and signal transmission capabilities remain unverified and unconfirmed.
