Amid space race with N. Korea, S. Korea launches solid fuel rocket

On Monday, South Korea successfully conducted a flight of a rocket carrying a satellite and powered by solid fuel over the sea near Jeju Island, the defense ministry announced.

This was a triumphant success for the East Asian nation amid a growing space race with its northern neighbor.

After two other successful launches in March and December 2022, this was South Korea’s third successful test of its rocket’s technology.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said that Monday’s launch involved technology developed at the state-operated Agency for Defense Development and a satellite and booster manufactured by South Korea’s Hanwha Systems.

The satellite, which will be utilized for civilian purposes such as environmental monitoring, has successfully sent signals to the ground control center.

The ministry praised the launch as achieving a milestone just after North Korea launched its first-ever military espionage satellite, which the United States and its allies have condemned for using missile technology in contravention of UN security resolutions.

The ministry added that South Korea’s successful rocket launch will help the nation accelerate its reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.

Additionally, on Friday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force base in California carried South Korea’s first spy satellite into orbit.

On Monday, North Korea denounced what it termed the United States’ “double standard” over the satellite lauches in both Koreas' and declared that such “brigandish” US standards would never be tolerated.