North Korea wants to send spy satellites into space

The self-proclaimed nuclear power North Korea has completed the development of its first military Earth observation satellite. During an inspection visit by the Aerospace Development Agency, ruler Kim Jong-un has ordered preparations for the launch of the satellite to be accelerated, state media reported on Wednesday. The “military reconnaissance satellite number one” is now complete and can be shot down at the scheduled time, Kim said. When exactly the start should take place, remained unclear.

The goal should be to successively launch several such satellites into different orbits in the future to better counter “threats” to the US and South Korea, Kim said. The ruler accused both countries of an aggressive attitude towards North Korea. The ruling Labor Party described the main task as gaining access to space exploration and “real-time information on the military scenario and the activities of enemy forces”.

Kim’s visit to the agency came just days after North Korea recently launched an ICBM that could theoretically reach US territory. The largely isolated country talked about testing a new type of ICBM with solid fuel propulsion. North Korea is banned from testing ICBMs and other ballistic missiles by UN decrees. Depending on the design, such missiles can be equipped with one or more warheads. North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is seen as a direct threat by the US and its allies.

North Korea had already reported in December that it had successfully tested the development of a reconnaissance satellite. It remained unclear which missile was used to carry the “satellite test body”. The space and long-range missiles are largely based on the same technology. (oee/sda/dpa)