SpaceX launches South Korea’s first domestically developed spy satellite into space
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - SpaceX launched South Korea's first domestically developed military spy satellite into space on Friday.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted-off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base just after 1:00pm.
The rocket was carrying a total of 25 satellites, including the South Korean satellite, called 425 Project Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR), and Educational Irish Research Satellite-1(EIRSAT-1) built by students from University College Dublin (UCD).
According to SpaceX, the South Korean satellite will have heat-seeking abilities as well as electro-optical capabilities to benefit military operations.
The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth for touchdown at Vandenberg around eight minutes after lift-off in what was the company's 250th successful recovery of an orbital class rocket.
The South Korean satellite launched into space just days after North Korea claimed to have deployed its own spy satellite in space from a November 24 launch.
