South Korea Launches Second Satellite

South Korea has successfully launched its second domestically-made spy satellite into orbit, according to the Ministry of Defense in Seoul on Monday. The satellite was deployed after being launched from an American space center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The ministry stated that the satellite successfully communicated with a ground station shortly after its launch. In a statement, the Defense Ministry said, "Our second reconnaissance satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle at approximately 12:02 GMT and entered the targeted orbit." It added that the satellite "successfully established communication with a ground station outside the country at around 01:57 GMT." Seoul had previously launched its first military spy satellite in December, which was also carried by a Falcon 9 rocket. South Korea plans to launch five military spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor the northern region.