South Korea sent its 3rd domestic spy satellite into orbit. According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense, the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket carrying the Korean satellite took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US state of California at 08:34 local time and the satellite managed to communicate with the ground station around 11:30.

The launch will enable more accurate and rapid detection of security threats posed by North Korea, said the ministry.

South Korea, which previously largely used satellite images provided by the US, aims to send 5 domestic spy satellites into orbit by 2025.