North Korea Confirms Normal Operation of Cameras, Communication Devices of Trial Satellite

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea’s Sunday test confirmed the reliability of cameras and data transmission units of the reconnaissance satellite that is being developed by Pyongyang, North Korean state news agency reports.

North Korea tested two ballistic missiles on Sunday morning, both of them covered a distance of 500 kilometers (310 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometers (341 miles), according to Japanese State Minister of Defense Toshiro Ino.

South Korean news agency reported on Monday that the launches were an important final-stage test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite and meant to evaluate the capabilities of satellite photography, data transmission, and ground control.

"The test confirmed the major technical indices including the camera operating technology and the data processing and transmitting abilities of communication devices in space, and the accuracy of tracking and control in the ground control system. The National Aerospace Development Administration made clear that it is an important success and has gone through the final process of gateway to the reconnaissance satellite launch," North Korean state news agency said on Monday.

According to media reports, North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration plans to finish preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by April, 2023.

"The [Sunday] test was made in the way of assessing the processing capacity and safety of data transmission units while confirming the reliability of photographing and attitude control commands and other ground control over different cameras in the optimum environment simulating the space after loading into a carrier the trial satellite installed with one panchromatic camera for 20-metre resolution test, two multispectral cameras, video transmitter, transceivers of different bands, control unit and batteries and vertically launching it to the altitude of 500 kilometres," KCNA explained.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Sunday that Pyongyang test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in North Pyongan Province into the Sea of Japan, with both of them covering a distance of some 500 kilometers.

According to Japanese media reports, both of the missiles landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. Japan has expressed protest to Pyongyang over diplomatic channels in connection with the test launches.

North Korea has already fired dozens of missiles toward South Korea since the start of 2022, including an intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch carried out in November.