Spy

North Korea declared that it has launched its first spy satellite into orbit and promised to carry out further launches in order to counter what it described as its “dangerous military maneuvers by its enemies.” Using a brand-new carrier rocket called “Chollima-1,” the satellite, called “Malligyong-1,” was launched late on November 21, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).[1] If the spacecraft succeeds, analysts say, it may greatly enhance North Korea’s military capabilities, including the ability to target enemy forces more precisely.

On early December, North Korea began operating a satellite control office set up at the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, according to KCNA. The defense ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) expressed the desire for an enhanced military posture as part of its war deterrence strategy, according to the news agency. The information gathered by the satellite will be conveyed to the relevant executive department of the Central Military Commission, and directives will be issued to major units and the General Reconnaissance Bureau of the Korean People’s Army.[2] This follows North Korea’s announcement last month that the reconnaissance satellite would commence its official mission on December 1 after a seven to 10-day fine-tuning process.

Pyongyang first attempted to put a satellite into orbit in late May, but the second stage of the rocket carrying the satellite malfunctioned and it crashed into the sea. According to KCNA, the mission failed because “the new engine system’s dependability and stability” were “poor” and “the gasoline utilized was “unstable.” A KCNA article at the time stated that “an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight” caused the second attempt to fail in August.[3] Japanese officials claim that the rocket split into many pieces before plummeting into the Pacific, East China, and Yellow seas.

Following the second unsuccessful launch attempt, North Korean Ambassador, Kim Song boldly said that the nation’s pursuit of the spy satellite program was within its “legitimate right as a sovereign state.[4] He refuted the claim that North Korea intended to use the satellite launch to get intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability. The third effort on November 21st was anticipated by many and was hinted to by Pyongyang, which promised early on Wednesday to launch more to secure the capability to reconnoiter the south Korean region, according to KCNA.[5]

Even one satellite in orbit, according to analysts, improves North Korea’s military stance. “If successful, it will enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and command, control, and communications capabilities of the North Korean military.” That would strengthen the North’s capacity to command its forces” in any potential battle, according to CNN’s Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the Joint Intelligence Center of the US Pacific Command.  According to Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “the satellite will give them a capability that they previously used to lack that can assist them in military targeting, it can assist them in damage assessment.”[6]

Is satellite really so crucial to a state?

From a realist perspective, the use of space satellites aligns with states’ fundamental drive for security and power. Satellites provide crucial capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communication, offering states a strategic advantage in monitoring potential threats and safeguarding their interests. The right for self-defense is also very important because it justifies any action conducted by states to protect their people, territorial integrity, and any other domestic aspects.[7]

There has been some debate about the use of space for military objectives in the past. At that time, its exclusive function was for communication, which led to states continuously launching satellites to support the communication channels, states now deal with more than only space exploration problems.^[8] The control and utilization of space assets contribute to a state’s military strength and enhance its ability to gather information, make informed decisions, and project power globally.

The significance of space for state security began to emerge with notable importance during the latter half of the 20th century, marked by pivotal events such as the Cold War space race and the subsequent development of satellite technology. Satellites can provide an image of the surface of the Earth. Many organizations can use satellite imagery to gain intelligence, including military groups to critical national infrastructure. Positioning, navigation, and timing also Global Navigation Satellite System satellites are each a form of navigational satellite, and using several satellites in a cluster, these systems can provide precise time and location information to users on the ground. Some systems may provide additional information such as altitude.^[9]

The first artificial satellite itself called Sputnik 1, was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome at Tyuratam, Kazakhstan which was at the time part of the Soviet Union on 1957. A few months after that, on the last day of January 1958, the U.S. would place its own satellite in orbit. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory  at the California Institute of Technology built the craft  which led to James Van Allen’s discovery of radiation belts around Earth held in place by the planet’s magnetic field.[10]

Those activities led to The U.S.’ planned Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), sometimes known as Star Wars, aims to defend against any nuclear strikes. It was first developed in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan and was modeled after the Soviet Union. Suffice to say, states may have right to do anything in airspace because the concept of sovereignty has made them eligible to do so if their actions do not breach other states’ sovereignty, yet it is different on the case of space. The goal of the SDI itself was to intercept Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at different stages of their flight in order to protect the U.S. from attack.[11]

As the geopolitical landscape evolved, satellite technology became integral to modern warfare and defense strategies. The Gulf War in 1990-1991 showcased the instrumental role of satellites in precision-guided weaponry and real-time intelligence.[12] As countries throughout the world have come to understand the vital role that space assets play in preserving security and strategic interests, the significance of satellite-based communication, surveillance, and reconnaissance has only increased over time. This has led to concerns in the West regarding North Korea’s satellite launch.

[1] Brad Lendon, Gawon Bae, and Yoonjong Seo, “North Korea claims to have put spy satellite into orbit. Analysts say that could make its military stronger”, CNN, November 22, 2023, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/22/asia/north-korea-spy-satellite-into-orbit-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

[2] “North Korea’s spy satellite operation office begins work: KCNA”, Kyodo News, December 3, 2023, https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/12/f8b0d1ea161f-n-koreas-spy-satellite-operation-office-begins-work-kcna.html

[3] Yoonjung Seo, Emiko Jozuka, and Mohammed Tawfeeq, “North Korea says its spy satellite launch has failed, again”, CNN, August 23, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/asia/north-korea-second-satellite-launch-fails-intl-hnk/index.html

[4] Richard Roth, Pierre Meilhan, and Heather Chen, “Defiant North Korea tells UN its spy satellite program is its ‘legitimate right as a sovereign state’,” CNN, August 25, 2023 https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/25/world/north-korea-un-ambassador-defence-spy-satellite-launch-intl-hnk/index.html

[5] Op. Cit., Lendon, Bae, and Seo

[6] Justin McCurry, “North Korea’s spy satellite is a big deal, regardless of how advanced its technology is”, The guardian, November 22, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/north-korea-spy-satellite-malligyong-1-pyongyang-kim-jong-un

[7] Dio H. Tobing and Olivia N. Maryatmo, “Celestial Anarchy: States’ Right To Self-Defense In Outer Space”, JURIS GENTIUM LAW REVIEW, August 2016, pp. 9-18

[8] Ibid.

[9] “What are satellites used for? (and why they matter)”, Riskware, 2023, https://www.riskaware.co.uk/insight/what-are-satellites-used-for-why-satellites-matter/#:~:text=Satellites%20can%20provide%20an%20image,groups%20to%20critical%20national%20infrastructure.

[10] “Explorer 1”, Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA, 2023 https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/explorer-1

[11] Op. Cit., Tobing and Maryatmo

[12] Larry Greenemeier, “GPS and the World’s First “Space War””, Scientific American, February 8, 2016, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gps-and-the-world-s-first-space-war/#:~:text=Satellite%2Dbased%20navigation%20proved%20its%20mettle%20in%20helping%20the%20U.S.,where%20the%20Iraqis%20expected%20coalition