North Korea asserted that its first spy satellite launched into space successfully captured images of the White House, the Pentagon, and several U.S. naval stations.
As previously reported by Bloomberg the country’s surveillance satellite was launched on November 21, and since that time, it has reportedly managed to take pictures of Andersen Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor, and even the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy.
Yet, no other nation has verified any of the purported photos captured by North Korea. There’s even uncertainty about whether the technology is fully functional.
North Korea has claimed that its reconnaissance mission is set to commence on December 1, barring significant issues. However, the Korean Central News Agency officially mentioned that the “fine-tuning process of the satellite is being hastened to end one or two days earlier.”
South Korea stated that it couldn’t confirm North Korea’s satellite capabilities. This follows South Korea’s plan to launch its first spy satellite into space using a U.S. Falcon 9 rocket, which was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
Reports indicate that Dave Schmerler, an expert in satellite imagery from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, has suggested the idea that North Korea’s spy satellite might have the capability to detect extensive areas or warships.
“It’s a big leap for [North Korea] going from zero to something, but until we can see the images they’re collecting, we’re speculating on its use cases,” Schmerler said.
Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the CNS, pointed out a state media photograph featuring Kim and his daughter, suggesting that the images might be panchromatic—taken in black and white and sensitive to all wavelengths. Nonetheless, this speculation has not been verified.
Though the probe may have the capability to capture photos, it remains unclear whether its quality is sufficiently high to produce images of military significance, as stated by Jeon Ha-kyu, spokesperson for South Korea’s Defense Ministry.
Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated that the United States is unable to authenticate the assertions put forth by North Korea.
She went on to say: “We strongly condemn the DPRK for its launch of a space launch vehicle using ballistic missile technology, which is a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond.”
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