South Korea successfully placed into orbit its third homegrown spy satellite launched from a US space centre. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite normally lifted off at 8.34 pm (Korean time) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as planned and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit at 9.24 pm.

The launched satellite succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 11.30 pm in a step indicating the satellite’s normal operation.