Context:
South Korea puts second military spy (reconnaissance) satellite successfully into orbit.
Features of the satellite:
- Launched by – SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
- Equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capable of producing images regardless of weather conditions.
About Spy or Reconnaissance satellite:
- Provides intelligence information on the military activities of foreign countries.
- Can be either a communications satellite or an Earth observation satellite.
- Can pick up and record radio and radar transmissions while passing over a country.
- Major Types –
- Optical-imaging satellites: They have light sensors that detect missile launches and see enemy weapons on the ground.
- Radar-imaging satellites: They can observe the Earth using radar technologies even during cloud cover.
- Signals-intelligence or ferret satellites: They capture the radio and microwave transmissions.
Reconnaissance satellites of other countries:
- Radar Imaging Satellite 2 (RISAT 2) – India
- Keyhole series (KH) – Unites States
- Yaogan series – China
- Persona series – Russia
Source: Reuters
Previous Year Question
Which of the following pair(s) is/are correctly matched?
Spacecraft: Purpose
1. Cassini-Huygens: Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
2. Messenger: Mapping and investigating the Mercury
3. Voyager 1 & 2: Exploring the outer solar system
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Cassini-Huygens was the fourth space probe to visit Saturn.
