The wreckage of a North Korean spy satellite that crashed into the water in May following a botched launch was located, according to South Korea’s military, on Wednesday. It was determined that the satellite did not appear to be capable of conducting military surveillance.
After the booster and payload crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff during the North’s failed attempt to launch its first military satellite last month, the military was able to retrieve some of the rocket’s component pieces.
“After detailed analysis on major parts of North Korea’s space launch vehicle and satellite which were salvaged, South Korean and US experts have assessed that they had no military utility as a reconnaissance satellite at all,” the military said in a statement.
The South’s military said it had ended its salvage operations on Wednesday.
