 South Korea, on December 4, successfully conducted a flight of a solid-fuel rocket carrying a satellite over the sea near Jeju Island, the Defense Ministry said. Amid a growing space race with neighboring North Korea, IT was the third successful test of the rocket's technology after two others in March and December 2022, and involved technology developed at the state-run agency for defense development. And a booster in satellite produced by South Korea's Hanwha Systems, the ministry said in A. Statement, Hanwha Systems said the satellite, which will be used for civilian purposes including environmental monitoring, had successfully sent signals to the ground control center the ministry hailed the launch as achieving a milestone just after Pyongyang launched its first military spy satellite, which the United States and its allies have condemned for using missile technology contravening UN security resolution.