The defense ministry said on Monday that the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, which was launched into orbit in December, will go through operational tests and evaluation from mid-March. 

Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou announced the plan during a press briefing, saying that the satellite is currently conducting initial operations, as well as video footage calibration and validation, as normal. 

The spokesperson said that the ministry and related organizations will continue to seek the improvement of recon capabilities of the military including the timely deployment of military reconnaissance satellites. 

The satellite, launched from a U.S. military base in California last December, passes over the Korean Peninsula twice a day at an altitude of 400 to 600 kilometers.

Equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, the satellite reportedly sent back images of central Pyongyang where North Korea’s Workers’ Party headquarters is located. 

The satellite is expected to begin its full mission around June or July with the military making the necessary preparations. 

The military's second recon satellite is scheduled to be launched in April from a U.S. military base in Florida.