North Korea finally succeeded in putting the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite into low-Earth orbit this month, an achievement that state media has since trumpeted almost daily.

Over a week after the launch, key details surrounding the performance, technical capabilities and limitations of the new asset still remain opaque, and some experts, including in the South Korean government, have been inclined to downplay the DPRK’s success.

But what has been confirmed, including the type of orbit, sets a benchmark for predicting the satellite’s most probable capabilities. 

Whether the satellite impresses