North Korean state media reported on Monday that its Feb. 27 launch of an apparent ballistic missile was actually a test of systems for an upcoming “reconnaissance satellite.” This apparent preparation of a new space launch for a reconnaissance satellite should not be entirely surprising. What is surprising, however, is the nature of the launch itself.

This test marked the first time North Korea has used an apparent ballistic missile booster to launch a suborbital payload specifically with the intention of validating technologies for an eventual low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite. State media reporting did not show either