Military authorities said they have successfully tested a rocket engine that uses solid propellants that would be used to launch miniaturized satellites into space. 

The presidential office and Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the Agency for Defense Development(ADD) carried out the successful test back on July 29. 

The test was only possible after Seoul and Washington agreed during a summit in May to abolish the decades-long missile guidelines restricting the range and payload of South Korean missiles.

Military authorities plan to develop the solid rocket engine into a two-stage projectile by 2024. 

With this projectile, the military and government plan to launch small reconnaissance satellites into low orbit to monitor North Korea. They also plan to transfer related technology to the private sector, enabling the launch of miniaturized satellites there. 

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, for its part, is set to begin next year the development of a micro-satellite reconnaissance system that can detect the North’s transporter erector launchers(TEL). 

The agency plans to launch its first satellite into space by 2025 and is likely to use projectiles equipped with the solid rocket engines.