The Type of Satellite North Korea Allegedly Launched [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

It is expected that Chairman Kim Jong-un will further focus on achieving the ‘Five Major Defense Development Goals’ he proposed. In particular, although North Korea has claimed to have launched practical satellites and earth observation satellites following test satellite launches, this is the first time it is launching a reconnaissance satellite, which is expected to maximize military provocations and raise tension levels.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 19th, North Korea's Korean Central Broadcasting reported, “Chairman Kim Jong-un conducted on-site guidance at the National Space Development Bureau and ordered the launch of the ‘Military Reconnaissance Satellite No. 1’ within the planned timeframe.”

North Korea has attempted to launch a total of five artificial satellites, starting with ‘Kwangmyongsong-1’. The first launch vehicle was Kwangmyongsong-1, launched in August 1998. In April 2009, Kwangmyongsong-2 was launched. However, all attempts failed. Later, on April 13, 2012, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Day of the Sun, Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 1 was loaded onto the long-range rocket ‘Unha-3’ and launched, but it failed again as the first and second stages did not separate and exploded.

Five Artificial Satellite Launch Attempts with Two Successes... Actual Functionality Remains Uncertain

At that time, the international community, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, viewed North Korea’s repeated satellite launch attempts as part of the development process of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and expressed strong concerns. Space launch vehicles and ICBMs are technically the same in that they use rocket propulsion to launch payloads (artificial satellites for space launch vehicles, warheads for ICBMs) beyond the atmosphere.

On December 12, 2012, North Korea launched Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2. Both North Korea and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed its orbital insertion. Furthermore, on February 7, 2016, North Korea succeeded in placing the earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 into orbit, claiming to have officially entered the ranks of space powers.

The satellite identification ID and international code assigned to Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 are 39026 and 2012-072A, respectively. It was launched on December 12, 2012, from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, aboard the ICBM-class ‘Unha-3’ rocket. It follows an elliptical orbit with an altitude ranging from 498 km (perigee) to 581 km (apogee), orbiting the Earth once every approximately 95 minutes and 26 seconds.

The ‘Unha-3’ is a three-stage rocket approximately 28?30 meters in length and about 2.4 meters in diameter, using liquid fuel, with an estimated weight of around 86?91 tons. Experts believe that the propellant used in the ‘Unha-3’ rocket is unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), and the oxidizer is dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4).

On February 7, 2016, the earth observation satellite ‘Kwangmyongsong-4’ was launched from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station aboard the ‘Kwangmyongsong’ (an improved version of Unha-3) rocket. The satellite identification ID and international code for Kwangmyongsong-4 are 41332 and 2016-009A, respectively. However, contrary to North Korea’s claim that these satellites are “operating normally,” most domestic and international experts report that “they are merely orbiting and no communication activities with the ground have been detected.” The weight of Kwangmyongsong-4 is estimated to be about 200 kg, and it orbits the Earth in an elliptical orbit at an altitude of 465 km to 502 km, completing one orbit every 94 minutes and 24 seconds.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.