North Korea Space

[Websorber]

North Korea Begins Dismantling Key Facilities at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station

https://www.38north.org/2018/07/sohae072318/

[Steven Pietrobon]

Perhaps the thread title needs to be changed to "North Korean Unspace Program".

[Rocket Science]

Perhaps the thread title needs to be changed to "North Korean Unspace Program".

Apparently they are "re-spacing" again...

[Steven Pietrobon]

Apparently they are "re-spacing" again...

Evidence for that? Building more missiles is not necessarily the same as building new launch vehicles.

[Star One]

Perhaps the thread title needs to be changed to "North Korean Unspace Program".

Apparently they are "re-spacing" again...

There’s no evidence to support that assertion.

[Steven Pietrobon]

There is also another theory that they are building a Space Shuttle.

[Websorber]

More Progress on Dismantling Facilities at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station

https://www.38north.org/2018/08/sohae080718/

[Vahe231991]

https://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Chollima-1/Gallery/Sohae-2/index.htm






According to an analysis posted at the website 38 North, it remains unclear why there was renewed activity at the main pad at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station if the maiden launch of the Chollima-1 took place from the newer, smaller coastal launch pad at Sohae. Nonetheless, although the on-and-off upgrades to the main launch pad at Sohae used for the Paektusan-2 (aka Unha/Kwangmyongsong) aroused speculation by Norbert Brugge that North Korea will use the facility for launching an SLV for launching spy satellites, the fact that the Chollima-1 operates from the smaller launch pad could suggest that the DPRK has known for years that developing an SLV for loft geostationary satellites into orbit is sure to be a herculean effort given that North Korea hasn't mustered the expertise to make a geostationary satellite work.

[rudimentaryblitter]

https://www.38north.org/2024/11/sohae-satellite-launching-station-no-observable-indications-of-launch-preparations/

[atakacs]

Interesting

With the recent "cosiness" with Russia one might think that this would be an area of expanded collaboration. Time will tell...

[rudimentaryblitter]

North Korea always had grand plans for their space program and sometimes they rush needlessly.
Such as when Paektusan aka Taepodong-1 space launch vehicle was only used for single attempt.
Then they went straight to much larger Unha-3 that was four times as capable as Paektusan.
Failure after failure after failure until 2012. While Iranians achieved before with their clone of Paektusan.
Sohae can potentially support space launch vehicle that could insert 8 ton or heavier satellite into low earth orbit.

[chinois02]

8 tons, that means with liquid fuels at least 5000 kilonewtons of thrust at takeoff.
The other solution with solid boosters means about a rocket of the same weight, or even more if the rocket is not LOX/LH2
They will have to progress in technology and that is expensive.

[rudimentaryblitter]

Tsyklon-3 with 2400 kilonewtons based on R-36 N2O4 UDMH can insert 4.1 tons into LEO.
What you suggest would probably insert 10 tons into LEO and not 8 as you speculated.

[chinois02]

For the rough assessment of the mass and thrust at takeoff of the hypothetical North Korean rocket, I based myself on the Chinese CZ2F which brings 8 tons into an orbit at an altitude of 350-400km. This rocket has UDMH fuel, the oxidizer being N2O4, like the fuel of the North Korean Pektusan. This Chinese rocket has an overall appearance close to the old Ariane IV, weighs 498.5 tons for a takeoff thrust of 5923 kilonewtons.
Orbits below 350 km altitude have a limited lifespan. See here the lifespan of Tiangong1, the first Chinese space station, which is 13 months for an initial orbit of 350 km.
At 200 km altitude, the satellite falls in 15 days or less.
For an optical reconnaissance satellite, it is necessary to be in SSO at an altitude of at least 500 km, and, to be able to identify the type of aircraft on a tarmac, a resolution of 35 to 40 cm is required, i.e. an optic of 100 cm in diameter.
Since North Korea has a limited rate of fire, it cannot afford to do as Russia with optical reconnaissance Cosmos at an altitude of 300 km that fall in 6 months.

[rudimentaryblitter]

North Korea has conducted four launches of space launch vehicle in a year thus they could if all went perfect to have once every three months and probably could more if they were to tap into war time reserves if liquid fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles were retired and repurposed as space launch vehicles.

[TheKutKu]

Chollima-1 (model?, maybe looks 1:1) at National Defence Development 2024 exhibition at Pyongyang.

[catdlr]

Footage published on 7 January by North Korean state broadcaster KRT reportedly shows the test launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Mod edit: URL

[Steven Pietrobon]

http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/0e333077f3ca892b65f0abad00e47aef.kcmsf

DPRK Missile Administration Succeeds in Test-fire of New-type Intermediate-range Hypersonic Ballistic Missile

Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- The Missile Administration of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea successfully conducted a test-fire of new-type intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on January 6.

Full General Jang Chang Ha, general director of the Missile Administration of the DPRK, and leading officials of the defence science institute guided the test-fire on the spot.

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, oversaw the test-fire through a monitoring system.

The test of the new strategic weapon system is part of the plans for the development of the national defence capabilities to raise the durability and effectiveness of the strategic deterrent against the potential enemies in conformity with the changing regional security environment.

A new composite carbon fiber material was used in the manufacture of the engine body of the missile and a new comprehensive and effective method based on the already-accumulated technologies introduced in the flight and guidance control system.

Expressing great satisfaction over the result of the test-fire, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, with regard to the new weapon system, said:

The current test-fire proved without doubt that we are steadily upgrading the powerful new-type weapon systems like the intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile to cope with different security threats posed by the hostile forces against our state at present.

A few countries in the world might possess such a weapon system.

Just like the intended purpose of all military powers, the development of the new-type hypersonic missile is aimed mainly at steadily putting the country’s nuclear war deterrent on an advanced basis by placing the means of changing the war situation, a weapon system to which no one can respond, at the core axis of our strategic deterrence.

This is clearly a plan and effort for self-defence, not an offensive plan and action.

As shown by the result of today’s test-fire, the effectiveness of the missile system that fully meets the expected military specifications has been confirmed.

The performance of our latest intermediate-range hypersonic missile system cannot be ignored worldwide, and the system can deal a serious military strike to a rival by effectively breaking any of its dense defensive barriers.

Through the current test of the strategic weapon, we fully demonstrated the potentiality and development speed of our inexhaustible self-defensive technical forces capable of fully coping with even the prospective threats and clearly showed the enemies what we are doing and that we are fully ready to use any means to defend our legitimate interests.

The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any enemies in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state.

We have acquired a technical force which is by no means easy to achieve.

This is a remarkable achievement and a special event in strengthening the self-defensive capabilities, which we should be proud of.

I express thanks to all the researchers and technicians and the workers of munitions industry enterprise, who contributed to the successful development of the new-type strategic weapon system.

The hypersonic glide vehicle of the missile, fired northeastward at a launch site in a suburb of Pyongyang, made a flight along the scheduled trajectory, attaining its first peak height of 99.8 kilometres and the second peak height of 42.5 kilometres at the speed amounting to twelve times of the speed of sound, and accurately landed on the simulated target waters in the open sea 1 500 kilometres away.

The test-fire had no negative impact on the security of the neighbouring countries.

The development of the defence capabilities of the DPRK aiming to be a military power will be further accelerated. -0-

[CommieAme]

Chollima-1 looks so cool as a model ngl. I like it.

Chollima-1 (model?, maybe looks 1:1) at National Defence Development 2024 exhibition at Pyongyang.

[TheKutKu]

According to chinese observers*, The vertical liquid engine test bench at the Sohae Satellite Launch Center resumed test activities.

*I imagine tests can be seen from Dandong