[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Another Failed North Korean Satellite... Successful Cases

North Korea's 1998 Satellite Claim Kwangmyongsong-1 First Launch
Kwangmyongsong-1 to 3 All Failed
Kwangmyongsong-3 Second to Fourth Satellites Entered Orbit
Operational Status Cannot Be Confirmed

After the space launch vehicle, which North Korea claimed to be its '6th satellite,' was launched on the morning of the 31st and fell into the West Sea due to abnormal flight, attention is also focused on the fate of space launch vehicles previously launched by North Korea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Around 6:29 a.m., one 'North Korean claimed space launch vehicle' was detected launched southward from the Dongchang-ri area in Pyonganbuk-do, North Korea, but it passed over the open sea west of Baengnyeongdo and fell abnormally into the sea about 200 km west of Eocheongdo."

The military detected it through Aegis ships in the East and West Seas and ground-based ballistic missile surveillance radar Green Pine, but reported that the launch vehicle disappeared from radar before reaching the predicted fall point.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, North Korea also announced that it launched a military reconnaissance satellite but an accident occurred. According to Korean Central News Agency, the National Aerospace Development Administration of North Korea stated, "At 6:27 a.m. on the 31st, the military reconnaissance satellite 'Manriki-1' was launched from the West Sea Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan County, Pyonganbuk-do, mounted on the new satellite carrier rocket 'Chollima-1'."

The National Aerospace Development Administration said, "We will urgently investigate and clarify the serious defect in detail, devise scientific and technological measures to overcome it, conduct various partial tests, and carry out a second launch as soon as possible."

Previously, North Korea designated the first-stage rocket fall point as 'far west in the West Sea near Gunsan, Jeonbuk,' the fairing (satellite cover) fall point as 'far west in the sea from Jeju Island,' and the second-stage rocket fall point as 'east of Luzon Island, Philippines,' but the vehicle did not reach these points.

This is the first time in seven years since February 7, 2016, that North Korea has fired a launch vehicle it claims carried a satellite, the 'Kwangmyongsong.' North Korea has launched five satellites so far, but the success of these launches cannot be guaranteed. North Korea first launched a vehicle it claimed was a satellite in August 1998, launching Kwangmyongsong-1 at that time. In April 2009, it launched Kwangmyongsong-2, but both attempts failed. Later, on April 13, 2012, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Day of the Sun, it launched Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 1 on the long-range rocket 'Unha-3,' but it exploded as the first and second stages failed to separate, resulting in another failure.

North Korea launched Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 on December 12, 2012. Both North Korea and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 entered orbit. On the 10th anniversary of the launch of Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2, North Korea praised the first successful orbit insertion of its satellite as an achievement of Chairman Kim Jong-un. Furthermore, it self-assessed that it had officially entered the ranks of space powers by successfully orbiting the Earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 on February 7, 2016.

The problem is that no one can verify whether the satellite launch was successful as North Korea claims. It has not been confirmed for years whether Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 and Kwangmyongsong-4, which North Korea celebrates as having successfully entered orbit, are functioning normally. Unless North Korea provides satellite frequencies to other countries, it is difficult to track the satellites and verify their operational status. For this reason, some speculate that North Korean authorities may be conducting intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology tests under the pretext of satellite launches.