Military: "North Korean projectile expected to surface around tomorrow"

Military Recovers North Korea's Space Launch Vehicle 'Chollima 1'
"Strong Current... Underwater Operations to Resume Tomorrow"

The military reported on the progress of the recovery operation for the debris of North Korea's space launch vehicle 'Cheollima 1' that crashed in the distant waters of the West Sea on the 3rd.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated to the media at 5:30 p.m. that "underwater operations will not continue today" and that "there were difficulties due to the current speed at the site being 2 knots (3.7 km/h)." The JCS added, "Underwater operations are scheduled to resume on the 4th depending on the situation," and "if everything proceeds normally, the launch vehicle body may surface around tomorrow."

An object presumed to be the 'North Korean claimed space launch vehicle' partially recovered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff, Yonhap News]

Currently, the 3,500-ton class surface ship rescue vessels Tongyeong (ATS-II) and Gwangyang (ATS-II) have been deployed in the area. The 3,200-ton class submarine rescue ship Cheonghaejin (ASR) also joined in the afternoon of the previous day. Cheonghaejin is equipped with a saturation diving decompression chamber that prevents gas poisoning underwater.

On the morning of the same day, the military deployed deep-sea divers from the Special Salvage Unit (SSU) to the seabed about 200 km west of Eocheongdo, Gunsan, Jeonbuk. The recovery plan involves divers tying the 15-meter-long debris, which sank to a depth of 75 meters through saturation diving, to ropes and then pulling it up.

Analysis of photos previously released by North Korea estimates the total length of Cheollima 1 to be about 29 to 30 meters. It is likely that the second and third stage propulsion units are attached, and in this case, the military reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyung 1' may be found at the top of the launch vehicle.

North Korea launched the rocket 'Cheollima 1' carrying 'Malligyung 1' from the Dongchang-ri West Sea Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province on the 31st of last month. The satellite failed to reach orbit. The first stage propulsion unit of 'Cheollima 1' separated normally, but due to a malfunction in the second stage propulsion unit, it followed an abnormal flight trajectory and fell into the sea about 200 km west of Eocheongdo, Gunsan, Jeonbuk.