Based on where the second stage fell, it is clear that the North Korean satellite launch was another failure.
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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| North Korea space launch 'fails' | |
| 2009-04-05 | |
North Korea failed in its attempt to get a satellite into space after a rocket launch early on Sunday, US and South Korean officials say. Two stages of the rocket and its payload landed in the Pacific Ocean, a US military statement said.
The US, EU, Japan and South Korea condemned the launch, thought to be a cover for a long-range missile test. In a statement on its website, the US Northern Command said North Korea launched a three-stage Taepodong-2 missile at 0230GMT. "Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan/East Sea. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean." "No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan." US military authorities "assessed the space launch vehicle as not a threat to North America or Hawaii and took no action in response to this launch," the statement added. Earlier, state media in North Korea said satellite 'Kwangmyongsong-2' had been placed in orbit. The satellite was transmitting data and the "Song of General Kim Il-sung" and "Song of General Kim Jong-il" - references to the late founder of North Korea and his son, the current leader - the report claimed. The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says a failure would seriously detract from North Korea's ability to exploit the propaganda value of the launch, although it may never admit it to its own people. In a previous satellite launch attempt in 1998, North Korea said it was sending up a device that would orbit the world transmitting revolutionary melodies. It claimed this was also successful but the launch is believed to have been a failure as no trace of the satellite was ever found. | |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #19 "No threat to North America or Hawaii" > GUAM? CNMI? MICRONESIA? POLYNESIA - Yoohoo, FRANCE = SARKOZY, I'm looking at youse!? On a separate note, which I'm sure would NOT escape the attention of either KIMMIE or MOUD or OSAMA/RADICAL ISLAM, NEITHER JAPAN NOR USN AEGIS DESTROYERS MADE ANY EFFORT TO SHOOTDOWN THE ROCKET AS THREATENED, ESPEC JAPAN = NIPPON. DESPITE "FLYING OVER JAPAN". |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-04-05 19:06 |
| #18 "Landed in the Pacific Ocean" > Iff this was the light streak which [visibly]sped over North-Central Guam last nite, I'm a'guessin CENTPAC??? SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH, USAF planes launched what appeared to be night flares at roughly the same time. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-04-05 18:55 |
| #17 NK has already been condemned by the UN in strong words, and Obama has said talks about what they might need to do will progress if they can find the time. What more do you want? /sarc |
| Posted by: Charles 2009-04-05 16:14 |
| #16 According to the US Navy the highly unique North Korean satellite has entered subaquatic orbit in the Pacific Ocean, and is transmitting melodies of the immortal revolutionary paeans Song of General Kim Il-sung and Song of General Kim Jong-il on a 15 kHz acoustic channel. ROTFL |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-04-05 14:55 |
| #15 Printout of the data received so far - * ~~~~~ o | o | o | o | o | x ______ Words to Song of General Kim Jong-il (translated from the North Korean) glug glug glug glug glug glug {repeat} |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-04-05 14:52 |
| #14 What might be interesting to watch is Japan's response to this - and Obama's lack of action. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-04-05 14:08 |
| #13 mrp -- sorry, I should have put that statement in quotes or italics -- that wasn't from me, but a quote from the guy at Arms Control Wonk -- Me, I'm no where qualified to even make a guesstimate if it was successful or not! |
| Posted by: Sherry 2009-04-05 14:04 |
| #12 Sorry, Sherry. For the NKs, the launch was a great success. The 2006 missile blew up 40 seconds after lift-off, because the booster stage and stage 2 failed to separate cleanly. The booster and the second stage of the latest missile appears to have landed where they were supposed to. Where is the third stage and the payload? The Taepong-Do 2 is estimated to have a range of 4200 miles. |
| Posted by: mrp 2009-04-05 13:37 |
| #11 From Arms Control Wonk Based on where the second stage fell, it is clear that the North Korean satellite launch was another failure. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2009-04-05 13:29 |
| #10 Hmmm... it appears that the NKs achieved a clean separation between the booster and stage 2. Did stages 2 and 3 separate cleanly? The article doesn't say. |
| Posted by: mrp 2009-04-05 13:24 |
| #9 Remember, the second button is for blowing up the rocket specialist |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-04-05 12:50 |
| #8 hope the fish like it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-04-05 12:33 |
| #7 The satellite was transmitting data and the "Song of General Kim Il-sung" and "Song of General Kim Jong-il" - references to the late founder of North Korea and his son, the current leader - the report claimed. Damn. That's probably worse then ice cream truck music... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-04-05 12:16 |
#6  |
| Posted by: William Marcy Tweed 2009-04-05 11:59 |
| #5 the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean. It's not a space satellite. It's an *underwater* satellite. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-04-05 11:40 |
| #4 Its always embarrassing when you can't get your Dong up. |
| Posted by: Rupert Ulaving6929 2009-04-05 11:18 |
| #3 satellite? *snicker* this was a sales demonstration for the Iranians |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-04-05 09:50 |
| #2 Meanwhile, in one small patch of the Pacific ocean, the population density of US Navy personnel is equivalent to one of the nicer parts of Hong Kong. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-04-05 09:47 |
| #1 PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command officials acknowledged today that North Korea launched a Taepo Dong 2 missile at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday which passed over the Sea of Japan/East Sea and the nation of Japan. Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan/East Sea. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean. No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan. NORAD and USNORTHCOM assessed the space launch vehicle as not a threat to North America or Hawaii and took no action in response to this launch. This is all of the information that will be provided by NORAD and USNORTHCOM pertaining to the launch. |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-04-05 09:23 |