Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2

Template:Infobox Spacecraft Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 (Hangul: 광명성 2호, Hanja: 光明星 2號, meaning Bright Star-2 or Lodestar-2) is a North Korean satellite. According to the North Korean government, the Unha-2 rocket carrying the satellite was launched on Sunday 5 April 2009 at 11:20 local time (02:20 UTC) from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground at Musudan-ri in northeastern North Korea.

North Korea claims that the rocket successfully put its payload into Earth orbit minutes after launch. Officials in South Korea and the United States reported that the rocket and its payload had fallen into the Pacific Ocean. The assessment was later confirmed by the Russian Space Control, saying the satellite "simply is not there".

Prior to the launch, concern was raised by other nations, particularly the United States, South Korea and Japan, that the rocket launch might be a trial run of technology that could be used in the future to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch of the rocket was sharply condemned by the United States and the European Union while the People's Republic of China and Russia urged restraint.

Pre-launch announcement

The launch was first publicly announced on 24 February 2009, when the Korean Central News Agency reported that they had been informed by the Korean Committee of Space Technology that preparations for a satellite launch were underway, and that the satellite would be launched from Musudan-ri in Hwadae. At about the same time, Kim Jong-il visited the province where the launch site is located, as he had immediately prior to the previous launch on 4 July 2006.

On 12 March North Korea announced that it had signed the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention. It also informed the ICAO and IMO that it would conduct a satellite launch between 4 and 8 April, during a launch window running from 02:00 to 07:00 UTC. It reported that the rocket's first stage was planned to fall about 650 kilometres (400 mi) east-north-east of Tonghae, the second stage would fall about 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) downrange, and the third stage would enter low Earth orbit with the satellite. The ICAO map showed danger zone one extending between longitudes 135 and 138 at latitude 40 North, and zone two between longitudes 164 and 172 at latitudes 29 to 34 North. North Korea designated the waters off Japan's Akita and Iwate prefectures as a risk zone for falling debris. Most of a designated zone in the Sea of Japan lies within Japan's exclusive economic zone and outside its territorial waters.

International response to the announcement

Prior to the official announcement, it was reported that North Korea was preparing to test a missile in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718. Following the announcement that it was a satellite launch attempt, the US government stated that it would consider intercepting the rocket if it did not appear to be an orbital launch, while Japan stated that it would launch an interceptor if the North Korean launch appeared to threaten its territory or citizens. North Korea responded that it would consider any attempt to intercept the launch to be an act of war, the spoksman of the DPRK force said "We will launch thunder and fire not only to projected JSDF interception forces but to important areas of Japan." [1] [2]

South Korea, Japan and the United States deployed their Aegis destroyers and cruisers in the Sea of Japan, which are equipped with BMD SM-3 missiles. Japan also moved its PAC-3 Patriot ground-based interceptor missiles to bases in Akita and Iwate. Russia urged North Korea not to launch the rocket, since the situation in Northeastern Asia is already tense.

Launch details

The launch proceeded in relatively clear weather conditions. The rocket flew over the Japanese islands and entered airspace above the Pacific Ocean. The first stage of the rocket fell in the sea 75 kilometres (47 mi) west of Japan, and the second stage fell into the Pacific Ocean. American, Japanese and South Korean warships were deployed to monitor the rocket during the launch process. Japanese authorities state no reports of damage or injury in Japan as a result of the launch, and that the rocket's first stage landed in the water as had been expected. According to the United States Northern Command, the remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean. The missile apparently flew about 3,000 km before falling into the ocean. [3]

According to North Korean state media, which claims the launch was successful, the orbital parameters consist of a 490 kilometres (300 mi) perigee and 1,426 kilometres (886 mi) apogee, with an orbital period of 104 minutes and 12 seconds. The satellite was said to have entered orbit nine minutes and and two seconds after launch.

The successful satellite launch symbolic of the leaping advance made in the nation's space science and technology was conducted against the background of the stirring period when a high-pitched drive for bringing about a fresh great revolutionary surge is under way throughout the country to open the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation without fail by 2012, the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, under the far-reaching plan of General Secretary Kim Jong Il. This is powerfully encouraging the Korean people all out in the general advance. –KCNA

Instruments

Pyongyang claimed that Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 was an experimental communications satellite as part of a peaceful space project. It also said that the satellite was transmitting data and the Song of General Kim Il-sung and Song of General Kim Jong-il on a frequency of 470 MHz, although similar claims were made for a 1998 satellite launch attempt which is believed to have failed. Reuters reported that as of 17:49 UTC on 5 April, no signals had been recorded on 470 MHz.

Rocket

It informed that Taepodong-2 Missile's Rocket launched the satelite.[4] And 1st Stage is Musudan(Missile) (Nodong-B Taepodon-X other name) [5][6]the brandnew 4000km range moval MRBM based on Soviet R-27 Zyb Missile technology,extended it's fuel tank[7].

International response to the launch

Members of the Six-party talks

See also: Six-party talks

• United States – President Barack Obama stated "North Korea's development and proliferation of ballistic missile technology pose a threat to the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security. With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations."
• People's Republic of China – Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu stated "We hope related parties stay calm and exercise restraint, appropriately deal with it and together maintain peace and stability in this region. The Chinese side is willing to continue to play a constructive role."
• South Korea – Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan stated that "The North's launch is a provocative act that clearly violates U.N. Security Council 1718 that regardless of the North's claims threatens peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia."
• Japan – Prime Minister Taro Aso stated that "the fact that North Korea went ahead with the launch despite repeated warnings from around the world, especially the United States, South Korea and Japan, was an extremely provocative act and one that Japan cannot let go unchallenged. So, cooperating with the international community, we want to respond (considering that) it was clearly a violation of the U.N. resolutions."
• Russia – A Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We are checking whether this (launch) is not a violation of certain resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and call on all sides to refrain from actions that could lead to escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula."

International organisations

• European Union – The EU called on North Korea to suspend its nuclear activities related to the ballistic missile programme and all other nuclear weapons in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."
• NATO – Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer condemned the launch, calling it "highly provocative, and in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 barring North Korea from developing ballistic missile capability or launching ballistic missiles". He commented that the launch would deepen concern about North Korea in the region and beyond, complicate the 6-party talks and called on North Korea to cease such provocative actions.
• United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that "Given the volatility in the region ... such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability. The Secretary-General urges (North Korea) to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions."

Other countries

• Australia – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the North Korean launch "provocative" and "reckless". "We urge the council to immediately consider further action," he said in a statement.

• Canada - Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon stated that "Canada is very concerned by North Korea's decision to launch a long-range rocket. This ill-advised action undermines confidence in North Korea's commitment to peace and security. Canada calls upon North Korea to comply fully with the requirements of UNSCR 1718 and suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program."

• France – President Nicholas Sarkozy said that North Korea had placed itself "outside international law," calling for further enforcement of sanctions by the international community to "punish the regime."

• India - A spokesman from the External Affairs Ministry described the launch as having a "destablising effect" in the "volatile region" and hoped that the response would be "restrained and proportionate". Any decision should be taken by the UN.

• Iran - An official from the Foreign Ministry defended the launch, saying that every nation had the right to the peaceful use of space technology. The spokesman also denied any cooperation with North Korea in the launch.

• Italy – The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "These missile launches may complicate furthermore to find a solution to North Korean nuclear affairs and obstruct the achievement of stability in the area".

• New Zealand - Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the test was "reckless" and did not help peace and stability in the region. McCully also stated that it was a "backwards step" for North Korea, and urged the country to focus on meeting the agreements made during the Six Party Talks as it was in its interests to do so.

• Singapore - A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry stated it was "deeply concerned" at the launch, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and reduce tensions through dialogue.

• Switzerland – The Swiss Foreign Ministry condemned the incident, saying that it violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, but also called for "all parties to refrain from any action that could aggravate the situation" and for "dialogue and moderation to be given priority".

• United Kingdom – The UK's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that he strongly condemned North Korea's launch of a rocket and urged it to "cease immediately all further missile-related activity."

• Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in an interview in Tokyo that due to the "lack of information, and contradictory information ... I prefer to have a great deal of prudence as the Russian government has said".
• Vietnam - Vietnam paid close attention to North Korea's launch of satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 into orbit. "We hope related parties respond with caution and appropriately deal with the move, so as not to exacerbate the situation further to affect peace and stability in Northeast Asia," spokesman Le Dung said in Hanoi on April 5 in reply to foreign correspondents' query over Vietnam's reaction to the DPRK’s launch of satellite Kwangmyongsong-2.

See also

• 1993 North Korean missile test
• 1998 North Korean missile test
• 2006 North Korean missile test
• Kwangmyŏngsŏng
• Military of North Korea
• Nodong-1
• Nodong-2
• North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
• Taepodong-1
• Taepodong-2