Malligyong-1
| Mission type | Reconnaissance |
|---|---|
| Operator | NATA |
| COSPAR ID | 2023-179A |
| SATCAT no. | 58400 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Dry mass | 300 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 21 November 2023, 13:42 UTC |
| Rocket | Chŏllima 1 |
| Launch site | Sohae |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 493 kilometres (306 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 512 kilometres (318 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.4 degrees |
| Period | 94 minutes, 40 seconds |
Malligyong-1 (Korean: 만리경-1; Hanja: 萬里鏡-1, meaning Telescope-1) is a North Korean reconnaissance satellite.[2] It is North Korea's first spy satellite[3] and will be used to spy on South Korean and American targets.[4]
The mission's first two launch attempts failed, with the third one, known as Malligyong-1 #3, succeeding on 21 November 2023. This was also the first successful flight of North Korea's new launch vehicle, the Chollima-1.[5]
First attempt
The first launch attempt occurred on 31 May 2023. The second stage of the launch vehicle, Chŏllima 1, ignited too early into the mission, causing the mission to fail.[4] Evacuation alerts were issued in Seoul and Okinawa Prefecture.[6] The North Korean government quickly announced the launch failure.[7]
The remains crashed into the Yellow Sea[2] and South Korea attempted to salvage the remainder of the rocket, searching a site 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the coast of Eocheongdo. The South Korean Ministry of Defence released an image of a white cylinder, suspected to be a part of the rocket.[7]
North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) said it would investigate before conducting a second satellite launch. The White House, Japan, and the UN Secretary-General condemned the launch, citing violations of Security Council resolutions prohibiting the use of ballistic missile technology.[8]
Second attempt
A second launch attempt of the satellite took place on 23 August 2023, again onboard a Chollima-1 launch vehicle. The launch resulted again in a failure with the loss of the satellite, this time caused by an error in the emergency flight termination system during the third-stage flight.[9]
Third attempt
A third launch attempt was initially scheduled to take place in October 2023 but was later moved to November due to some delays in fixing the technical issues that caused the previous failures. The launch took place on 21 November 2023. The South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted its counterpart in the North, the Korean Central News Agency, as saying the satellite had been successfully inserted in the predetermined orbit, resulting in the first successful flight of the Chollima-1 launch vehicle.[5] However, no immediate independent observations could be made.[10] Japanese and South Korean officials stated that they were unable to determine if a satellite was put into orbit.[11]
According to NATA, Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch.[10]
References
- ^ Jeongmin Kim (1 June 2023). "North Korea rushed satellite launch after seeing ROK rocket success, Seoul says". NK News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ a b Mahadzir, Dzirhan (31 May 2023). "North Korean Satellite Launch Fails, Debris Crashes in Yellow Sea". USNI News. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Tingley, Brett (31 May 2023). "North Korea says its rocket launch failed, 1st spy satellite lost". Space.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ a b Palmer, Elizabeth (31 May 2023). "Why does North Korea want a spy satellite so badly, and what went wrong with its attempt to launch one?". CBS News. Tokyo. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ a b "[2보] 북한 "정찰위성 성공적 발사…궤도에 정확히 진입"" [[2nd step] North Korea “Successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite… entered the orbit accurately”]. Yonhap News (in Korean). 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Panasovskyi, Maksim (31 May 2023). "DPRK launches Malligyong-1 military satellite to monitor the US and prepare for nuclear strikes, but Chollima-1 rocket falls into the sea". gagadget.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ a b Kim, Hyung-Jim; Kim, Tong-Hyung (30 May 2023). "North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea". AP News. Seoul. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Kim, Chang-Ran; Shin, Hyonhee (31 May 2023). "North Korea satellite plunges in sea in 'rushed' failure, more launches expected". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "KCNA Report on Accident in Second Launch of Military Reconnaissance Satellite". kana.kp. 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ a b "North Korea claims it has put a spy satellite into orbit in 3rd attempt". npr. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "North Korea says 'spy satellite' launch is successful". Al Jazeera. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.