North Korea Plans to Launch Additional Reconnaissance Satellites Soon
North Korea successfully launched the third military reconnaissance satellite on the night of the 21st, 89 days after the failed re-launch on August 24.
The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 22nd, “The National Aerospace Development Administration successfully launched the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 from the West Sea Satellite Launch Site in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province at 22:42:28 on November 21, 2023, using the new satellite carrier rocket Chollima-1.” It further explained, “Chollima-1 followed the planned flight orbit and successfully put the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 into orbit at 22:54:13, 705 seconds after launch.”
Swift Confirmation by North Korean Media
The North Korean media’s announcement came about three hours after the launch of the reconnaissance satellite. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the day before, “Our military detected a ‘North Korean military reconnaissance satellite’ launched by North Korea from the Dongchang-ri area in North Pyongan Province in a southward direction at around 10:43 pm, passing through the airspace over Baengnyeong Island and Ieo Island.” North Korea had previously notified the Japanese government that it would launch an artificial satellite between 0:00 on the 22nd and 0:00 on the 1st of the following month.
The news agency emphasized, “The launch of the reconnaissance satellite is a legitimate right (of North Korea) to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and will greatly contribute to firmly enhancing the war readiness posture of the republic’s military power in line with the dangerous military movements of enemies that pose a threat to the country and the surrounding region.”
Kim Jong Un’s Involvement
Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, is known to have observed the launch on-site. The news agency reported that Chairman Kim “warmly congratulated the officials, scientists, and technicians of the National Aerospace Development Administration and related institutions who most accurately and excellently implemented the decision of the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.” In addition, the news agency added that the National Aerospace Development Administration plans to submit a proposal to launch several more reconnaissance satellites in a short period to the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Party.
With this, North Korea succeeded in launching a reconnaissance satellite in its third attempt, following the failures of the first launch in May and the second launch in August this year. Previously, North Korea launched the Chollima-1 space launch vehicle carrying the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite for the first time on May 31. Still, it failed to ignite the second-stage rocket and crashed approximately 200km (124 miles) west of Eocheong Island in Gunsan, Jeonbuk. The second launch on August 24 failed in the first stage, and the fairing (connection point between the first and second stages) fell in an area similar to the one North Korea had announced, but the second propulsion stage flew abnormally.
By. Jeong Dae Han
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