North Korea announced it had successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite on its third attempt, with images capturing Kim Jong Un at the site.
On the 22nd, the Korean Central News Agency showed Kim Jong Un cheering with the workers as he watched the rocket spew flames and rise from afar in the released site photos.
Depending on the angle of the photos, Kim Jong Un’s white hair was visible here and there when seen from the front. In particular, his white hair was visible on the sides and some parts of the front of his forehead.
Kim Ju-ae, Kim Jong Un’s daughter, whom he often took with him on major inspections, did not appear in the launch site photos this time. There were also no photos of other executives, including his sister Kim Yo-jong.
The launch occurred on the 21st from a new launch pad at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site in Dongchang-ri, Pyonganbuk-do. The new launch pad is located 3km (about 1.9 miles) from the existing one, towards the southeast sea.
Experts analyzed that the rocket’s exterior appears to be the same as the first and second rockets. The rocket’s flame appeared in several streams, indicating a combination (clustering) of multiple engines, which was the same as before.
Various logos and letters such as “DPRK NADA National Aerospace Technology Administration,” “Reconnaissance Satellite Malligyong-1,” “Chosun,” and “Chollima 1” were written on the rocket.
According to the news agency, the rocket made a normal flight and accurately entered orbit with Manrikyong-1 at 10:54:13 PM, 705 seconds later. The news agency added that the National Aerospace Technology Administration will submit plans to launch several more reconnaissance satellites shortly.
By. Nam Yoon Jeong
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