Engineering: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 | Chollima-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] It is in a sun-synchronous orbit at about 500 kilometres (310 mi) altitude,[4] and will provide a global optical imaging surveillance capability principally of South Korea, Japan, the U.S., the U.K., the European Union, Southeast Asia, Egypt, Israel and Palestine.[5][6] The resolution of the imaging capability is not generally known.[7][8][9][10]
The mission's first two launch attempts failed, with the third one succeeding on 21 November 2023. This was also the first successful flight of North Korea's new launch vehicle, the Chollima-1.[11]
History
First attempt
The first launch attempt occurred on 31 May 2023. The second stage of the launch vehicle, Chollima-1, ignited too early into the mission, causing the mission to fail.[6] Evacuation alerts were issued in Seoul and Okinawa Prefecture.[12] The North Korean government quickly announced the launch failure.[13]
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.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[11] However, no immediate independent observations could be made.[16] The probe has been confirmed to be in orbit, however, its status is not known.[17]
According to NATA, Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch.[16]
References
- ↑ Jeongmin Kim (1 June 2023). "North Korea rushed satellite launch after seeing ROK rocket success, Seoul says". NK News. https://www.nknews.org/2023/06/north-korea-rushed-satellite-launch-after-seeing-rok-rocket-success-seoul-says/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mahadzir, Dzirhan (31 May 2023). "North Korean Satellite Launch Fails, Debris Crashes in Yellow Sea" (in en-US). https://news.usni.org/2023/05/31/north-korean-satellite-launch-fails-debris-crashes-in-yellow-sea.
- ↑ Tingley, Brett (31 May 2023). "North Korea says its rocket launch failed, 1st spy satellite lost" (in en). https://www.space.com/north-korea-first-satellite-launch-failed.
- ↑ "Malligyong 1". https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/malligyong-1.htm.
- ↑ Schrader, Adam (3 December 2023). "North Korea officially begins spy satellite program after launch of Malligyong-1". United Press International. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2023/12/03/north-korea-officially-begins-satellite-program/7291701624855/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 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?" (in en-US). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-spy-satellite-malligyong-1-chollima-1/.
- ↑ Vann H. Van Diepen (28 November 2023). "Modest Beginnings: North Korea Launches Its First Reconnaissance Satellite". 38 North (The Henry L. Stimson Center). https://www.38north.org/2023/11/modest-beginnings-north-korea-launches-its-first-reconnaissance-satellite/.
- ↑ Sam, Seun (1 January 2024). "North Korea’s Spy Satellite’s Impact on ASEAN Countries". Khmer Times. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501415846/north-koreas-spy-satellites-impact-on-asean-countries/.
- ↑ "North Korean spy satellite photographs Rome, White House". ANSA. 28 November 2023. https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2023/11/28/north-korean-spy-satellite-photographs-rome-white-house_f1faed10-aa96-4ab5-944a-98e4272faec6.html.
- ↑ "N. Korea says spy satellite took photos of U.S. bases in San Diego, Japan". Yonhap. 30 November 2023. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231130001000315.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "[2보 북한 "정찰위성 성공적 발사…궤도에 정확히 진입""] (in korean). Yonhap News. 21 November 2023. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20231122005351504?section=north-korea/.
- ↑ 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" (in en). https://gagadget.com/en/weapons/253008-dprk-launches-malligyong-1-military-satellite-to-monitor-the-us-and-prepare-for-nuclear-strikes-but-chollima-1-ro/.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Kim, Hyung-Jim; Kim, Tong-Hyung (30 May 2023). "North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea" (in en). https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-launch-military-spy-satellite-db6ce3f08e1ec8e23674aef519d04403.
- ↑ Kim, Chang-Ran; Shin, Hyonhee (31 May 2023). "North Korea satellite plunges in sea in 'rushed' failure, more launches expected" (in en). https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-fires-space-satellite-skorea-military-2023-05-30/.
- ↑ "KCNA Report on Accident in Second Launch of Military Reconnaissance Satellite". 24 August 2023. http://kcna.kp/en/article/q/ced17c79666e3aad1195adac0a9945f0.kcmsf.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "North Korea claims it has put a spy satellite into orbit in 3rd attempt". 21 November 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/21/1214469462/north-korea-spy-satellite-orbit.
- ↑ Van Diepen, Vann H. (2023-11-28). "Modest Beginnings: North Korea Launches Its First Reconnaissance Satellite - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea" (in en). https://www.38north.org/2023/11/modest-beginnings-north-korea-launches-its-first-reconnaissance-satellite/.
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