Unha-3#3
2016, Febr. 07 -- The
DPRK National Aerospace Development Administration issued a report on the successful
launch of earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4. The Carrier rocket Kwangmyongsong
blasted off from the Sohae Space Center. The satellite entered its preset orbit
at 9 minutes and 46 seconds after the lift-off. The satellite is going round
the polar orbit at 494.6 km perigee altitude and 500 km apogee altitude at the
angle of inclination of 97.4 degrees.
2016, Febr. 09 -- The US Space-Tracking.org website shows the satellite
in an orbit ranging from 473 km to 509 km and inclined 97.5 degrees north and
south of the equator.
2016, Aug. 04 -- Hyon Kwang Il, director
of the scientific research department of North Korea's NADA, said that as of
July 27, KMS-4 had completed 2,513 orbits, and that within one day after its
launch it transmitted
700 photographic images
back to earth. He said it is still working properly
and sending data whenever it passes over North Korea, which is four times a
day.Unha-3#2
2012, Nov. 27 -- Preparations for
a new North Korean rocket launch appear to be underway at the Sohae Satellite
Launching Station. Based on DigitalGlobe satellite imagery released on November
23 and 26, trailers carrying the first two stages of an Unha rocket were spotted
parked near the main missile assembly building, a clear indicator that the rocket
stages are being checked out before moving to the pad for an eventual launch.
Other launch-related activities are ongoing. Empty tanks spotted at four locations
indicate that the propellant buildings at the pad have likely been filled in
preparation for the fueling of the rocket. The instrumentation site for monitoring
a launch is still incomplete - one temporary building with a possible antenna
has been established at the site, but instrumentation trailers are still parked
near the assembly building.
2012, Dec. 01 -- North Korea announced that it would attempt to launch
a Unha-3 #2 rocket in mid-December.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Korean
Committee for Space Technology said the new bid would be carried out between
December 10 and 22.
A spokesman for North Korea's Korean Committee for Space Technology said scientists
have "analyzed the mistakes" made in the failed April launch and improved the
precision of its Unha rocket and Kwangmyongsong satellite, according to the
official Korean Central News Agency.
2012, Dec. 08 -- North Korea says it is considering postponing
the planned rocket launch, citing unspecified problems during preparations.
North Korea says it is considering postponing a planned launch originally set
for between December 10 and 22, citing unspecified problems during preparations.
The Korean Committee for Space Technology said its scientists and engineers
were "considering seriously the possibility of readjusting the launch period".
"We are now in the final stage of preparations for the launch", it said in a
statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"But in the course of the preparations, some problems have arisen, compelling
our scientists and engineers to consider seriously the possibility of readjusting
the launch period."
2012, Dec. 10 -- A day after announcing a review of the original December
10-22 launch schedule, the Korean Committee of Space Technology said it was
extending the window to December 29.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, the committee
said scientists and technicians were still "pushing forward" with preparations
for the mission.
"They, however, found a technical deficiency in the first-stage control engine
module of the rocket... and decided to extend the launch period," it said.
2012, Dec. 12 -- North Korea
fired off at 00:50 UTC a three-stage Unha-3 rocket carried the Kwangmyongsong
3 satellite into a sun synchronous orbit from its Sohae launch site in the northwestern
region. The mission was successful. The satellite have reached the orbit.
KCNA has put out a press release that had details about the launch:
- Launch time 00:49:46 UTC
- Satellite released at T+ 9:27 (00:59:13 UTC)
- Orbit parameters 499.7 x 584.18 km x 97.4°
2012, Dec. 17 -- Harvard astronomer
John McDowell told The New York Times that the satellite ended up in
the right orbit. But the preponderance of the evidence suggests that the satellite
failed either during the ascent or shortly afterwards. As scientists had not
picked up any transmissions from the North Korean satellite, McDowell said,
and it is believed the device is tumbling in an uncontrolled orbit, spinning
end over end, indicating that it is not responding to commands from its minders.
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Unha-3#1
2012, March 16
-- North Korea has announced it would launch a long-range rocket next month
to put a satellite into orbit.
Blast-off will be between April 12 and 16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the
birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung, the state's official news agency and state
television KCNA said.
The observation satellite “Kwangmyongsong-3” designed to reach a
polar earth orbit will
be mounted on an Unha-3 rocket from the new Sohae Satellite Launchig
Facility at the west coast this time.
The new Unha-3 satellite carrier to be launched southward on a polar orbit,
from the new all weather Sohae Satellite Launching Facility located at
39°39'35"N / 124°42'22"E.
North Korea has told the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International
Maritime Organization that its first stage of a rocket will land in waters 140
km west of Byeonsan Peninsula and the second 190 km east of the Philippines.
The first stage of the rocket will drop around 450 km from a launch pad, and
the second one will drop somewhere about 3,000 km away. The third stage is expected
to carry the payload for another 1,000 km using its own motor.
2012, March 28 -- A vice
director of the Space Development Department of the Korean Committee for Space
Technology (KCST) was interviewed by KCNA on March 28 as regards the planned
launch of the earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-3.
Kwangmyongsong-3 has video camera mounted on it and will send observation
data including pictures to the General Satellite Control and Command Centre.
It weighs 100 kg and will circle
along the solar synchronous orbit at 500 km high altitude. Its life is two years.
2012, April 02 -- The
North's official Korean Central News Agency said Monday that Pyongyang will
hold a special Workers' Party conference on April 11 , just days before
the satellite launch.
2012, April 05 -- North Korea has invited
the space agencies of eight countries, including Japan, the United States, China
and Russia, and the European Space Agency to observe the launch of an Earth
observation satellite on a long-distance rocket sometime between April 12 and
16.
2012, April 08 -- The Unha-3 rocket
has been installed on the launch pad. North Korean workers have moved all three
stages of the Unha-3 rocket into position for a launch.
Some 70 Journalists were invited to the Sohae Satellite Launching Station for
a visit. During the five-hour trip to the site the reporters also visited the
General Satellite Control and Command Center and some other facilities.
The Unha-3 rocket, with a height of 30 meters and a diameter of 2.4 meters,
weighs 91 (?) tons and has an original driving force of 120 tons, an official said.
The fueling will begin soon.
2012, April 10 -- North
Korean space officials said all assembly and preparations for this week's planned
satellite launch have been completed. All the assembly and preparations of the
satellite launch are done. The fueling of the rocket has started.
2012,
April 12 -- North Korea launched
the Unha-3 rocket on Thursday (22:38:55 GMT),
but it failed.
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Unha-3 with new liquid propellant upper stage
in contrast to Unha-2 !?
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