North Korea’s First Reconnaissance Satellite Launch Ends in Failure

The launch on the morning of May 31 by North Korea of ​​its first reconnaissance satellite ended in failure, the official North Korean news agency KCNA reported. At the same time, the DPRK intends to make a second attempt to launch a satellite as soon as possible.

It is noted that the State Administration of the DPRK for space exploration conducted a launch of a new type of carrier rocket Chollima-1 with a military reconnaissance satellite Manryong No. 1 from the Sohe Cosmodrome. “During a normal flight, the Chollima-1 launch vehicle of a new type, after separation from the first stage, lost its driving force due to an abnormal start of the second stage engine and fell into the Korean West Sea (Yellow Sea. – Vedomosti),” the statement says. in the message.

A representative of the space department suggested that the cause of the accident lies in the operation of the launch vehicle engines and fuel instability. At the same time, a restart can be carried out as soon as possible after the “partial tests” have been carried out.

Japan and South Korea called emergency meetings of their national security councils after the event. At the same time, according to the Secretary General of the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, Hirokazu Matsuno, the flight path of the North Korean missile did not pass through the exclusive economic zone of this country. The Japanese Foreign Ministry also reported that its representatives held talks with colleagues from the United States and South Korea, these countries called Pyongyang’s actions “a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions.”

White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said that Washington condemns the unsuccessful launch of the North Korean military reconnaissance satellite and calls on the world community to do the same, and Pyongyang to stop provocations and sit down at the negotiating table. “The door to diplomacy is not yet closed, but Pyongyang must immediately stop its provocative actions and embark on the path of engagement,” he said.

At the same time, the administration of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol criticized the authorities of the city of Seoul for overreacting to the launch of a North Korean satellite, writes The Korea Herald. Local authorities, according to representatives of the president, exaggerated the threat by turning on the sounds of the air raid system and sending warnings to residents on their phones with recommendations to prepare for evacuation.

On May 29, AFP reported that the Japanese Ministry of Defense had ordered the Air Self-Defense Force to destroy any ballistic missile if it was in danger of falling into the country. The military, according to the French agency, is allowed to use Standard Missile 3 missiles and the Patriot PAC-3 anti-aircraft missile system. Japan considers satellite launches just a pretext for launching ballistic missiles, and its Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed to collect intelligence information and coordinate activities with the United States and South Korea.

On May 30, Lee Byung-chor, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the DPRK Workers’ Party, told KCNA that his country will launch the number one military spy satellite in June to monitor the actions of the US army in real time. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also spoke about plans to launch a military reconnaissance satellite on April 19. He emphasized the importance of having space intelligence capabilities against the backdrop of “threats and challenges” from the United States and South Korea.

Messages at half past seven in the morning on behalf of the President of South Korea about preparations for the evacuation, which were sent to the residents of Seoul and its surroundings, really gave rise to fear among some residents of the city, says professor at Kunming University (Seoul) Andrey Lankov. After that, the authorities sent out apologies, he adds. Now the South Korean navy is fishing for satellite debris in the Yellow Sea, which will help increase knowledge of the North Korean missile program.

The North Koreans objectively need a reconnaissance satellite, since they do not have sufficient means of technical reconnaissance, the expert notes. The work of reconnaissance groups in practice is unreliable, takes a lot of time and leads to various incidents, up to the death of its members. Pyongyang has been working on a reconnaissance satellite for about two years with an openness unusual for any country, including photos of Kim Jong-un with his prototype that have appeared in the media. Finally, the DPRK warned the International Maritime Organization in advance about the upcoming launch from May 31 to June 11. The next reconnaissance satellite launch is likely to happen in a few months, the analyst said.

The launch of the DPRK reconnaissance satellite into orbit would rather stabilize the situation on the peninsula than escalate, Lankov believes. The North Koreans will be less afraid of a sudden strike from the enemy, despite the absence of such plans from Seoul and Washington. According to the Korean scholar, Japan, like other countries, will not shoot down a rocket with a North Korean satellite at the launch stage. At the same time, the Americans are now still ready to talk with Pyongyang only in the context of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament, but these demands are unambiguously rejected there. Lankov does not expect any shifts in the situation around North Korea at least until the US presidential election in 2024.