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| Function | Expendable carrier rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Korean Committee of Space Technology |
| Country of origin |  North Korea |
| Size | |
| Height | 32.01 metres (105.0 ft)[citation needed] |
| Diameter | 2.41 metres (7 ft 11 in)[citation needed] |
| Mass | 85,000 kilograms (190,000 lb)[citation needed] |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 100 kilograms (220 lb) ? (possibly to a 250 km orbit with 90o inclination)[citation needed] (220 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Tonghae |
| Total launches | 1 |
| Successes | 0 |
| Failures | 1 |
| Maiden flight | 5 April 2009 |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 4 Nodong 2-1[citation needed] |
| Thrust | 1,200 kN[citation needed] |
| Specific impulse | 252 sec[citation needed] |
| Burn time | 120 seconds[citation needed] |
| Fuel | Nitric acid / UDMH |
| Second stage | |
| Engines | 1 Nodong[citation needed] |
| Thrust | 250 kN[citation needed] |
| Specific impulse | 255 sec[citation needed] |
| Burn time | 110 seconds[citation needed] |
| Fuel | Nitric acid/UDMH |
| Third stage | |
| Engines | 1 Unha 2-3[citation needed] |
| Thrust | 54 kN[citation needed] |
| Specific impulse | 270 sec[citation needed] |
| Burn time | 40 seconds[citation needed] |
| Fuel | Solid |
The Unha or Eunha （Korean: 은하, 銀河, "Galaxy")[1] is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which experts say utilises the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile.[2] The designation Unha-2 has also been used to refer to the rocket, however it has not been confirmed whether this is part of the name, or a serial number for an individual rocket.
Contents |
History
North Korea's first orbital space launch attempt occurred on August 31, 1998. That failed launch was performed by a Paektusan rocket. Taepo Dong 1 used a solid motor third stage, a Scud-missile-based second stage, and a 'Rodong-1' based first stage. Rodong-1 was a North Korean-developed stage thought to be a scale-up of the old Soviet Scud missile. TaepoDong 1 stood 22.5 metres tall, was 1.8 metres in diameter, and weighed about 21 tonnes.
Unha-2 is believed to be a three-stage rocket derived from North Korea's Taepodong-2 ballistic missile - a missile that first flew, unsuccessfully, in 2006. The rocket, believed to have been attempting a suborbital test,[citation needed] failed after only 40 seconds. TaepoDong 2's big new first stage is thought to be powered by four engines, one of which powered the country's earlier Taepo Dong 1 first stage. The four engines may produce 112 tonnes of liftoff thrust, sufficient to rapidly lift the 78 tonne carrier rocket.[3] According to Japanese reports, the second stage splashed down in the Pacific Ocean approximately 3,200 kilometers from the launch site. [4]
Vehicle description
Due to the secrecy of North Korea's ballistic missile programme technical details are scarce. According to several analysts the Unha's first stage consists of four clustered Nodong motors, which themselves are enlarged Scud motors. The second stage is supposed to be based on SS-N-6 technology North Korea is known to have acquired.[5] The third and last stage might be identical to the Iranian Safir's second stage which is propelled by two small gimballed motors.[citation needed] Due to the enormous dimensions of the missile and the excessive amount of time needed for fueling the missile's military value is questionable.[citation needed] Also North Korea has probably not yet developed a nuclear warhead small enough to be fit on their ballistic missiles.[6]
Launch History
On 24 February 2009, North Korea announced that a Unha rocket would be used to launch the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite.[7] According to the South Korean government, the launch took place on 5 April[8] from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in Hwadae county.[9] Several countries, including South Korea, the U.S.A., and Japan, have voiced concern that the launch might violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 which prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic missiles.[10] Russia also announced they urged North Korea to refrain from its planned rocket launch.[11] It was also reported that the launch may be a cover for a suborbital test of the Taepodong-2 missile.[9] The large first stage of the Unha-2 launcher is new and has not been successfully flight-tested. The only previous flight test was in July 2006. The first stage had failed approximately 40 seconds into the launch causing the launcher to crash a few kilometres from the launch site.[12]
| Variant | Date of Launch | Launch Location | Payload | Mission Status |
| Unha-2 | 5 April 2009 | Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 |
Failed to reach orbit[13] |
See also
References
- ^ "FACTBOX: North Korea's Taepodong-2 long-range missile". Reuters. 2009-03-13. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE52C1NG20090313. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ "North Korea positions rocket for April liftoff" (in English). AP. 2009-03-27. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5bCbd3G8qFoX7H4TvQbUWvBQ08QD975MUDO0. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
- ^ http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/unha.html
- ^ David Wright and Theodore A. Postol (2009-06-29). "A post-launch examination of the Unha-2". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/post-launch-examination-of-the-unha-2.
- ^ Alon Ben-David (2005-12-29). "Iran acquires ballistic missiles from DPRK". Janes. http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jdw/jdw051229_1_n.shtml.
- ^ "A Technical Assessment of Iran's Ballistic Missile Program". Theodore Postol. 2009-03-24. http://docs.ewi.info/JTA_TA_Program.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^ "朝鲜将发射“光明星二号”试验通讯卫星" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 2009-02-24. http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-02/24/content_10883499.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
- ^ "North Korea fires long-range rocket: reports". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-04-05. http://www.smh.com.au/world/north-korea-fires-longrange-rocket-reports-20090405-9sz1.html. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ a b "Kim tours rocket launch area". The Straits Times. 2009-02-26. http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_343129.html. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
- ^ "US Warns NK Not to Launch Rocket". The Korea Times. 2009-03-14. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/03/113_41280.html. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
- ^ "Russia urges North Korea to refrain from rocket launch" (in English). Asiaone News. 2009-03-27. http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090327-131542.html. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
- ^ "Examining North Korea's satellite launch vehicle". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 2009-03-24. http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/examining-north-koreas-satellite-launch-vehicle. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^ http://www.northcom.mil/News/2009/040509.html
External links
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Wikinews has related news: North Korea launches rocket |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Unha |
- "An Analysis of North Korea’s Unha-2 Launch Vehicle," David Wright, March 20, 2009.
- Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen, "Nuclear Notebook: North Korea’s nuclear program, 2005", "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists", May/June 2005.
- "Footage Of North Korean Rocket Launch" April 5, 2009.
- "North Korea's impressive space launch vehicle "Unha-2"
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