The future of the North Korean space program, hahahah... no seriously

[ScriptKitt3h]

I'm not going to let ya'll know how I heard this (as I don't even remember anyways), but I heard a rumor that the supposed "successful" sat launch was a failure.

Why? Some of the solar arrays failed to deploy.

[Will Fawkes]

On the one hand I am all for space as a prestige project so long as it's not 'let's arm satilites because looolololololol'. Space provides not just good peaceful 'hey look at all the awesome we can do' peacefulish propaganda, but it allows for science and advancement of home grown technologies, assuming they're not just cribbing off the Chinese.

On the other hand this is North Korea so that is money that could have gone to helping a very beaten down and poor population.This isn't the US or even Soviet Russia. This is North Kores, where the Kim Dynasty has propaganda going on about how they are effectively Gods amongst Men and I don't want to support them ignoring their people.

[andrew123]

I'm Korean-American (SOUTH Korean), but I think their space program is 'entertaining', to say the least.

I mean, North Korea's development of SLBM's must be for 'scientific research'. I mean, right? Why would the Kim Dynasty ever lie to us?

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?241703

/sarcasm.

[Argylas]

Sadly I think the only reason for the existence of the North Korean space program is to develop a reliable ICBM to carry any nukes they have. This will increase their threat level to the West and in their leaders' eyes make them more powerful on the international scene.

[*Aqua*]

2013: Sohae begins massive upgrade works and NK gets an official agency called, wait for it, NADA!

The real name is "Kukgaujugaebalkuk" (no I can't pronounce that) which translates to English national aerospace development administration or NADA. And there are how many ways to say the same thing with different English words? NASA, ESA, RFSA (commonly known as Roskosmos), it is always the same, so NADA is acceptable.

And don't laugh at them. Whenever someone makes things wrong, a hard punishment will follow. (And no, I don't mean firing that guy.)

The scientists and technicans only act on behalf of the goverment, they can see themselves there are bigger problems than flying rockets into space. But what can they do? If they refuse to work, they or a member of their family disappears.

And some of you guys think that's funny?

[Sky_walker]

Sadly I think the only reason for the existence of the North Korean space program is to develop a reliable ICBM to carry any nukes they have.

You mean... just like US or Russian space programmes?

Oh my...

[andrew123]

You mean... just like US or Russian space programmes?

Oh my...

cough - Proton Super-ICBM. - cough

And then there's the aptly named SS-18 'Satan', aka Dneper.

If N. Korea manages to make a reliable arsenal of ICBM's but still collapses, the new ROK government might attempt to make some quick money by re utilizing them as SLV's.

I mean, look at the Russian SLV's. Not so different from their ICBM brethren.

Though I'm not sure what they'd do with the SLBM's. Probably redeploy them in the ROKN navy, although I'm not sure if they's want to risk operating an outdated soviet-built diesel-electric titanium coffin.

Edited October 16, 2014 by andrew123

[grosser_Salat]

Did someone make a North Korean launchsite for RSS already?

€dit: Nevermind. I saw it is included in RSS Airports

Edited May 16, 2017 by grosser_Salat

[Laythe Squid]

Well...I think it's time for me to say this...N. Korea CAN'T into space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Streetwind]

9 hours ago, Laythe Squid said:

Well...I think it's time for me to say this...N. Korea CAN'T into space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd be wrong though, because they successfully into space already. Nothing grand, but an operational low Earth orbit satellite is an operational low Earth orbit satellite. It's officially registered with the UN and everything. If you discount the overly patriotic music, their launch coverage even was better than some way more advanced space nations. Ground and onboard cameras, view of stage separation, the works.

(I've said it before and I'll say it again: the more effort North Korea puts into peaceful use of rocketry, the better IMHO.)

[YNM]

I'd say that since the program's inception (or, well, their third leader) time, N. Korea had quite a ride. Political and technological ride, though for technology, shipping off the neighbor seems to be a real probability (and don't forget some glitch-ish countries around the world do have / contain connections to NK - say, Malaysia, although after the fiasco it's cut off for good). So IMO if they ever "succeed" in whatever ways they deem to, I hope it doesn't entail a nuclear warfare. That shall be enough.

Edited May 18, 2017 by YNM

[Slam_Jones]

I would like to see them succeed at peaceful, scientific satellite launches.  According to "[...]Hyon Kwang Il, director of NADA's scientific research department, said they planned to launch more satellites before 2020, including a geostationary satellite. He also said that he hoped they would 'plant the flag of the DPRK on the moon' within 10 years" (link). 

Assuming these are their intentions, then I truly wish them the best of luck with their scientific progress and future (peaceful!) launches.  Unfortunately, ICBMs look an awful lot like civilian launches, and the typical path a North Korean launch would take would unfortunately have to go over Japanese territory (unless they're attempting a polar orbit with a southern-heading launch... in which case they go over South Korea instead) which, naturally, makes Japan nervous.  Just a bad case of geography there as far as that goes.  The US is lucky to have the entire Atlantic to launch and drop spent stages over, instead of another nearby country!

Regardless, assuming a peaceful and scientific focus, I wish them luck.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Slam_Jones

[Kryten]

Given they're working on solid missiles and liquid space launchers, there likely won't be any overlap between space and missile programmes pretty soon. Say, in five years.

[Exploro]

On 10/16/2014 at 4:59 AM, Sky_walker said:

You mean... just like US or Russian space programmes?

Oh my...

No.

Though both programs were born out of the their respective military rocket programs both found existance outside of the development of ICBM technology. Presently the government of N. Korea seem interested in developing rocket technology soley for the purpose of developing an ICBM. For the near future there seems to be no serious consideration for fostering a indigenous civil space program.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Exploro

[Kryten]

What are you basing that on? Their space launcher is already larger than any practical ICBM for them, and they're modifying their facilities to take an even larger one.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Kryten

[kerbiloid]

13 hours ago, Slam_Jones said:

they would 'plant the flag of the DPRK on the moon' within 10 years

At last somebody will make selfies near the Apollo landers and disprove the lunar conspiracy.

[NSEP]

Their firecracker can destroy an entire ant colony! We must be scared!

[Exploro]

15 hours ago, Kryten said:

What are you basing that on? Their space launcher is already larger than any practical ICBM for them, and they're modifying their facilities to take an even larger one.

N. Korean nuclear weapons are thought to be far more massive than those used by other nuclear powers. The mass of the warhead for the Hwasong-10 for instance is about 1.5 metric tons. This more massive than the one used on the US Minuteman III which at most  .8 metric tons and that system boasts MIRVs and a range 3 times as far as the Hwasong-10. It would make sense that if miniaturizing the warheads can't be accomplished it be easier to build a bigger missile.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Exploro

[RCgothic]

There are two ways to make a warhead that fits on a missile. One is to miniaturize the warhead. The other is to build a bigger missile. I imagine building a bigger missile is the easier of the two tasks.

[Kryten]

A bigger missile isn't a practical weapon in a country that size, because they'd need silos. With modern precision-guided weapons, and without enough distance to get reasonable early warning, a silo is a tomb. Therefore they need mobile weapons, which is exactly what we've seen them develop.

8 hours ago, Exploro said:

N. Korean nuclear weapons are thought to be far more massive than those used by other nuclear powers. The mass of the warhead for the Hwasong-10 for instance is about 1.5 metric tons. This more massive than the one used on the US Minuteman III which at most  .8 metric tons and that system boasts MIRVs and a range 3 times as far as the Hwasong-10. It would make sense that if miniaturizing the warheads can't be accomplished it be easier to build a bigger missile.

There's no compelling evidence for that, and plenty against it. A giant warhead would need specialised transport, but we've never caught a warhead being transported for a test.

EDIT: that's not a like-to-like comparison. Minuteman warhead is a full thermonuclear device, whereas current DPRK ones  are fission, probably boosted fission. US developed boosted fission devices in the 25kg range using early sixties tech, so it's hardly farfetched that the DPRK can make a half-ton warhead now. Especially as they've done exercises explicitly about nuclear combat using scud variants with about that much payload.

The HS-10 warhead is pretty darn big yeah, but it's more likely this is a reflection of their near future nukes than present ones. We can't expect them to keep testing the same boosted fission devices forever...

Edited May 20, 2017 by Kryten

[Shadow Wolf56]

Did anyone know, that NADA was made on April fools 2013??? XD

Edited May 20, 2017 by Shadow Wolf56

[kerbiloid]

I'm sorry but Minuteman would be squished under 8 t warhead. Afaik, it carries 1.x t.

Also, Japan is much closer to DPRK than Minuteman's typical distance.

Edited May 21, 2017 by kerbiloid

[monophonic]

@kerbiloid, easy to miss that without the leading zero, but @Exploro wrote point eight metric tons for Minuteman III. As to the geography issue, yeah, Japan has a rough neighbourhood. They are lucky to have a friend with muscles.

[Streetwind]

Looks like there's a lot of people who would benefit from making a new "Let's discuss nuclear missiles" thread.