Taepodong-2
Taepodong-2 (Korean 대포동 2 호, named after the former name of the missile base Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground ) is the code name of a North Korean ICBM , based on the technology of also the North Korean Taepodong-1 is based. Occasionally it is also referred to as No-dong-3, Hwasong (Mars) -2 or Moksong (Jupiter) -2.
In the version as a satellite launcher , it is referred to by North Korea as Unha-2 (un 2 호, unha Korean for “galaxy”), a modified version exists as Unha-3 .
A number of different configurations have been proposed by analysts over the years, but data obtained from satellite reconnaissance prior to initial launch appear to confirm that the TD-2C configuration closely resembles the actual missile.
Technical specifications
Speculation based on the TD-2C configuration
- Range: 4,700–6,000 km with 700 to 1,000 kg payload
- Takeoff weight: 79.2 t
- Diameter: 2.20 m
- Length: 35.80 m
Description of Unha-2 and -3
The Unha-2 and -3 each have 3 levels. The first stages each have four engines. The engines of the Unha-2 burn the fuel UDMH with the oxidizer AK-27 ( nitric acid ) and that of the Unha-3 burn the same fuel with the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide . Otherwise they are identical for both rockets and are 16.70 meters long and 2.40 meters in diameter. The second stages each have two engines that burn the same fuel as the respective first stages and are very similar, being 8.00 meters long for the Unha-2 and 8.10 meters long for the Unha-3. The diameter of both steps is 1.50 meters. The amount of fuel and the weight of the Unha-3 should be significantly lower. The Unha-2 uses a solid rocket engine in the third stage, while the Unha-3 uses a liquid-fueled stage with two engines. The third stage of Unha-3 uses the fuel combination UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide like the first two stages. The third stage of the Unha-3 is 3.80 meters longer, heavier and more powerful than the third stage of the Unha-2, which is only 3.00 meters long. The diameter of 1.25 meters is the same for both.
use
According to US and Japanese government information, North Korea carried out the first test launch of a Taepodong-2 in the early morning of July 5, 2006. According to the American government, however, this flight failed and the rocket fell into the Sea of Japan between mainland Asia and Japan after about 40 seconds . It is so far unclear whether this flight was a test in the configuration as an ICBM or whether a satellite should be brought into Earth orbit.
According to North Korean information, the satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng (광명 성 2 호 Korean "bright star") was successfully transported into space on April 5, 2009 with an Unha-2 , which sends measurement data and revolutionary songs to earth at a frequency of 470 MHz. The US and South Korea deny this, claiming the missile fell into the Pacific . The launch took place contrary to the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1718 , which prohibits North Korea from using long-range ballistic missiles. It is believed that a test of military engineering should be disguised.
A launch attempt by an Unha-3 took place on April 12, 2012 from the new launch site Sohae . The preparations for the launch took place with an openness that is unusual for North Korea, and even foreign journalists were granted access to the launch site. The launch took place in a southerly direction in order to bring the weather satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng into an orbit with high inclination (circular at 500 km altitude with 97 ° inclination to the equator). About two minutes after takeoff, the missile broke or exploded at an altitude of about 70 km. The debris reached a peak height of about 151 km and fell into the sea between the People's Republic of China and South Korea . North Korean officials confirmed the false start and again pointed out that the mission had a purely scientific purpose. Internationally, however, the launch aroused strong criticism. a. the United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned the rocket launch as a “serious violation” of UN resolutions.
The second launch of Unha-3 on December 12, 2012, however, was successful. After the launch window had been extended shortly beforehand due to alleged technical problems, an Unha-3 took off and put a satellite into orbit, which was heavily criticized internationally. The satellite, again called Kwangmyŏngsŏng 3-2 , was launched after almost nine and a half minutes in space. Its orbit is 499.7 × 584.18 km high and has an inclination of 97.4 ° from the equator. In December 2012, South Korean experts evaluated the debris recovered from the successfully launched Unha-3 and, with the help of computer simulations, came to the conclusion that the rocket could travel up to 10,000 kilometers with a payload of around 600 kilograms. For the first time, the USA would also be within the range of North Korean weapons systems.
According to new investigations, however, the Unha-3 may have been specially optimized for use as a launcher , as the payload was only around 100 kilograms and the second stage had a comparatively weak drive, which is useful for satellite transport but not for transport of a warhead.
Another satellite launch took place on February 7, 2016. Officially, this rocket was called Kwangmyŏngsŏng and the satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 .
costs
According to press reports, which are based on South Korean estimates, the cost of the two rocket launches in 2012 amounted to about 1.3 billion US dollars. These costs are made up as follows: the launch costs alone should amount to 600 million US dollars, plus 400 million US dollars for the launch complex (launch pads, infrastructure, etc.) and 300 million US dollars for the additional, necessary equipment.
Unha-3 starts
List as of December 31, 2019
| Run. No. | Date ( UTC ) | COSPAR name | Launch site | payload | Type of payload | Payload in kg 1 | orbit | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 12, 2012 10:39 PM |
- | Sohae | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 | Earth observation satellite | approx. 100 kg | SSO | Failure |
| 2 | December 12, 2012 12:49 am |
2012-072A | Sohae | Kwangmyŏngsŏng 3-2 | Earth observation satellite | approx. 100 kg | SSO | success |
| 3 | February 7, 2016 12:29 AM |
2016-009A | Sohae | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 | Earth observation satellite | approx. 100 kg | SSO | success |
- 1 As far as known, pure satellite weight.
See also
Web links
- Unha in the Encyclopedia Astronautica (English)
- Norbert Bruges: Unha-2
- Norbert Bruges: Unha-3
- Gunter's Space Page: Unha ("Taepodong-2")
- Article on globalsecurity.org
- Information page of the "Website of American Scientists"
- "The technology comes from Russia" weapons expert Schmucker on the technology in Süddeutsche Zeitung (May 17, 2010)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Charles P. Vick: Taep'o-Dong-2 (TD-2) Design Evolution, Shahab-5, A, B, C / 6. globalsecurity.org, 2005, accessed July 5, 2006 .
- ^ Norbert Bruges: Unha-3. Retrieved February 25, 2013 .
- ^ Provocation from Pyongyang. Stern.de, April 5, 2009, accessed on December 13, 2012 .
- ↑ at 10:39 PM UTC (April 13th local time)
- ↑ a b The planned and achieved orbits of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng satellites on a website by Norbert Bruges, accessed: November 4, 2013
- ↑ N. Korea's rocket exploded mid-air: Seoul defense ministry. AsiaOne, April 13, 2012, archived from the original on May 14, 2014 ; accessed on April 14, 2012 (English).
- ↑ UN Security Council sharply condemned North Korea. Kleine Zeitung, April 14, 2012, archived from the original on May 14, 2014 .
- ↑ 12:49:46 a.m. UTC
- ↑ North Korea provokes with rocket launch. Swiss television, December 12, 2012, accessed on December 12, 2012 .
- ↑ South Korea warns USA about Kim's rockets Der Spiegel, December 23, 2012
- ↑ New calculations: North Korea's rocket was optimized for satellites. Spiegel Online, February 25, 2013, accessed February 25, 2013 .
- ↑ Tomasz Nowakowski: North Korea launches long-range rocket with Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 satellite. Spaceflight Insider, February 7, 2016, accessed February 9, 2016 .
- ↑ Kakšno bo prvo sporočilo satelita? (What will be the first message from the satellite?) From the Slovenian daily Delo, p. 7, December 13, 2012
- ↑ a b Gunter Krebs: Kwangmyŏngsŏng 3. In: Gunter's Space Page. December 12, 2012, accessed December 12, 2012 .