North Korea violates the announced date… surprise launch of military reconnaissance satellite in the middle of the night

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea launched a military reconnaissance satellite at 10:43 p.m. on the 21st. Initially, North Korea had announced that it would launch between the 22nd and the 1st of next month, but it launched a surprise launch at night a day earlier.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to the defense press corps that day, “North Korea launched a North Korean-claimed military reconnaissance satellite in the southern direction,” adding, “North Korea launched it in the southern direction from the area of ​​Dongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province and passed over the high seas west of Baengnyeong Island and Ieo Island.” did. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “Our military has heightened alert status and is closely cooperating with the US and Japan on related information.” This launch is the third attempt in about three months, following two failed attempts in May and August. The Japanese Ministry of Defense said, “North Korea launched an object that may be a ballistic missile.”

North Korea has notified the Japanese government that it will launch a satellite between midnight on the 22nd and midnight on the 30th. The predicted locations for the satellite launch vehicle debris to fall, as announced by North Korea, are two locations, including the West Sea in the southwest of North Korea, and one location in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, which is the same as the location announced as the location of the debris landing during the first launch in May and the second launch in August. .

On May 31, North Korea launched the space launch vehicle ‘Chollima Type 1’ equipped with the reconnaissance satellite ‘Manrikyeong 1’, but the second stage rocket failed to ignite and crashed into the sea about 200km west of Eocheong Island in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do. Then, on August 24, the first stage and fairing (connection area between the first and second stages) fell in a relatively similar area as predicted by North Korea, but the launch failed due to abnormal flight from the second stage propulsion stage. The second stage fell slightly outside the predicted area.